Lia Block executed the perfect pit bike backflip on her first attempt at Travis Pastrana's Pastranaland. In a session alongside off-road champion Gray Leadbetter and members of the Sickos crew, the riders worked up to double backflips and off-roading in ATVs in another crazy video from the racing driver.
The video opens with Pastrana introducing the pair for a day of mixed-discipline racing at his compound. With clips alternating between that of dirt biking and rally-style driving through the woods, it was soon time for Block to give the backflip a go.
“See, I can’t turn my brain off, so that’s why I’ve never done this," Leadbetter said as she watched Block pull off a clean rotation on her first go. “Once I got off, it was literally like so easy, like it’s just huck and pray kind of thing," Block explained.
Pastrana described the F1 Academy driver as "the most confident female driver I've ever seen," as they readied themselves for some side-by-side timed runs in ATVs. Her pace confirmed it as she threaded the vehicle through the trees at a horrifying pace before lining up for jumps.
Leadbetter edged ahead on the short-course layout, posting a 24.22s run to Block’s 24.62s. A single-lap tiebreaker was set on a combined course after Block was faster in the woods section. With Block braking later at a right corner at the end of the straight, she took the victory by a fraction of a second.
Pastrana has been close to the Block family for almost two decades now, with him and Ken Block being team-mates and friendly rivals with Subaru Rally Team USA. Pastrana later fronted Gymkhana 2020, which was filmed around his home in Maryland.
After Block's passing in January 2023, Pastrana led a number of tributes, including a Nitro Rallycross livery that harked back to Block's Subaru rally car. Lia Block has worked alongside "uncle Travis" for a long time, with him taking up the role of mentor as she has pushed for her own success in racing.
