Cusco EZY Racing aims at podium in Young’s home race

Kiwi driver Mike Young, who is a double APRC Production Cup Winner and 2015 series runner-up

Whangarai, New Zealand: 2015’s Production Cup Champions, Cusco EZY Racing was seen revealing its new car with the 23-year-old Champion Mike Young beside it on Tuesday here in Whangarai. Sri Lankan-based EZY Racing which grew in international stature from its partnership with Japan-based racing giant Cusco, released digital images of its 2016 APRC challenger a fortnight ago. 

Kiwi driver Mike Young, who is a Double APRC Production Cup Winner and 2015 series runner-up, will carry local hopes of a podium this weekend as he looks for advantage on home gravel. Young who has been preparing for his 2016 campaign by working on his personal fitness and driving skills got his 2016 rally hopes off to a great sprint by winning the opening round of the West Australia Rally Championship, held near Perth last weekend. 

Driving for his second year with the Sri Lankan motor racing team, EZY Racing, Young will be provided an upgraded and lighter version of the Subaru WRX, engineered by Cusco to keep his Championship Challenge alive with the much faster MRF Skodas.

Young, sharing his excitement on the new car, said: “The Cusco prepared Subaru WRX Rally car powered by EZY Racing is lighter, giving us confidence for another great season. I am grateful to be given this opportunity – number one driver by Cusco. They have supported me over the past five years and to be given the top car is something I consider a great honour.”

With the Rally Season Due to be kicked off on the evening of 29 April in central Whangarei, the 275-kilometer rally will see a mixture of experienced and young drivers such as former FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion Gaurav Gill from MRF SKODA Team and other younger contenders like Mike Young and Fabian Kreim. The event ranges over 275 km. 

“It is great to be back in New Zealand for my home rally – a rally I look forward to every year given my familiarity with the roads of Whangarei,” commented Young. “I’m sure it will be a competitive event against the new Skoda cars, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully it is as close as last year. I will be running my fifth straight year in Rally Whangarei and the plan is to have a kick start on home ground that will contribute towards our bigger APRC aspirations.”

Beyond the edge the new car would give Young, he continues to improve his muscle mass to battle out gruel conditions and has spent offseason preparing for 2016. Young said: “In reality the Skoda’s compose a serious challenge to our car. But last year was a learning for us that a competition based on ‘car’ was not what we were made of – it’s about fitness and hindsight and severe concentration when required. It challenges us to prepare harder and push our limits. We are hopeful that the off season preparation would prove its weight “

“Truly speaking this year is going to be another year of discovery for us” said Young for whom 2015 was the first year in a 4WD. “We will have to test the true potential of the car with every race. We are not too sure as to where we stand against the new SKODA’s. It’s going to be a very interesting three days of rallying,” added Young.

The 2015 Championship winners MRF Skoda team are expected to release the SKODA Fabia R5s, a much faster variant to what was seen in 2015.

Commenting on his team’s chances, Founder of Sri Lanka’s only International Motor Racing Team, Shafraz Hamzadeen said: “We need to keep our hopes very realistic. In 2015 we did see a few brilliant stage times from Mike (Young) which allowed us to win a stage or two. This year we feel it is going to be even more difficult as the Skoda’s will be much faster with the lighter and faster R5’s. Our focus will be to be the best of the rest and hope that we would be able to capitalise on any issues that would crop up on the Skodas. After all a Rally is not over till all stages are over and a season can be a long season as we saw in 2015 where we split the front runners in the overall ranking.”

 Hamzadeen further spoke high of their Japanese partnership which allowed his team to taste glory in 2015. “Reliability has always been the core strength of ours. Cusco has been brilliant in developing our cars and providing that extra cushion of reliability. This is what gave us that boost last year to stay in the thick of things despite the occasional hiccup. I am sure this year too it will prove to be a vital factor that will help us bridge the performance limitations we have as a production cup contender over the purpose built front runners.”

EZY Racing whose Sri Lankan racing unit recently completed a successful stint in the gravel circuits, would be eagerly looking forward for a podium finish in Rally Whangarai, a fond location where they won their very first International podium in 2015.