2006 Jetta EGR/Cooler delete?

I just bought a 2006 jetta with 206k miles on it. It overall runs very well but I have what I have discovered to be the very common egr cooler valve bushing leak. loud hiss and lagging power at low rpms and then above 2k rpms power surges back and everything straightens up. I have done some research on this but I get a bit confused because some are talking about cooler deletes or blockoffs. Can I delete the entire egr setup since I am planning a future career as an off road rally racer. will I end up compromising driveability or is the only drawback other than not shoving soot through my engine a pesky CEL. Is there any specific kit that is recommended, and is a retune required for driving the car? I am in a hot climate and the car is licensed in a non-emission tested state. If it is a good idea I would prefer to remove the unused parts just to enhance access to the still functioning parts for further repairs. Thanks for any help.

There are OEM block off plates available.

Blocking off EGR should not cause limp mode (at least for Euro-spec vehicles), however, it will cause a CEL. You need a tune/custom map to get rid of the EGR.

When you'll be removing the EGR cooler, ispect the coolant hoses diagram and not just join the coolant pipes togeter. At least for some euro-spec TDIs there is a separate hose for EGR which goes almost around the engine. If you get rid of that system, there's no point leaving that plumbing in place - just go ahead and get rid of it in that case if it is designed for EGR cooler only.