Ken Block has been taking on all comers in his “Hoonicorn” 1965 Ford Mustang for a YouTube series called “Hoonicorn vs the World.” This time, however, Block wasn’t behind the wheel.
Ken Block’s 14-year-old daughter raced the Hoonicorn against a Hemi-powered RVW Corvette drag car
For the first installment of the series’ second season, Block handed driving duties off to his 14-year-old daughter Lia. She lined up against NHRA Top Fuel driver Alex Laughlin and his Speed Society C6 Corvette-bodied Radial vs the World (RVW) car for a best-of-three drag racing challenge.
Ken Block’s 14-year-old daughter raced the Hoonicorn against a Hemi-powered RVW Corvette drag car
If you’re not familiar, the Hoonicorn is an all-wheel-drive beast powered by a NASCAR-derived Ford V-8. When it first appeared in Block’s “Gymkhana 7” video, it was making 845 hp. Later upgrades brought output up to 1,400 hp, which Block actually said was frightening. That sounds like a lot of car for anyone to handle, let alone a teenager.
Ken Block’s 14-year-old daughter raced the Hoonicorn against a Hemi-powered RVW Corvette drag car
The Corvette packs a 526-cubic-inch supercharged Hemi V-8 that can produce up to 4,000 hp in its most aggressive tune. Both the supercharger and transmission are covered with ballistic blankets in case they fly apart at speed.
While the Corvette might seem to have a major advantage in power, the race was run on an unprepared surface. So Laughlin had the car detuned to 1,800 hp, according to Speed Society. Even then, because the racing surface was covered in dust, debris, and imperfections, he struggled for traction.
Ken Block’s 14-year-old daughter raced the Hoonicorn against a Hemi-powered RVW Corvette drag car
After an ambiguous result to the first 500-foot race, Laughlin requested traction compound and another 500-foot run. That strategy paid off, as he took the win despite burning rubber the entire way down the track. However, the final race was run to 1,000 feet, and the Hoonicorn beat the Corvette by three car lengths. Watch the full video to see the action unfold.