A group of “Grand Theft Auto V” players have gathered together to orchestrate a touching in-game tribute to the late rally and stunt driver, and YouTube sensation Ken Block.
The world of motorsport and all those who recognize him are mourning the demise of this popular rally driver. Block, who appeared in the Dirt series of games and 2015’s “Need for Speed” reboot, passed away earlier this week after yielding to a snowmobile accident on his ranch in Utah, Reuters reported.
He died at the age of 55. He was also the co-founder of DC Shoes and Hoonigan Racing.
Hoonigan Racing first announced his death on social media. Then, the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that the YouTube sensation was riding a snowmobile nearby his residence in Utah around 2 p.m. when he attempted to navigate a steep slope, causing the craft to fall back on top of him. Officials pronounced him dead at the scene.
“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer, and an icon. And most importantly, a father and a husband. He will be incredibly missed,” Hoonigan Racing said in a statement.
A heartfelt tribute to Block
Following the news of Block’s death, fans and gamers gathered together to create a tribute for him in the most fitting way. They recreated some of his famous stunts from his hugely successful series of Gymkhana videos.
The tribute video, published on Reddit, features a collection of “GTA” players sliding beneath a car bonnet as it bounces up on its hydraulics or pulling off donut after donut in the game. This includes around a helicopter. After all, many people remember Block’s fondness for transforming an airfield into his own playground.
Not only that group of gamers who created the tribute but also many others acknowledged this heartfelt creation, calling the video a “beautiful” way to reminisce about the life of the rallying legend.
One commenter on Reddit wrote, “You guys did an awesome job it brought a tears to my eye.”
“The fact you managed to recreate the drift under the bouncing car is mind-bogglingly awesome,” another indicated.
A successful rally driver
Block co-founded DC Shoes, a famous skateboarding and shoe brand, in 1994. He managed to build this brand into a worldwide success via strategic sponsorships and athletes’ endorsements.
He sold the company in 2004 for $87 million, and afterward, he became better known as a rally car legend, winning 16 national titles in the sport from 2005 to 2014.
This rally driver also earned five medals in the X games, becoming one of only four Americans to score points in the World Rally Championship.
Interestingly enough, he had shared pictures about the heavy snowfall at his Utah ranch on his official Twitter account hours before the accident, writing, “This is how some mornings at my ranch in Utah look this time of year – freshly coated with snow! Luckily we have the Ski-doo sleds, @CanAm Mavericks (one on tracks!) and Defender, and the Kubota machinery to dig us out and keep the property maintained.
