Fiesta teammates Ken Block and Ed McNelly paved dominant path at Rallye Défi the fourth round of the Canadian Rally Championship. Day one concluded with Block and Alex Gelsomino leading overall in the Monster World Rally Team Fiesta HFHV and McNelly and Ole Holter 13th overall leading the two-wheel-drive class by 6 minutes in the Fiesta RS. Both teams fought through rough weather on day two of Défi and ultimately Block clinched the overall win and McNelly brought home the two-wheel-drive victory.

Block set the fastest time on the first stage setting the precedence for how the Fiesta HFHV would perform at Défi. After winning 17 of the 23 stages, Block and Gelsomino stormed the competition with a 3 minute and 20 second lead in the Fiesta HFHV.

“It wasn't all that easy, but it was a lot of fun,” said Block after the rally. “These roads here are quite amazing, so I really enjoyed myself.”

A slight roll on stage 19 set McNelly and Holter back to 12th overall on day two but after spectator assistance in setting the car upright and an allocated 20 minute windshield swap the Fiesta RS quickly recovered. McNelly battled back to 11th overall on the last stage and secured his second two-wheel-drive Canadian Rally win of the year.  

“Friday morning, those stages were really really rough,” said McNelly, who won Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs in July. “We picked our way through it. We made it to start today.”

Block’s Fiesta HFHV and McNelly’s Fiesta RS will compete in the Olympus Rally which is the final Rally America race of the year on Sept. 22-23.

 

Before the event, Block posted this testing run video: