Ford, Ken Block launch Gymkhana World Tour

Ford Motor Co. is partnering with Ken Block to make the 2011 Gymkhana World Tour a live-audience motorsport event.

Block will showcase the Ford Fiesta during the tour with stops in Austria, Australia and the United States. Meanwhile, the Monster World Rally Team will make mini Gymkhana videos to capture the event from each stop.

Block, whose name and over-the-top driving have become synonymous with the Gymkhana spectacle, will design the courses and develop the routines for the tour. Each stop will feature different courses and performance contents.

The first tour event is scheduled for July 10 in Vienna, Austria. A Ford of Europe promotion will let 30 winners ride along with Block in a planned two-day celebration, and 43 limited-edition Monster Fiestas will be handed off to the public.

The second stop for the Gymkhana World Tour will be in the United States on July 23, the weekend before X Games 17. It will take place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and a limited number of tickets will be available for the public.

The tour will conclude on Sept. 2-3 at Calder Park in Melbourne, Australia, the week prior to Rally Australia. While Block is in Australia, he plans to stop in at two Ford plants, drive a V8 Supercar and meet up with fellow Monster teammate Tyler Wright, who will ride along with him at Calder Park.

For updates on the Gymkhana World Tour, visit www.monsterworldrallyteam.com.

By Michelle Koueiter