New Zealander’s Mike Young and co-driver Malcolm Read start this weekend’s China Rally with a real chance of becoming the 2019 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champions.
In a winner-takes-all showdown, any one of the seven teams starting are in with an equal chance of the overall crown. Ahead are 13 special stages, covering 220.82km of in-land Chinese rural roads – a mixture of concrete and dirt roads, threading through the bamboo forest region of Longyou.
Young and Read have Cusco’s latest rally car to drive, a Toyota TRD C-HR that Young drove to its debut victory at APRC Rally Hokkaido one month ago.
CR19 – Young Cusco TRD C-HR SS1 – KotakePhoto crop
“This will be my fourth China Rally so I know the event well and we know the C-HR, it’s a good car and works well. To be champion you have to win, that’s the goal”, Young said prior to the start ceremony.
With backing from Cusco and Dunlop Tyres Japan, Young has every chance of becoming a double champion as he currently leads the FIA Asia Cup with a nearly insurmountable number of points – although his team-mate, Japan’s Suguru Kawana will be lying in wait for any opportunity to leap-frog Young to the top of the standings.
Following the Friday start ceremony and Stage 1, it has started to rain in Longyou. Lets see what tomorrow brings.
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