Report

Final SS in Cambodia passes through Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat
Team Mitsubishi RALLIART takes overall victory at its first attempt

On the final day of the rally, Leg 5 took place in Siem Reap, well-known for the Angkor Wat. The final SS6 was short at approximately 48 km, and it was expected to be difficult to change rankings here. Therefore, expectations were high for Team Mitsubishi RALLIART's Chayapon Yotha (Thailand), who had maintained the overall lead and headed into the final SS with a lead of more than 8 minutes over his rivals.

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The final SS6 was more demanding compared to the previous five stages. It consisted of rough dirt roads with large holes and deep ruts, muddy roads that are difficult to escape from if stuck - some teams were unable to escape and failed to finish within the 2-hour time limit - and bush roads so narrow that only a single person can wade through, making the course quite challenging despite its distance. The key to success was the co-driver's precise navigation, driver's concentration and accurate driving, and rally car’s road handling ability.

With his precise and consistent driving, Chayapon in car #105 TRITON took the overall lead on the second day of the competition, a position he held until the final day. In SS6, the final race for the overall victory, he drove calmly while prioritizing not to make a course mistake or damage the car, and set the official time of 44 min 12 sec, finishing SS6 in 5th place. With a total time of 8:22:42, he took overall victory in the Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 at his first attempt.

"Today I will support Chayapon thoroughly," said Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) in car #118 before starting the final SS. With the precise navigation of the co-driver on the bush road where the course was nowhere to be seen, he drove steadily and finished SS6 in 7th place with an official time of 48 min 8 sec, and concluded the rally with a total time of 8:39:56. This was the first cross country rally for Rifat, who mainly participates in sprint rallies, but despite his lack of experience, he was among the fastest in each stage and overcame an accident in Leg 1 to finish in 5th place overall.

Chayapon Yotha, overall champion, commented:
"It was a very tough battle over the six days, but I am very happy to take the overall victory. In order to win among rivals with larger engine displacements, I concentrated on reducing mistakes thoroughly and completing each corner and stage carefully. We were able to achieve good results in this rally because of the excellent handling performance of the TRITON. It was very easy to control, allowing me to follow the line as I intended in any road surface conditions - tarmac, gravel or mud."

Rifat Sungkar, 5th place overall, commented:
"I enjoyed participating in a cross country rally for the first time, and I am relieved that I was able to finish all the stages safely. This experience has allowed me to find issues that I need to work on, both in terms of my skills and the rally car. Once again, I felt that TRITON is a truly tough, durable, and reliable car. It is amazing that we were able to fight through the rally with an almost production car."

Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi RALLIART, commented:
"This was our first attempt to return to the motorsports scene under the name of RALLIART, and it was a very important rally for Mitsubishi Motors. I thought that it would be good enough for us to finish in upper rankings, but I am very happy that the team have taken an overall victory. The mechanics and engineers brought the TRITON to the course in perfect condition every day, and the drivers and co-drivers brought out the best performance from the TRITON. This victory was the result of teamwork and know-how that Mitsubishi Motors has accumulated over the years. Team Mitsubishi RALLIART will consider the possibility of coming back again next year and will fully prepare our team structure and the rally cars. We would like to thank all of our fans and sponsors for their great support."

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SS5 changed by the organizer at the last minute
80 km of mainly high-speed flat dirt road using 1st half of SS3
Team Mitsubishi RALLIART maintains its top and 4th positions

The rally entered its fifth day. SS5 was originally scheduled as a stage of over 90 km near the border with Cambodia, but the course was changed the night before to an 80 km course from the starting point of SS3. The course consisted mainly of flat dirt at high speeds exceeding 100km/h, with a mix of gravel and tarmac roads.

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Chayapon Yotha, who keeps the overall lead with Team Mitsubishi RALLIART's car #105 TRITON, had maintained a time gap of over 7 minutes to the 2nd place overall driver. He played it safe with his usual, calm driving style, and the official time was 56 min 40 sec, placing him 5th in SS5. He continues to lead the overall standings, with an 8 min 15 sec time gap between himself and the 2nd place overall rival, car #102 Toyota Hilux Revo.

