After re-writing history two years ago, Lia Block will return to rallying to drive a Ford Fiesta Rally3 in Kentucky
Photography by DirtFish
Words by David Evans, DirtFish Head of Media
Lia Block will return to competitive rallying for the first time this year, when she drives a Ford Fiesta Rally3 on August’s Boone Forest Rally.
The Kentucky event fits neatly into Block’s F1 Academy schedule, with a summer break between Montreal earlier this month and Zandvoort for the Dutch GP weekend at the end of August.
The Williams Racing driver has spent the last 18 months competing in the all-women series which runs modified Formula 4 cars as part of the Formula 1 weekend timetable. She sits 10th in this season’s standings in her ART Grand Prix car.
Block, 18, made American rallying history in 2023, when she became the youngest ever ARA National champion, taking the O2WD crown aged 16. After switching to circuits, she made a one-off appearance at aboard an official Subaru WRX last year’s Lake Superior Performance Rally. Running third through the opening day she went off the road early on day two.
Derek Dauncey continues to oversee Block’s career development as a Williams driver. He said: “It’ll be great to see Lia back on the loose again. I think everybody knows she – and the whole family – has a great history in rallying and I’m sure she’ll enjoy herself.”
Driving the Block House Racing Ford Fiesta Rally3 previously campaigned by her mom Lucy, Lia’s outing will be one to be enjoyed.
“There’s nothing to read into this,” added Dauncey. “There’s no doubt that Lia’s focus remains very firmly fixed on open wheels. We’ve got to thank Williams [Racing] for the forward-thinking approach to this event – taking experience from any kind of competition is going to help develop you as a driver. It’s not rocket science to know there’s little comparison between a forest road in Kentucky and Tarzan corner at Zandvoort – but such are the minuscule margins in the F1 Academy, everything can help.”
While Block hasn’t competed on a rally since last year, she has, of course, driven a rally one – showing former Williams Racing team principal Claire Williams what rallying is all about with a hot lap around DirtFish ahead of this year’s Women in Motorsport Summit last month.
Lia will drive her mother Lucy's Block House Racing-run Ford Fiesta Rally3 in Kentucky
Despite having already secured an American title, Boone will only be Block’s third start in an all-wheel drive car. She will be co-driven by Rhianon Gelsomino.
The entry for the two-day Super Regional event is already starting to look like a ninth National round with Conner Martell listed in a 2C Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Pat Gruszka (Hyundai i20) and Richo Healey and DirtFish’s Michelle Miller aboard the Lexus IS 350.
The Boone Forest Rally runs August 8/9.
Words:David Evans
Tags: ARA 2025, Boone Forest Rally, Claire Williams, DirtFish Women in Motorsport Summit, Lia Block
Publish Date June 25, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/06/jWs0iZJQ-Lia-Block-Summit-780x520.jpeg June 25, 2025
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