Lia Block will move up to Nitrocross’s headline Group E category at Glen Helen Raceway this Sunday, becoming both the youngest driver in the category’s history, and the first female to race in it, too.
Block will replace Travis Pastrana at Vermont SportsCar for the second part of the Southern California doubleheader, a poignant move given that her father, the late Ken Block, began his rallying career with the outfit.
“From first starting Nitrocross when I was 14 years old to now, three years later, being in the top class is crazy to think about,” said Block. “I’ve always wanted to do the gap jump ever since I started. This feels very much like full circle and I’m so thankful for Travis and the team at Vermont Sportscar to give me this opportunity to race at the top. I can’t wait to give it my all this weekend at Glen Helen!”
Block’s upcoming maiden appearance in Group E caps off a stellar year for the 17-year-old, who won the Open 2WD category in the American Rally Association series, and has raced in Nitrocross’ NEXT category, taking her first podium in Phoenix in November. She also contested the majority of the Extreme E season for Carl Cox Motorsport alongside Timo Scheider, taking a best result of fifth at the second Island X Prix in Sardinia.
Block’s Group E debut reinforces Nitrocross and Pastrana’s commitment to giving young females more opportunities in top-level off-road racing, too, and comes after Nitrocross Side-by-Side driver and former ARX2 competitor Gray Leadbetter got some seat time in the 1,000 horsepower FC1-X Group E machine at Mid-America Outdoors in Oklahoma over the summer.
“Lia is a quick study and an amazing talent. Ken gave me the opportunity to shine by allowing me to star in his Gymkhana videos and now with the help of my team at Vermont SportsCar we couldn’t be more excited to give Lia this opportunity to race alongside the best drivers in the world at the wheel of my Group E car,” said Pastrana. “She can be anywhere she wants to be, not because of the resources she has or who her father was. She’s going to be that good because she believes she can with confidence I’ve never seen and a natural ability to find speed where others can’t. She will do her best as Lia Block, not as Ken’s daughter, but as her own legacy.”
While most of Block’s experience has been in the rallying and off-road arenas, next year Block will race for ART Grand Prix under the Williams Racing banner in the F1 Academy open-wheel series. Nevertheless, despite the impending move to circuit racing — which comes off the back of several years of karting and multiple open-wheel tests — Block has insisted the door isn’t closed on future Nitrocross and rallying outings.
“No, absolutely not,” Block told media that included RACER at last weekend’s Extreme E season finale in Chile. “There are seven rounds [of F1 Academy] and we have tests in-between them, but there is some spare time to maybe go and do one-off rallies or do a Nitrocross race.
“I’m open to anything, and even Jame [Vowles, Williams Racing team principal] has told me, ‘Go and do whatever you want — seat time’s seat time,’ obviously. So always being in a car is a good thing.”