Despite suffering from a flat tire in SS2 on the second day of the competition, Rifat Sungkar in car #118, who had steadily moved up from 8th to 4th overall position, prioritized focusing on a solid finish to the final day rather than aiming for the fastest time. "The Triton handles well and the engine is very responsive, so I was able to drive as I wanted on the rough roads and achieve a satisfactory result," said Rifat, who finished 4th in SS5 with an official time of 56 min 15 sec. His overall ranking remains unchanged at 4th place overall.

"Tomorrow will be the final stage of this rally, and although the SS is short at just under 50 km, we are expecting a tough road surface with deep ruts, potholes, and large water holes," said team director Hiroshi Masuoka. "Chayapon took the lead on the second day and has maintained his lead with stable driving. The TRITON handles well and is easy to drive, so I think it will show its true potential on the rougher roads. Tomorrow, I expect the team to stay focused and cross the finish line. This is truly a critical point for the team."

Chayapon, the overall leader, has an advantage of more than eight minutes over the rest of the rivals, and he will need to make it to the finish line with the TRITON in a solid manner. On the other hand, with rivals closely behind Rifat in 4th place overall, tomorrow's stage will be a tense race for the podium.

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SS4 features high-speed flat dirt road with large puddles from heavy rain
Chayapon Yotha keeps 1st place overall
Rifat Sungkar climbs one place to 4th overall

Special stage 4 (SS4) for Leg 3 began in Khu Mueang, located east of Buriram Airport in northeastern Thailand, and the main course was a flat dirt road in the middle of vast rubber plantations. The cars started in the order of the results of SS3 held the day before. From Team Mitsubishi RALLIART, Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) in car #118 TRITON started 4th and Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) in car #105 started in the 7th position.

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SS4 consisted of two laps of 70 km course mainly comprised of high-speed flat dirt as well as mud, gravel and tarmac roads. The dirt surface was muddy in places due to the heavy rain the night before, which had created large puddles over 50 cm deep. This stage required both drivers and rally cars to be flexible in dealing with varying road conditions.

Chayapon in car #105, who had maintained his overall lead position with his stable driving in SS3 on the previous day, showed calm and precise judgment to avoid large puddles and prevent damages to his car. He finished 6th in SS4 with an official time of 2:00:17, maintaining his overall lead. The time gap to the 2nd place overall finisher, car #102 Toyota Hilux Revo, is 7 min 46 sec, and to the 3rd place overall finisher, car #116 Toyota Fortuner, is 9 min 54 sec.

Rifat in car #118, who had been steadily improving his overall ranking, continued to focus on driving carefully to avoid damaging the car. When it was time to push harder, he showed his aggressive driving and finished 5th in SS4 while marking an official time of 1:59:43. He moved up one position to 4th overall, and the time gap is 3 min 49 sec to the 3rd place overall finisher, car #116.

"Chayapon maintained his overall lead today, and Rifat raised his overall ranking, so we were able to cross the midway point of the rally in good form,” said team director Hiroshi Masuoka. “The road conditions changed from moment to moment in today’s stage, but the strength of TRITON’s all-wheel control technology and off-road drivability have given us a good result. Tomorrow's stage was changed at the last minute and will be held over the first 80 km of yesterday's SS3. Chayapon has an overall time advantage of more than 7 minutes over the rivals, so he will focus on reaching the goal without pushing too hard. Rifat has shown a good performance today and raised his position, so I hope he will continue to give his best to reach the finish line tomorrow."

LEG4/SS5 was originally scheduled to be a 90 km plus stage near the border with Cambodia, but the course was changed at the last minute and will be held at an 80 km course from the starting point of SS3. The overall leader, Chayapon, has a time advantage of over 7 minutes and is required to reach the goal carefully. On the other hand, car #108 is only 2 seconds behind Rifat in car #118, so the rival is expected to be charging hard to overtake him in tomorrow's stage.

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SS3 features straight flat dirt over 100km/h high speed range
Two TRITONs keep the top class overall
with Chayapon Yotha as 1st place

Special stage 3 (SS3) for Leg 2 began in Bankruat, a district close to the Cambodian border south from Buriram. From Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) in car #105 TRITON who had finished 1st in SS2 started in 1st position, with Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) in car #118 starting in 8th.

