Gymkhana GRiD will make its return this fall in the United States in honour of its late creator Ken Block. The revival was announced Monday as part of “Ken Block Day”, a celebration of his life as 3 April (April 3, or 4/3, in MDY format) can be read as Block’s trademark #43.
The event was founded in 2010 and ran through 2019 before being shuttered due to COVID-19. Consisting of all-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive classes, it was a one-on-one format on a special obstacle-filled course that maximises drifting and showmanship. The original run attracted many names from multiple disciplines, with champions including twice victor Dmitrij Sribnyj (2012 and 2015 AWD), rally star Tanner Foust (2010 and 2013), Dakar Rally veteran Nani Roma (2013), twice World Rally Champion Petter Solberg (2016 and 2019), rallycross legend Johan Kristoffersson (2017 and 2018), and drifting ace Daigo Saito (2010 RWD).
Gymkhana GRiD was global in its original run, with the most recent edition in 2019 being held in Poland, though the revival will focus on its roots in America. The inaugural final was at Irwindale Speedway in California, which also hosted the 2013 final as part of the X Games.
Details such as a race format and locations were not immediately revealed.
According to a report from DirtFish, Brian Scotto and Ron Zaras are expeted to take part and are therefore the first known names for the revival. Both are close friends of Block and work for his Hoonigan Racing Division.
Block passed away in January in a snowmobile accident. As part of his celebration of life on Monday, a petition was launched to turn 3 April into “4 3 Day”; as of this article’s publication, it has over 15,000 signatures.