JAPAN WIN FOR MIKE YOUNG AND NEW CAR TESTING

Kiwi rally driver and Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) competitor Mike Young headed to Japan last month with co-driver Malcolm Read to compete in the Japanese Super Rally Series with the Cusco TRD Yaris. A four-round series that started with the Snow Rally in Tsumagoi and finishes next month with APRC Rally Hokkaido, the Young/Read pairing campaigned the Yokote Rally (round three), which sees temperatures often reaching more than 30°C. These were conditions that they’re used to seeing in Malaysia, testing fitness and endurance to the maximum.

“After we completed the recce, I was quietly confident that this was going to be a great gravel rally. The stages were typically twisty and mountainous. Often stages started at the bottom of a mountain and we had to go up and over to the finish. Luckily, the surface had a nice hard base, which was strange for Japan as usually the surface is very soft,” explained Young.

“At the start line, the clutch completely went … we had to complete the remaining stages of day one without it, [but] still managed to set the fastest time on each stage. With our clutch fully functional [on] day two, we won every stage and extended our lead to over three minutes.”

The pair went on to win the rally — the first victory for the Cusco TRD Yaris car — and, to celebrate the win afterwards, the team headed to Cusco’s headquarters for three days of testing in the new Cusco TRD Toyota C-HR rally car. “It was an important test with a big support team on hand including Cusco engineers and mechanics, engine technicians from TRD, and tyre technicians from Dunlop. Straight away, I had a good feeling in the new car; it was easy to drive and very stable. All the hard work developing and learning from the Yaris in the last year has paid off,” Young said.

Young and Read will compete at APRC Rally Hokkaido, 20–22 September, marking Young’s ninth entry into the rally.