MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Ken Block hadn�t set foot in a rally car prior to October 2004, yet a year later he has been crowned Rookie of the Year by Rally America while establishing himself as one of the fastest American driver�s in the sporttoday. Block spent most of the season battling seasoned rally drivers on the extremely demanding rally events that make up the 8-round Rally America National Championship. Block, a 38-year-old California native piloted his Vermont SportsCar prepared 2004 Subaru WRX STI rally car to 4th Overall and 3rd in Group N (3rd only to current US Champion Patrick Richard and former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist).

Block�s day job is what got him into rallying in late 2004. As Co-Founder and President of skateboard shoe and apparel company DC Shoes, Ken sponsors some of action sports biggest stars. One such DC Shoes sponsored athlete is Supercross/Freestyle Motocross/X-Games star Travis Pastrana who began rallying with Vermont SportsCar in 2004. "When my company DC Shoes began to sponsor Travis Pastrana in 2004 I was eager to get involved in his rally racing efforts. I also thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go do something that has always been a dream of mine; to go rally racing. And, as a bonus, I get to do it with one of our biggest athletes," explains Block.

The key to Block�s success was consistency and a level head. He always made it a goal to finish every rally and not push beyond his limits. He finished 6 of 8 events in the top 10, with one Overall podium (a 3rd Overall at the Maine Forest Rally) and an impressive three Group N class podiums. "Ken is the most focused driver we have ever dealt with and his results prove it," adds Vermont SportsCar�s team owner Lance Smith.

Another key to Ken�s success has been his experienced co-driver Alex Gelsomino, an Italian native living in California. "He drives the notes (the co-driver�s detailed road instructions) the way it should be done and that really is the only secret for a rookie driver," explains Gelsomino. "Above all though we have not seen Ken�s top speed yet and I�m really looking forward to next season to see what we can achieve."

Although his effort for 2005 was a privately funded one, Ken would like to thank the following companies for their support; DC Shoes, Vermont SportsCar, Subaru of America, Shift Racing, Meguiar�s, Michelin, and Industrial Board Shop.

For 2006, Ken is looking forward to being more competitive with the top US competitors. "This year�s goal was to get experience and see if I could compete at a high level," explains Block. "I drove fairly conservatively so that I could finish as many races as I could and get as many miles in as possible. But, I also proved that I can be near the top of the leader board. Now that the original goals are complete, it�s going to be fun to step up the speed and compete with the faster players in the sport!"

"In the �80�s when I was sliding my VW around in the snow, I really had no idea what I was doing, but it sure was fun," says Block. "But now, I have been taught how to really slide cars around and do it at very high speeds! I love this sport and look forward to many years of pushing it as far as I can."

To get more info on Ken and his teammate Travis Pastrana, go to www.dcshoes.com/rally for photos, interviews and exclusive videos.

Minneapolis-based Rally America, Inc. holds the sanctioning and marketing rights to the Rally America Championship.

For further information:
J.B. Niday, Managing Director, Rally America, Inc. Tel: +1.763.553.2742, [email protected] www.rally-america.com