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In anticipation of the 2013 Global Rallycross season finale, held on the Las Vegas Strip on November 6-7, Global-Rallycross.com looks back on the 10 most significant events in the series’ three-year history. These stories will appear on Global-Rallycross.com once a day from Monday-Friday on the weeks of October 21-25 and October 28-November 1. Click here to purchase tickets for the 2013 Global Rallycross season finale.

DATE: October 30, 2012

LOCATION: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV

IN BRIEF: Nobody seemed to have the speed to catch Ken Block during the 2012 GRC season finale, held in conjunction with the SEMA Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot. He was fast in qualifying, won both of his heat races, and jumped out to the lead at the start of the main event.

Unfortunately for Block, a race win wasn’t meant to be. Paint caught fire inside the car’s exhaust, eventually filling the cockpit with smoke and flames. Block continued driving for as long as he could, only yielding the lead to Tanner Foust and eventually retiring when the car proved too dangerous to continue driving.

EFFECTS: Losing in Las Vegas proved to be the catalyst for major changes at the former Monster World Rally Team. In the offseason, the team, now renamed Hoonigan Racing Division, formed a technical partnership with World Rally veterans M-Sport to retool Block’s car for the 2013 season. In response, Block has earned the top seed on four separate occasions (New Hampshire, Bristol, Atlanta, and Charlotte) and won a series-leading nine heat races of a possible 11.

Photo credit: Larry Chen/SpeedHunters.com

OTHER TOP 10 GRC MOMENTS

• Gronholm Sweeps Debut Weekend in Irwindale
• Deegan Earns Gold in Los Angeles
• Pastrana Goes From Worst to First in New Hampshire
• The $25,001 Challenge