Big gun's Mike Young, strapped in and demonstrating his off-road prowess.
But the dirt side was calling him back, and his desire for trail riding kept growing stronger. He wasn't looking to compete off-road, just enjoy the occasional weekend ride. The void was filled via a Yamaha Rhino. The side-by-side nature and automatic transmission allowed him to outfit the machine with hand controls for the brake and throttle, as on all the other street vehicles he's driven since his accident. Young didn't waste any time equipping his newest toy with one of his own 94-96 decibel sport-utility exhaust systems and an Over Rev Box. Keeping in the spirit of racing, he went to a five-point harness-style seat belt, mounted some Elka shocks for comfort and finished off his changes with a set of aggressive ITP tires and wheels. His trick hand controls were donated by Manufacturing and Productions Services Corp. (MPS, 800/243-4051) and were installed by Mobile Help (909/383-3883; mobilehelpinc.com). Dragon Fire (602/882-7450; www.dragonfireracing.com) supplied the bolt-on protection and new intake for the carb. Young claims all these mods gained him about 20 mph. The controls are basically long rods that link the floor pedals to a steering-wheel-high lever that allows him to push for throttle or brake. A non-wheelchair-bound driver can also use the vehicle without the hassle of dismounting the equipment.
Young doesn't spend all of his time making left-hand turns on the track in his #10 Ford F-150 or tearing it up in his way-too-fun Rhino. He has another preoccupation: spending time at a local rehab hospital helping others who just suffered a paralyzing accident. "There is a lot to learn when this type of thing happens to a person," Young said. "This is something I do on my off time, for the sake of helping those in need."
Young has come a long way since his MX days, and to look in his eye, you won't see a bit of grief or turmoil. I'd say he'd be willing to go through it all over again just to end up where he is today-that's incredible!