Bring on the French and Loeb. USA in the WRC - woohoo!!

 

should be interesting

 

I like "Kenny from the block." But he's not of Loeb's caliber just yet. He's professionally raced for only a few years. Competed in Rally America for 3 years, with 2008 being his best year. Last year he didn't compete.

I wish him all the best and what the Ford team is doing by entering only a handful of races in 2010 is smart. Go Kenny in 2011!

 

We'll see if he's for real now. Ford knows how to build rally cars IIRC.

 

Bingo. I'm afraid his hype is mostly the result of multiple edits and re-dos on a few internet videos shot at old airports.

 

I love it. I don't think he's up to being a front-runner in WRC just yet but it's great for him. He's really done an impressive job marketing himself and getting the visibility necessary for something like this. I know he's bankrolling part of it himself but there are some good lessons in here for aspiring race car drivers IMO.

 

I am sure there is a good bunch of haters....just because. I think it's great. Let's see what he can do and then judge him, eh?

C.

 

Come on now...you're suggesting that we should never look at a person's past success/failures to help determine what they'll do in the future? That would make hiring someone really tough. I'll be the first to cheer for him. I just don't hold very high hopes that he has what it takes to compete.

 

He's becoming very popular with the young kids around here. My 13 year old asked for a team shirt for Christmas. It probably has more to do with the Monster logo and what Travis Pastrana has done for the sport but a lot of the kids around here are fans.

 

I don't think that there are a bunch of "haters" around here. I just think that it's the age old difference of showboating vs true competition. Just like X sking isn't down hill racing, and the Harlem Globetrotters are not an NBA Championship team, driftin' ain't racin'.

 

+1

I've seen couple of real rally videos of him and honestly wasn't impressed.

Not a hater at all but there are a lot of b-junior rally drivers in Finland who drive better & faster than he does.
I will reserve my judgement until I see him race and I've heard he's been coached by Jari Ketomaa (former Finnish rally champion) and has improved so that's a good thing but there's World of difference to do some drifting at airport or x-games than drive for real between trees.

Good thing is that this brings more attention to WRC in US so we'll probably get more & better coverage so I'm all for it.

 

The WRC will be be a big reality check

 

Being able to hang a car out takes skill, but honestly, I suspect I could do a decent job of it if I had the opportunity to practice. It's an entirely different world drifting a car through an aircraft hanger that you have the chance to walk multiple times, drive slowly through a few times, and then shoot multiple video takes of, than it is to hang it out on a course with constantly changing conditions while listening to the notes of your co-driver. So far, his rally results don't leave me hopeful.

 

I feel there is a difference to what he did in the Subie (playin') vs. what he'll have to do in the Ford (no mistakes racing). Good for Ken -- Good luck to Ken!!

 

I'm stoked!