A world class performance by rising Kiwi rally star Zeal Jones has seen him secure a place in the final for the Toyota World Rally Team’s “WRC Challenge Program”.
Jones secured a top spot after an exhausting series of assessments by rally icons Mikko Hirvonen and Jouni Ampuja. Six made it through the semi-finals held in Japan and a seventh driver – who qualified by winning the Morizo Challenge Cup – will now prepare for the final shoot-out in Finland in December.
All will be tested physically and have their skills on ice and snow evaluated before one is signed up for the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program as a Generation 4 driver.
“It was genuine relief when I found out I had secured a spot,” explained the impressive youngster. “I wasn’t overly pleased with my runs, so I wasn’t sure at all until they announced the result an hour after we finished, especially as the gymkhana-style evaluation was a familiar format to the other drivers.
“However, after making the semi-finals, we were told the results wouldn’t just be based on times like the quarter-finals so I left it all out there and just tried my best to demonstrate to the judges that I can be an all-round driver capable of more than this style of racing, which the instructors acknowledged.
“The gymkhana-style course was challenging for me as I’ve never done that style of racing. Being in New Zealand, we are blessed with the best roads in the world, even the instructors told me that.
“With the incredible opportunities I’ve had so far in my career, I’ve been able to advance quickly through the New Zealand rallying ranks, kind of skipping the entry-level learning, which is autocross and gymkhanas. In Japan, this style of racing is more prevalent, especially on the tarmac, so some of the boys had done the same track but in a different configuration in previous trials when TOYOTA GAZOO Racing were on their search for Generation 3 drivers last year.”
Before heading to Japan, Zeal had undergone an intensive day of preparation behind the wheel of Toyota’s GR models under the expert tuition of Kaleb Ngatoa, and he was in no doubt about the value.
“That preparation with TGRNZ proved vital and probably pivotal for me as without the training on track in the GR range with Kaleb, I wouldn’t have been able to apply my skills nearly as well,” he added.
“We were in the GR Yaris, which was as expected. However, they trialled us in an automatic and no use of paddle shift. This made the circumstances different to what I tested in New Zealand with the manual car.
“It made it difficult to use the power so I had to adapt. It’s now eyes forward to the final and I have to thank all of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing NZ team for their support. When it comes to supporting young drivers like myself wanting to succeed, they go the extra mile.”
Only open to Japanese drivers, Jones’s mother is Japanese making him eligible to compete. He is the youngest driver ever to become the NZRC Rally Challenge Champion, and is the 2024 New Zealand Rally Junior Champion.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand Motorsport Manager Nicolas Caillol was delighted with Zeal’s progress on the world stage, commenting: “We are very proud of his achievement in making up to the final trip to Finland.
“We had a hunch he might be pretty good but he is already exceeding everyone’s expectations. He fits perfectly with our philosophy of Finding New Zealand’s Next World Champion and we’re eager to develop and nurture talent like his to provide TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand globally the best talent from New Zealand.”
