KEY POINTS:
American multimillionaire Ken Block will add much interest to next month's international motor rally in Whangarei.
The Californian, runner-up in the 2006 US championship, will compete in Sam Murray's FRAM team from May 11-13 in the event that doubles as the second round of the New Zealand rally championship and the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.
Eleven drivers will battle for points in the Asia-Pacific Championship, and 18 in the New Zealand championship.
Two Japanese drivers have also entered the event.
It will be an interesting time for Block, who headed back to race in the United States after the Otago rally.
"I jumped at the chance to race here when Sam Murray contacted me," the San Diego driver said.
The Subaru WRX STI he and regular co-driver, Italian-born Alex Gelsomino, will share, is much the same as the car he rallies in the US, although it is built to full Group N specifications rather than the higher powered cars in his home series.
"It's taking some time to adjust, although the roads are fairly similar," Block said.
"The big difference is the crests and brows in the roads which we don't have. They are something new and I'm learning how to drive them and also how to note them correctly in our pace notes.
Block won the opening round of the US Championship before competing in the opening round of the New Zealand Championship in Otago.
He flew back to compete in Portland, Oregon.
In his third full year of rallying, Block was Rally America rookie of the year and placed third overall in Group N in 2005. Last year he was second to Subaru teammate Travis Pastrana in the US series.
Block achieved prominence for ramp-jumping his Subaru 57m for the Discovery Channel's Stunt Junkies programme.
"I wanted to take a street legal competition rally car and treat it like a motocross bike, attempting to jump as far as possible without destroying the car or hurting myself, " he said.
Block is co-founder and chief brand officer of DC Shoes, a sportswear brand that totals about $US250 million ($341.76 million) in sales annually.
He grew up skateboarding and is an avid snowboarder and motocross rider.
- NZPA
