🚦 Driver Spotlight: Steven Yang 🚦

Steven arrives in the IORK field as a true late starter with a story that spans continents, decades of passion, and a lifelong pull toward anything with speed.

Born in Hong Kong in 1981, Steven's upbringing took him across Indonesia, the United States, China, and eventually to New Zealand, where he has called Auckland home for the past decade. That global journey shaped both his outlook and his racing style - adaptable, curious, and always willing to learn quickly under pressure.

His connection to motorsport started long before he ever sat in a kart. It began with Matchbox cars lined across childhood floors, late nights on Need for Speed, and countless hours spent on Mario Kart 64. That early obsession eventually turned into something more serious through sim racing and regular visits to tracks across New Zealand and abroad, including Albany and Pakuranga's Game Over venues, ACE Motorsport at Smart Stadium, and E-Volt Racing Matakana.

One of his favourite international karting experiences came at KF1 Karting Singapore, a circuit that helped fuel the dream of one day finally lining up for a real competitive race.

Steven's approach to racing is shaped by a calm, measured mindset - he's drawn to the famously relaxed attitude of Kimi Räikkönen, preferring composure over chaos, even when the pressure builds.

Behind the wheel, his motivation is simple: after years of simulation, observation, and quiet preparation, he's finally ready to convert that lifelong fascination into a real-world race. From secretly learning to drive a manual in the family SUV at 13, to aiming for a future Hollywood biopic starring Brad Pitt, Steven's journey is fuelled by equal parts humour and genuine passion.

Now stepping into his first-ever IORK event, he joins the grid as a rookie in competitive karting - but with decades of background experience in everything except the actual race start lights.

We wish Steven the best of luck as he takes on his first IORK challenge.

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Commentator Notes

• IORK debutant from Auckland.

• Marketing Director who has lived in five countries.

• Got into racing through Mario Kart 64.

• Motorsport hero is Kimi Räikkönen.

• International karting experience including KF1 Singapore.

• Interesting wildcard in the field due to diverse racing experiences.

• Watch for how quickly he adapts to the championship format.