Lia Block

Lia Block is a 17-year-old American rally champion and multi-discipline racer from Utah who became the youngest—and only female—driver to win an American Rally Association championship at age 16, carrying forward the legacy of her late father, legendary rally driver Ken Block.

EARLY YEARS

Born around 2006, Lia grew up on her family’s Utah ranch with the memorable name “Ain’t Care Acres,” where fast cars and loud engines were simply part of the landscape. Her father, Ken Block—the rally racing icon, Hoonigan video creator, and DC Shoes co-founder—built an empire that afforded his daughter both access and opportunity. Her mother, Lucy Block, would later become her co-driver in competition. From the moment she could see over a dashboard, Block was surrounded by the machinery and madness of motorsport.

She wasn’t pushed into racing; she gravitated toward it. While she tried a couple of different sports growing up, she always found her way back to cars. At age 10, she entered the Lucas Oil Off-Road Short Course Series in a 570 RZR—essentially rallycross on dirt—and never looked back. By 11, she’d competed in her first rally race. At 13, she learned to drive a manual transmission. At 14, she was drag-racing and drifting her father’s 1,400-horsepower Hoonicorn Mustang—and winning. Most teenagers were studying for their learner’s permit; Block was already a seasoned competitor.

OTHER INTERESTS

Information about Lia’s interests outside of motorsport remains limited. She’s mentioned dabbling in other sports during childhood, but racing clearly monopolized her attention early on. Beyond the track, her life appears refreshingly singular in focus—she knows what she loves, and she’s chasing it with everything she has.

EARLY SUCCESS

Block’s rise through motorsport was anything but conventional. She didn’t follow the traditional karting-to-single-seaters pipeline that defines so many racing careers. Instead, she bounced between disciplines with a fearlessness that became her trademark: off-road short course, karting, drifting, drag racing, rally. She appeared in her father’s Hoonigan YouTube videos, becoming a familiar face to millions before she could legally drive on public roads.

In 2021, she made her national rally debut at the final round of the ARA Championship. She followed that with six ARA appearances in 2022, learning the craft alongside co-driver Rhiannon Gelsomino. By 2023, everything clicked. Racing a Subaru BRZ in the ARA’s 02WD class, Block dominated the season with four wins and five podiums total, clinching the championship with two races still remaining. She was 16 years old—the youngest champion in ARA history and the series’ first and only female champion. She and Gelsomino also became the first all-woman team to win an ARA title.

That same year, she won the Baja 1000’s Pro-Stock division alongside her mother Lucy and Rodrigo Ampudia under the Block House Racing banner. She also competed in a partial Nitrocross NEXT season, earning three podiums, and made her debut in Extreme E with Carl Cox Motorsport at the Island X Prix in Sardinia, replacing Christine GZ. To close out her ARA championship season, she drove her late father’s Ford Escort Cosworth V2 at the Lake Superior Performance Rally—a poignant tribute and a statement of intent.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2023: Won ARA 02WD Class Championship at age 16, becoming the youngest and only female champion in series history[1][2][6].
• 2023: Won Baja 1000 Pro-Stock division with mother Lucy Block and Rodrigo Ampudia[1][2].
• 2023: Formed first all-woman ARA championship team with co-driver Rhiannon Gelsomino[1].
• 2023: Competed in partial Nitrocross NEXT season, earning three podiums[3].
• 2023: Made Extreme E debut with Carl Cox Motorsport at Island X Prix in Sardinia[4].
• 2023-2024: Competed in F1 Academy with Williams and ART Grand Prix despite no prior open-wheel experience[1][2][3].
• Became first female driver brand ambassador for Rockstar Energy[5].

INSPIRATIONS

Ken Block’s influence on his daughter’s career cannot be overstated. He was her mentor, her access point, and her greatest inspiration. Growing up watching her father push the limits of what was possible behind the wheel, Lia absorbed not just his skill but his fearlessness and creativity. Her mother Lucy’s willingness to race alongside her in the brutal Baja 1000 demonstrated that this was truly a family affair. When Ken passed away unexpectedly, Lia honored his legacy by driving his Escort Cosworth to close out her championship-winning season—a gesture that was equal parts tribute and continuation.

REPUTATION

Block has earned respect not just as Ken Block’s daughter, but as a legitimate talent in her own right. Carl Cox, team boss of Carl Cox Motorsport, said she “demonstrated enormous potential” and was eager to bring her into Extreme E. Williams selected her for their F1 Academy program despite her complete lack of open-wheel experience—a testament to the raw ability she’d shown in rally and off-road competition.

Her versatility is her calling card. She’s equally comfortable letting a rally car slide sideways through gravel as she is wrestling a 1,400-horsepower drag car or navigating the precision demands of single-seater racing. “I kind of had to turn off the off-road side of my brain and learn from scratch again,” she admitted about transitioning to F1 Academy, acknowledging the steep learning curve. But she also noted that the experience made her “a better driver.”

Media coverage has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting her pioneering achievements and her role in inspiring women in motorsport. She’s candid about challenges—admitting that F1 Academy put her “very much on the back foot” compared to circuit-bred competitors—but she’s also unapologetic about her path. “I love racing,” she’s said simply. “This is what I want to pursue in my life.” That honesty, combined with undeniable results, has earned her a growing fanbase that appreciates both her skill and her authenticity.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of her final F1 Academy race at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Block’s future remains wonderfully open. She’s stated clearly that her goal is “racing in a world championship,” though which series remains to be seen. “I enjoy both rally and single-seaters,” she’s said, refusing to box herself into one discipline. That flexibility—combined with her Rockstar Energy ambassadorship and the relationships she’s built with teams like Williams, ART Grand Prix, and Carl Cox Motorsport—suggests multiple paths forward.

What’s certain is that she’s not done proving herself. She described her Williams F1 Academy opportunity as “kind of like a lottery ticket, especially with Williams and their history in F1,” but she’s never been someone who relies on luck. She’s built her reputation on results, on being willing to race anything with wheels, and on carrying forward a legacy that weighs heavy but hasn’t slowed her down. Whether she returns to rally, continues in single-seaters, or carves out something entirely her own, one thing is clear: Lia Block races like someone with nothing to prove and everything to gain.

References:

Born to race: Lia Block’s Racing Origins – F1 Academy
Utah native Lia Block wrapping up F1 Academy career – KTNV
Lia Block: ‘I love racing…’ – TopGear
Lia Block, Daughter of Ken Block… – Autoweek
Behind The Wheels With Lia Block – Females in Motorsport
Lia Block, daughter of Ken, wins her first rally championship – Hagerty
Finding The Limit | The Full Story of Lia Block – YouTube