It's that time of year when the Asia Pacific Rally Championship's (FIA-APRC) move to the North Island of Japan for Rally Hokkaido. The rally is the fourth round of the FIA-APRC and round seven of the JRC (Japanese Rally Championships).
The event has Perth based New Zealander Mike Young competing in the FIA-APRC section with the Japanese Cusco Racing Team in a Subaru WRX STi with his New Zealander navigator Malcolm Read alongside. They are running third in the 2016championships and leading the production car section. Mike and Malcolm are usually very quick and reliable and ready to pounce if the 2 Skoda R5's slip up.
As for the MRF Skoda Fabia R5's they are run by Perth based Race Torque Engineering with support from the Skoda factory. At present they are leading the championships with Gaurav Gill leading the drivers points. He will be missing his regular navigator West Australian Glenn MacNeall who has prier commitments in Europe. Filling in for Glenn will be Stephane Prevot. Both Skoda's are expected to do well baring any mishaps.
In the background will be Glenn's dad Peter MacNeall doing the competitor relations officer for the FIA-APRC side Rally Hokkaido. Peter brings along a great deal of experience as long time navigator for Bob Nicoli with both of making a name for themselves in the 80's through to the early 2000's with the highlights running an ex-factory Nissan Stanza then moving on to be part of the Daihatsu factory team on the Australian Rally Championships and several Rally Australia's when it was based in Western Australia. He now spends time as part of the organizing group of Rally Australia and work's behind the seen with the Australian Rally Championships and RallyWA - Western Australian Rally Championships.
Rally Hokkaido is running from the 23rd till the 25th of September.
For more info go to -
http://www.rally-hokkaido.com/en/