Lia Block has welcomed the news that Ott Tanak will compete at Overmountain Rally Tennessee in the American Rally Association (ARA) National Championship. For the 19-year-old, the presence of the 2019 WRC champion is not just a spectacle but a real benchmark to measure her own abilities.
Block currently leads the ARA standings ahead of this weekend's Ojibwe Forests Rally in her Hyundai i20 N Rally2, but she is still searching for her first overall victory. She previously had the chance to race against Jari-Matti Latvala at Olympus Rally, but now the challenge is greater: facing a world champion.
"I think it's awesome, obviously for the series and for the US rallying scene as a whole, but also for us and the competition to see what is actually possible in a Rally2 car on these roads in the US," Block told DirtFish. "I think Tanak will really be able to set the pace for the rest of the field, and for me to work towards. I'm very excited to compare times against a world champion."
For her, Tanak's presence in ARA is also a chance to gauge how competitive the domestic championship is. "It's going to be a great kick in the butt for us in the championship, just to see how far off the pace we really are from a world champion. From an outside perspective, people may not take it as seriously, so this can give us a great gauge of how it needs to progress pace-wise," she added.
Beyond stage times, Block also plans to study Tanak's mannerisms off the stages, as she did with Latvala. "It's so unique to pick the brain of a world champion, seeing how they get into the headspace before a stage. I'm really looking forward to seeing that at Overmountain with Tanak," she explained.
Block also believes Toyota's decision to send Tanak is a positive sign for Rally US's bid to join the WRC calendar from 2027. "I'm really hoping that it does happen, especially after the candidate event went so well and being able to speak to the FIA safety delegates," she concluded with a smile.
Read Also
Hyundai fokus perbaiki keandalan mobil Evo i20 N Rally1 setelah frustrasi di Finlandia. Target kemenangan di Paraguay didukung kerja keras setahun terakhir.
Martins Sesks debut di Baja Poland 2026 bersama SRT dengan Viking Challenger kelas T3. Uji nyali sebelum kembali ke WRC di Sardinia.
Sami Pajari siap lanjutkan tren kemenangan di Reli Paraguay 2025. Pembalap Toyota itu kini kedua di klasemen WRC, 30 poin di belakang Elfyn Evans.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!