REPORT
All four TRITONs complete the first day
Chayapon Yotha is in 3rd place and looking to move up the field
LEG 1, the first day of competition in the Asia Cross Country Rally 2024 (AXCR) took place on Monday 12 August. All four TRITON rally cars from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART safely completed Selective Section (SS) 1 and returned to the service area. Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) / Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) in Car No.103 are in 3rd, Sakchai Hantrakul (Thailand) / Jumpol Doungthip (Thailand) in Car No.130 are 5th, and Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) in Car No.107 lie 7th. All three cars are in top positions overnight.
The route for today was set to start at the hotel in Surat Thani, which serves as a rally base, and competitors moved to SS1 through a road section. At the start of SS1, rally cars were lined up and waiting to get going. As the first SS was about to begin, the TRITON drivers were also getting ready. The route was planned to be 162.54km long, but due to rain it was shortened and the rally started from the 36.16km point. The gravel road through the forest is dotted with muddy and rocky sections, while the plantation section has right-angled and tight junctions.
Before the start, there was a rain shower, but it was not enough to change the road conditions which could basically be described as dry. SS1 for the four-wheel category started at 11:15am, and the four TRITONs, led by Yotha, began their all-out effort. The various improvements made to the 2024 TRITON rally car have paid off, with all the drivers agreeing that it is "fast and easy to drive."
The middle of SS1 was difficult, with many drivers deviating from the route and causing each to lose a lot of time. However, Yotha recovered from his mistake early on and is now well-positioned in 3rd with 1hr 29min 29sec. Sakchai Hantrakul (Thailand) / Jumpol Doungthip (Thailand) showed speed in catching up with the car in front from the beginning and finished the day in 5th with veteran-like driving. Meanwhile Taguchi, who passed the two cars in front early on, also suffered a deviation from the route but still managed to finish with the seventh fastest time. Being within 10 minutes from the leader, three of the TRITONs will take on the stages tomorrow and beyond with the aim of achieving even higher positions. Mitsubishi Motors employee Kazuto Koide (Japan) has entered in the AXCR for the first time this time and has teamed up with veteran Eiji Chiba (Japan). Despite his miss-course he succeeded in bringing his TRITON back in 26th place to the service area in Surat Thani with a careful drive and avoiding risks.
On the second day of the competition on Tuesday the 13th, LEG2/SS2 will head north from Surat Thani to Hua Hin, covering approximately 500km in one day. The latter section of the original plan has been cancelled, and the stage of 75.19km now will pass through mountain roads and villages. The second day competition will begin at 5.45am with the first starter in the MOTO class (motorcycles) while the four-wheel category will get underway after 7am.
Comment from Chayapon Yotha, driver of Car 103
"The course today was very difficult in the woods. Navigating the way was hard as some parts were not on proper roads. I got lost along the way and was searching for the way. Then a car coming from behind me found the right road. It was a bit frustrating. This year's car has a longer suspension stroke, so it was very easy to drive and could handle potholes and gaps in the road without any problems. Compared to last year, I think the performance of the car has improved significantly. I'm currently in 3rd, but I'm not too far behind the leader so I don't think it's a big deal. We have a long distance to cover tomorrow, so I'll try my best from tomorrow onwards."
Comment from Hiroshi Masuoka, Team Director of Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART
"I think it's been a good start for the first day. We’re in 3rd, 5th, 7th places, and Koide is in 26th. It’s almost as expected. There’s a little time difference, and since the rally has just begun, I think it’ll become an interesting development from here on. I think the car has shown the results of the various discussions and improvements made since last year's rally. We’ve received feedback from the three drivers that it’s easy to drive and has good handling. Of course, the rival teams have also got faster, but I think we’ve proven that the improvements we’ve made were not wrong. Today's road surface seemed relatively good, but I think the more difficult the road conditions become, the more capabilities of the TRITON can be demonstrated, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the rally"
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