New Zealand rally driver Zeal Jones continues to turn heads in his debut season in the All Japan Rally Championship, landing second overall in the 2025 Tour de Kyushu, Round 2 of the Morizo Challenge Cup in Karatsu.
After securing a third-place podium at the season opener—the Mikawawan Rally—Jones and co-driver Bayden Thomson arrived in Karatsu determined to build on their early momentum.
Still figuring out the intricacies of their GR Yaris Morizo Challenge Cup Car, the pair approached the weekend with a focus on refining their set-up and pushing their limits. The result? A stellar drive that saw them climb one step higher on the podium.
The Karatsu rally course threw everything it had at competitors over the 324km two-day battle, with technical stages, unpredictable surfaces, and ever-changing conditions.
Day 1 brought Jones a string of mechanical woes, with the car forced into limp mode in five of the six stages. Despite the setbacks, the Kiwi duo kept their cool, even snatching a stage win amidst the chaos.
“We are trying to stay positive today, but we’ve had issues for 5 out of the six stages. We have been getting into limp mode at every stage, even on the straights we have to lift, and in a lot of the stages, we can’t even get over 4000rpm. It’s very frustrating,” said Jones
“We are losing chunks of time, so it’s really annoying that we can’t be fighting for first, but we are still holding 3rd overall, 2 seconds to 2nd, so it’s very close out there.
“We were in good rhythm when we weren’t having problems. As soon as we didn’t have problems in that last stage, once we tried lots of things, we won the stage, so the pace is there; we just need to stay consistent without the issues.”
Then came Day 2. A torrential overnight downpour soaked the stages, transforming the tarmac and gravel roads into treacherously slick and shifting terrain. But where others hesitated, Jones leaned into the challenge.
With precise pace notes from Thomson and a confident push behind the wheel, they clawed back time. They cemented their place among the frontrunners, finishing the round second overall.
“Happy to take away 2nd overall. It was a really good result for us from everything we had to get through on day one, and then on day two, we didn’t make it easy for ourselves either. I made a big mistake on the third stage of the morning loop, pulling the handbrake too much. It was super challenging conditions. It was super damp, slippery, and inconsistent; you never knew what grip level you would get in each corner.” said Jones
“We were trying so many things; We just got a bit eager on the handbrake then looped it, tried driving out of the slide on full lock and gassing it up but probably made it worse and just drove straight into a concrete wall.
“Then, in the afternoon, we had a few big moments that definitely scared us, going pretty wide and the Armco saving us, but other than that, there were still lots of positives to take away.
“The pace was good; we just need to get all the little things right. There was plenty of learning on Day Two. It was a great rally for us, with everything considered, and we really look forward to the next round and know what we can do. We just got to piece it all together.”
Jones is making an early statement in the Morizo Challenge Cup and the broader Japan Rally scene with two podiums from two rounds.
“This one is really for the team; they did so much work this weekend to keep us going, and I didn’t make it easy for them. Massive thanks to Cusco Racing and all the partners back home. We will prep and review and see what we can do for the next one.”
As the duo continues to dial in the GR Yaris and gather mileage on unfamiliar terrain, it’s clear they’re a force to be reckoned with.
Jones was asked post-rally about his MCC success to date and about his upcoming goals in the series.
“Yeah, we have done the first and second rounds, and we got a 3rd and a 2nd place finish, so we definitely want to chase that 1st [place finish] now and fight with Otake [Naoyuki] for the whole rally. That is our goal for the next one, and stay consistent with those times.”
Round 3 awaits, with Rally Asuka on May 16-18. If these opening performances are anything to go by, the best from Zeal Jones might still be to come.
Header Image: Cusco
