In AXCR2025 Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART achieves second overall victory

From Friday 8 to Saturday 16 August 2025, the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) was held in Thailand, and the Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, supported by Mitsubishi Motors, secured the overall victory with driver Chayapon Yotha and co-driver Peerapong Sombutwong. In addition, with all three TRITON pickup trucks from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART completing the rally, the stable also won the team award, which is decided by the combined times of the top two cars of the team.

The 2025 course, which was originally planned to start in Pattaya, Thailand, and finish in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, was changed to be held only in Thailand due to political instability. Furthermore, due to the cancellation of the Selective Sections (SS) near the border for safety reasons, LEGs 4 and 6 of the 8-LEG event were changed to travel /rest days, resulting in an unusual schedule.

The ceremonial start of the rally took place on the evening of Friday 8 on Walking Street in Pattaya's bustling entertainment district. Amidst the hustle and bustle, each vehicle sounded its horn as it passed through the gate, bringing the excitement to a climax. The three TRITONs also set off on the eight-day rally to cheers from many spectators.

The route of LEG1 on Saturday 9, the first day of the competition, was from Pattaya to Prachin Buri in the inland region. Ace driver Yotha marked the 2nd fastest time, while Katsuhiko Taguchi/Takahiro Yasui came in 6th, giving the team a good start. Meanwhile, Kazuto Koide/Eiji Chiba, who were supporting Yotha and Taguchi, collided into the car in front of them which had suddenly slowed down, due to poor visibility caused by dust kicked up by the cars in front. Considering the damage to the engine, they decided to withdraw from the competition for the day.

In LEG2, heading north from Prachin Buri to Khao Yai, Yotha continued to put pressure on his rival in first place overall by recording the 2nd fastest time here as well. Taguchi performed well finishing 4th in the SS to move up to 5th overall. After his car had undergone intensive services by the mechanics, Koide recorded the 19th fastest time in the SS with a steady pace, which promoted him in the overall classification from 40th to 34th.

In LEG3, which departed from Khao Yai and returned to Khao Yai, Yotha finished in 3rd in the SS partially because of the setbacks of a rival competitor and he claimed the overall lead. On the other hand, Taguchi, who had been driving steadily up to this point, stopped on the course due to a suspension problem. The crew repaired their car themselves and, with support from Koide who caught up from behind, they made it to the midway service. Even though he received emergency repairs, Taguchi was unable to pick up his pace and fell back to 10th overall. He aimed to make a comeback in the second half of the rally. Despite providing support, Koide still recorded the 16th fastest time in the SS and completed the day in 30th overall.

LEG4 was designated as a day for moving from Khao Yai to Prachin Buri, and each team used this day to service their rally cars. Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART also spent half a day thoroughly servicing the TRITONs’ suspensions, drivetrains, and engines. In LEG5, which followed the same course as LEG1, Yotha, trying to avoid a competitor who had got stuck in the second half of the course, ended up getting stuck in the mud himself. Although it took him about 20 minutes to get out, his TRITON sustained no major damage and he finished the day's section still in the overall lead. On this day, starting from 25th, Taguchi put on a strong show to set the fastest time in the SS, overtaking 18 cars ahead of him to move back up to 6th overall. Koide had a problem with his rear brakes in the first half of the section and finished the SS 28th under the difficult situation. He moved up overall position to 27th.

After a rest day for LEG6, the rally entered its final stages. LEG7, which was on the route from Prachin Buri to Pattaya, was the climax of the final phase of the competition. As the SS distance of the last day, LEG8, was short, the results of LEG7 could have had a major impact on the outcome of the competition. Yotha drove at a good pace while avoiding risks. He posted the 2nd fastest time in the SS and entered the final day with a 10min 12sec lead over the second-place driver. Due to damage to his rear suspension sustained in the first half of the section, Taguchi was unable to perform at his usual pace and finished the day in 6th place in the SS and 5th place overall. Despite making contact with another competition vehicle towards the end, Koide recorded the 15th fastest time in the SS and moved up to 23rd overall.

LEG8 was the final day of competition, starting from Pattaya and returning to Pattaya, with the SS covering a distance of 69.55km. However, on the way to the SS starting line, Yotha's TRITON was suddenly struck by a problem. Koide coming from behind, joined in the repair work, and thanks to their hard effort, the Thai driver made it in time for the SS start. Yotha showed no signs of mental distress and maintained the lead he had built up to finish the final SS in 7th place. He defended his overall lead by 7min 51sec to achieve his second overall victory following 2022. Taguchi completed the SS 5th resulting in 5th overall, and Koide finished the SS 22nd in 22nd overall. At the ceremony held at the Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya, three crews celebrated their triumphant finish. The drivers and team members achieved their first AXCR victory with the new TRITON, and congratulated each other on their hard work.

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