APRC

ŠKODA privateer Yuya Sumiyama from Japan wins FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship 2018

INDIAinF1 Desk October 22, 2018

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Yuya Sumiyama blasting his way to victory in China Rally. Photo: Skoda Motorsport

Longyou, 21 October 2018: Scoring victories on all five rounds, ŠKODA driver Yuya Sumiyama together with navigator Takahiro Yasui emerged champion in the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) 2018 as the pair registered a dominant win the final round, the China Rally Longyou, here on Sunday.

With a convincing performance, Sumiyama, driving a Team Cusco entered ŠKODA FABIA R5, opened up an additional chapter of one of the most successful seasons for ŠKODA Motorsport.

“Congratulations to Yuya Sumiyama, Takahiro Yasui and all at Team Cusco for continuing ŠKODA’s winning streak in the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship,” said ŠKODA Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek. “This new success again shows the strength of our customer program.”

Actually Team Cusco in itself is special amongst the ŠKODA customer teams worldwide – right now its ŠKODA FABIA R5 is the first and only imported ŠKODA to Japan. As a reward, Team Cusco won the FIA Asia-Pacific Championship Teams Award 2018.

Winning the 2018 APRC driver title is Sumiyama’s biggest success so far. Competing in rallies since 2002, the 42-year old is one of the most experienced drivers from Japan. He had previously won the APRC-integrated Asia Cup in 2012 and 2014. In 2004 he celebrated his debut in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) when he competed at Rally Japan, at that time part of the WRC calendar. Since 2008, Sumiyama is part of Team Cusco, driving a ŠKODA FABIA R5 for the first time full season during the 2018 APRC.

*Yuya Sumiyama and Takahiro Yasui on the podium along with APRC president Vicky Chandhok (third from left). Photo: Skoda Motorsport*

Having scored already four victories this season, Sumiyama started the final round of the championship, as the new champion. Nevertheless, he opened proceedings with the second fastest time in the first special stage. He was fastest of the APRC competitors ahead of the more powerful rally cars of the national Chinese Rally Championship’s own categories. But two stages later, the Team Cusco driver had to survive a heart-stopping moment.

“I entered one corner a little bit too fast and hit something with the left rear side of my car,” Sumiyama confessed. Although the suspension was bent, he managed to return to service, where Team Cusco’s mechanics fixed the car. The time loss made him drop significantly in the general classification. But when his opponent for the APRC category win, New Zealand driver Mike Young, had to retire due to a broken engine and Sumiyama reached the finish line as APRC winner.

On the podium, the winning pair and the whole Team Cusco were greeted by a cheering crowd, amongst them Dr. Ralf Hanschen, President ŠKODA China.

Final standings FIA APRC (after five rounds, one round cancelled):