Limited running will still help, says Block

Monster World Rally Team driver Ken Block says the experience he gained on Rally of Turkey will go a long way to helping him up his pace behind the wheel of his Ford Focus WRC, despite being forced to retire on both Friday and Saturday.

The 42-year-old Gymkhana driving video star is tackling a select programme of WRC rallies this season in preparation for a full assault on the series in 2011.

He retired on Friday’s opening stage with a broken steering arm, caused by nudging a submerged tree stump, before stopping on Saturday’s final stage when he got beached on a bank. His return on Sunday netted 24th overall and ninth in the A8 class.

“Every bit of time we get in the car helps enormously and really boosts my confidence,” said Block, who was co-driven by fellow American Alex Gelsomino. “Retiring on that first stage on Friday was so frustrating because it meant missing out on a lot of mileage. But even though we weren’t able to go the full distance there were still some things we were able to learn. The problem is I’m still figuring this car out and, at the moment, I don’t trust myself to go at more than 80 per cent.”

Block said he was heartened by the two top-six stage times he recorded during the demanding gravel rally, most notably his time through the Gocbeyli stage on Saturday morning.

“The first one felt really good because it was on Saturday during the heat of the battle,” said Block. “I got one on the last stage too but that was at the end of the rally when people were backing off.”

Block returns to world championship duty on Vodafone Rally de Portugal from 27-30 May. Before then he will contest round three of the Rally America National Championship in a Ford Fiesta this weekend.