Former Opotiki rally driver Michael Young is set to tackle his first rally event of the year, at the Quit Forest Rally in Western Australia (WA) this weekend.
His next assignment after that will be 2016 Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) campaign that includes the APRC round in Whangarei April29 until May 1.
The 23 year-old is driving in his first event of the year with Western Australian local and rookie navigator Cameron Tunstall in a Subaru WRX GC8.
"I'm really looking forward to the Quit Forest Rally and getting back into a car," said Young.
"It's going to be great preparation for my next rally which is only a few weeks away back home in New Zealand, though I'm just going to enjoy this rally and take it easy.
"Cameron [Tunstall] is new to co-driving but luckily he's had some good tips from other co-drivers who have done this rally a lot. It's actually his car I'm driving so we've done a swap in our roles ... Hopefully he doesn't get too nervous during the ride."
Young said rally organisers and the local council had done a great job getting ready for the event, with a new spectator-friendly area following a number of landscaping changes to Barnard Park, along with ensuring the roads were in perfect condition.
"The roads are going to be a real joy to drive on and I enjoy the fact organisers change the way [direction and configuration] stages are run each year to keep it fresh and exciting."
Maximum Motorsport are preparing and servicing the car, headed by Dean Herridge, an Australian rally icon
"We're also lucky to have Dean and his team looking after the car this weekend. I'm sure they'll do a fantastic job as they always do."
Young started rallying in 2011, entering the Rally of New Zealand in his father Brian's Nissan March Superturbo, a two-wheel drive car that had been rallied by Paddy Davidson and Young senior in the 1990s.
In 2015 Young returned briefly to New Zealand to attend Motorsports NZ's Elite Motorsport academy along with seven other young drivers and including co-driver Malcolm Read. Covering a wide range of subjects, the academy teaches everything from healthy eating, race preparation, media skills, mental and physical fitness.
