Mike Young is back in Canberra and hunting for redemption in a bid to avoid another nightmare 7435 kilometre round trip for two kilometres on the track… "if that".
Young drove from Perth to Canberra for last year's National Capital Rally, unloaded his car, hit the track and then the biggest crash of his career saw him pack the car up and make the long trek back to Western Australia.
Rally drivers Yuya Sumiyami and Mike Young with Australian natives zoo keeper, Dr Danielle Johinke have a close encounter with dingoes Ponto and Kora.
Photo: Elesa Kurtz
Now the 25-year-old is out to right the wrongs at this year's event which begins on Friday and doubles as the Canberra leg of both the Australian and the Asia Pacific rally championships.
The New Zealander laughs he has "kind of" raced in Canberra but he doesn't exactly have any knowledge of the roads he can use to his advantage.
Instead he is simply hoping to finish alongside co-driver Scott Beckwith – and he will win some bragging rights if he can nudge clear of Cusco Racing partner Yuya Sumiyami, who will race with Takahiro Yasui.
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"I came here last year, I did testing and the car failed really early on and had a really big crash, probably the biggest crash of my career so far, and we didnt do the rally. I was fine but the car wasnt," Young said.
"We drove across from Perth with the rally car, so it was a long way to do… I think we did two kilometres, maybe if that.
"For it to all end, then to have to pack the car up and drive it all the way back, it wasnt the best experience. This year we can right the wrong.
"Ive had time to think about it since last year and I have definitely come here just to finish and I guess its something that I want to achieve, thats to finish this rally.
"This time were with our normal team from Japan, so the cars have come from New Zealand from the first round.
"Were doing testing [on Wednesday] afternoon but we get to see the stages on Thursday. Well drive over the stages in a normal car and write the pace notes for the rally."
Young and teammate Sumiyama got up close and personal with a pair of dingoes at the National Zoo and Acquarium on Wednesday.
While Young has come from Perth via New Zealand and Sumiyami is from Japan, a handful of their rivals are lucky enough to have the National Capital Rally right on their doorstep.
Canberra teammates Michael Harding and James Thorburn are itching to tap into a hometown advantage, with the former growing up racing Datsuns around the bush.
"Ive been involved in rallying in one way or another since I was 15," Harding said.
"I think I first co-drove my first event out in Tumut when I was 16 with another school friend. Since then Ive been in and out over the years depending on where things were at life-wise.
"Ive been very passionate about rallying for 20 years now. Its really good to have international motorsport in Canberra.
"Canberra has always been a really good home for rallying in Australia, weve got amazing roads literally minutes from our CBD. To have the Asia Pacific guys here this year is fantastic."
Caden Helmers is a sports reporter for The Canberra Times
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