Young to join USGPRU series

From Ben Young

Last year's CAN-AM PRO GP125 Champion and RACE Canadian Regional PRO GP125 Champion Ben Young will compete in the USGPRU (United States Grand Prix Race Union) GP125 Championship with RAT Racing.

Nova Scotia-based RAT Racing scooped up the 15-year-old Young after he received the sad news that the 2009 AMA Red Bull Rookies, to which he was accepted, was being pulled from the calendar. Young was chosen to be a Rookie after he proved his racing skills in front of Kevin Schwantz and the Red Bull officials at testing held at Barbar Motorsport Park, Alabama, last autumn.

Angus Borland, RAT Racing team manager and owner, has given Young the opportunity to become a major contender for the USGPRU championship. RAT Racing is providing Young with a KRP race prepared Honda RS125, which is being built and flown in specially from the UK by KRP Racing owner Mark Keen. The bike will be prepared and maintained by Ian Brookman, a former KRP mechanic who was also from the UK and now resides in New Jersey.

Young, from Collingwood, ON, completed his rookie USGPRU year in 2008. He finished fifth in the Eastern GP125 Championship and 10th in the National GP125 Championship on his near standard 2006 Honda RS125. He was visiting each circuit for the first time, having just moved from Scotland in 2007.

“I am delighted I am going to be a part of the very successful RAT team this year and competing in the USGPRU," Young said. "I am looking forward to getting back to the racing; it’s a long cold winter here in Canada.

"The other RAT racers, Adam Roberts and Angus, the owner, both race 250’s. I will be the only 125 rider. Adam won the USGPRU Eastern and National GP250 Championship last year for RAT.

"It will be great to work with Brooky (Brookman) again. I had the opportunity to race with KRP at Croft, England in September '08 at the British GP125 Championship and we got on excellently. I can’t wait.”

When the schedule allows, Young will also compete in the RACE Canadian Regional PRO GP125 Championship and the CAN-AM PRO GP125 Championship held at Shannonville Motorsport Park.

Young’s first outing on RAT’s KRP Honda will be at round 1 of USGPRU held at Jennings GP, Florida on April 4-5.