Subaru Motorsports USA is happy to announce that the racing phenom Lia Block will guest drive Brandon Semenuk's WRX ARA24 with co-driver Keaton Williams at her side. With a third-consecutive American Rally Association (ARA) championship clinched, Semenuk will skip the final event of the season, the October 11-12 Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR).
'Excited is an understatement for the feeling going into LSPR,' says Block of her return to ARA action. 'Subaru and Vermont SportsCar have given me such a cool opportunity to compete at a rally in their top-level racecar.'
Block is an accomplished racer, coming off a 2023 ARA Open 2WD championship where she became the youngest champion in ARA history. She is currently in her rookie season of open wheel racing overseas in the F1 Academy, driving for Williams Racing. She has also competed in the Baja 1000, Nitrocross, Extreme E, kart races, and more.
Lia Block has spent much of her childhood at rally events. Following along with her father - the late Ken Block - who started his rallying career in a Subaru with the Subaru Motorsports USA team, before becoming a viral video legend with his Gymkhana films. Ken's teammate in those early days, extreme sports icon Travis Pastrana, will race at this year's LSPR as Lia's teammate.
'Rally has always been my home. It's my roots,' Lia says. 'My family and I have such a special history with this team, I wouldn't want this milestone to be with anyone else. It's been a while since I've competed in a rally car, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of learning my way around this insanely fast, top-level car.'
More than a homecoming of sorts, the 2024 LSPR is a great opportunity to see a great young racer taking on the best the ARA has to offer. Block's goals are humble: 'My goal for this upcoming weekend is to have fun, go fast, and finish the rally strong and comfortable.' Find out the latest on how Lia is doing by following Subaru Motorsports USA on Facebook, on Instagram @subarumotorsportsusa, and TikTok @subarumotorsportsusa.Photo credit: Subaru posted on conceptcarz.com
