LIA BLOCK Nails Perfect Backflip, Beats GRAY LEADBETTER at Pastranaland

September 26, 2025

by Alex Harrington // from www.motorsport.com

• LIA BLOCK proved her fearless reputation wasn’t just hype, nailing a perfect pit bike backflip on her very first attempt at Travis Pastrana’s legendary compound. While off-road champion GRAY LEADBETTER admitted she “can’t turn her brain off” and hesitated, BLOCK approached it with the confidence that’s made Pastrana call her “the most confident female driver I’ve ever seen.”
• The real battle came in the ATV time trials, where LEADBETTER initially edged ahead with a 24.22s run compared to BLOCK’s 24.62s on the short course. But BLOCK’s superior pace through the technical woods section forced a winner-take-all tiebreaker on the combined layout, setting up a perfect head-to-head showdown.
• BLOCK delivered when it mattered most, braking later into a crucial right-hand corner to steal victory by mere fractions of a second. The win showcased exactly why Pastrana has taken on the mentor role for the F1 Academy driver, continuing the deep friendship between the Pastrana and Block families that spans nearly two decades of shared racing adventures.

all-female f1 academy, atv racing, pastranaland, pit bike