Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino entered the Rallye Defi with an unusual car – a Ford Escort MkII. The car was meticulously prepared for Block and was to get it’s first rally here.
Unfortunately, the pair ended their event early when their Escort locked a wheel, sending them into a ditch. Damage to the car initially appeared minor, but the two were unable to restart the car on the stage.
After repairs in service, the two were allowed to run the final three stages before being excluded from the event. Unfortunately, damage was more severe than originally expected, and the team returned from the transit, unable to continue.
When the car loaded up heading around a tarmac corner on the first stage, one of the wheels locked up after compressing up against the body, said Block. The car darted off to the left and into the ditch. We got it back out, but we’d broken a ground to the fuel pump, so we couldn’t get it restarted.
The crew got the ground fixed in service, but we’d also shifted the transmission crossmember, which pulled the tranny back about an eighth of an inch, and we’d broken a bolt in the suspension. When we left to transit out to the next stages, the handling was all over the place, and the shifting wasn’t good, so we decided to park it.
