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American action sports icon Ken Block, who already has a huge fan base in Europe through the internet, kicks off his relationship with Ford Motor Company this weekend.* His Monster World Rally Team debuts the exciting new Monster Fiesta Rally America car at the Sno*Drift Rally (29 - 30 January) in Atlanta, Michigan.

Monster World Rally Team will contest all six rounds of the Rally America series and Block's North American programme will culminate at the X Games 16 event in Los Angeles in early August.* His co-driver is Italian Alessandro Gelsomino.

Block will combine his Rally America season with a seven-round programme in the FIA World Rally Championship at the wheel of a Ford Focus RS World Rally Car.* His first outing will be at Rally Mexico (4 - 7 March) and he will also tackle WRC rallies in Turkey, Portugal, Germany, France, Spain and Britain.* His Focus RS WRC will be prepared by British-based M-Sport, the company which operates Ford's official world rally programme.*

Both programmes, the Rally America and the World Rally Championship, will be supported primarily by Monster Energy Drink and Ford.*
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The two-litre turbocharged Monster Fiesta Rally America car is prepared by Swedish team Olsbergs Motorsports Evolution (OSME) and is based on the successful production-based Fiesta Rallycross car that competed in the FIA European Rallycross Championship in 2009.* OSME took a Fiesta Rallycross car to last year's famous Pikes Peak hillclimb in the United States and two weeks later won the X Games event.**

Block's four-wheel drive Monster Fiesta Rally America car has been modified to comply with Rally America's Open class regulations.* It is fitted with a turbo restrictor to comply with championship regulations and produces around 330bhp (326PS).* Block's team spent the last few days testing the car in northern Michigan.

For more information please visit http://monster http://monsterworldrallyteam.com/ worldrallyteam.com*

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