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The goal of SS3 is in Nongbon, the same location as SS2. The stage covered a total distance of 157.45 km, with mostly straight flat dirt over 100km/h high speed range, as well as gravel and tarmac roads. Chayapon, who had become 1st overall by topping SS2 the previous day, drove steadily with careful line-taking throughout the SS3, despite the power gap with his rivals on the high-speed straight sections where vehicles with larger displacement have an advantage. He finished SS3 in 7th place with an official time of 1:49:04 and maintained his top position in the overall standings.

Car #118 suffered severe damage from the punctured right rear tire the day before, but it was fully repaired before the SS3 thanks to the hard work of the team mechanics. Rifat concentrated on driving carefully to avoid damage for the stages ahead. By the time he passed the checkpoint, Rifat had overtook four cars and advanced steadily, finishing SS3 in 4th place with an official time of 1:47:59. The time difference with car #101 Isuzu D-MAX, the top runner of SS3, was 2 min 41 sec. Overall ranking of Rifat rose from 8th to 5th place, with further advancement to higher positions possible.

"It was a very stable race today," said team director Hiroshi Masuoka. "Chayapon was able to maintain his overall lead, and Rifat, who was delayed yesterday due to a flat tire, has improved his overall ranking. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart is having an ideal battle. Rifat is still in a good position to challenge for the lead, and both of them are performing well and calmly, so I am really looking forward to the upcoming stages."

With an overall time advantage of 7 min 46 sec between Chayapon and car #116 Toyota Fortuner, the drivers will be keeping their concentration for SS4 tomorrow.

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Leg 1 (SS2) features the longest stage of the event with over 200 km
Chayapon at 1st place for both overall and SS2, and Rifat at 8th overall

Notification
After the SS1 on November 21, car #119 driver Sakchai Hantrakul (Thailand) tested positive for Covid-19 and retired the rally. All other team members tested negative on antigen tests. The team will take precautions to prevent infection and continue the rally with two TRITONs driven by Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) in car #105 and Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) in car #118.

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With the excitement of the ceremonial start held the day before at Thailand's Chang Arena still fresh, the team entered a full-scale stage on November 22, the second day of the event. SS2 in Leg 1 was a 203.50 km course, starting in Khonburi and ending in Nong Bon. SS2 is considered to be the longest and toughest stage of the event. The stage kicked off with the motorcycle category followed by the car category. From Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, Chayapon in car #105 started in 5th position, with Rifat in car #118 starting in 6th.

The first challenges that drivers encountered were the countless potholes and ruts in the rough road surfaces, as well as tight corners. SS2 was a test of all-around performance, with long tarmac roads and rough roads typical of cross country rallies, and a mix of technical and high-speed sections.

With the loss of one of the three cars on the first day, team director Hiroshi Masuoka was replanning his strategy. However, the team was cheered up by the great performance of Chayapon in car #105. In SS1 on the previous day, Chayapon performed well on tarmac road and finished in 5th place. Today, at checkpoint 1 (CP1), he overtook three vehicles and came in 2nd place. At the last checkpoint, he was the first to cross the finish line, overtaking all of the motorcycles that had started earlier than the car category, and placed 1st in SS2 with the official record of 2:50:18.

Rifat in car #118, who started the day in 6th position, suffered a flat tire in a struggle with another car on a rocky terrain at the 15-km point before the CP1 time control. He continued without changing the tire and managed to pass CP1 with a wrecked wheel and brake. At the service area, the suspension, brake, tire and wheel were changed, and Rifat rejoined the race without a rear shock absorber.

"Don't worry about the time. Just prioritize to come back safely to the service tent, and the team will make sure that the car will be ready for SS3 tomorrow," said team director Masuoka to Rifat.

Rifat managed to finish in 8th place. "Even though the tire and suspension were damaged, I was able to make it to the finish line. Triton is really tough and the strongest," commented Rifat.

"SS2 is the longest stage and the one where you can gain the most time advantage, so Chayapon's advantage has made pacing and strategy planning easier for the next stages. Rifat has lost some time due to damage, but he is still within range and can make up for it. We have just started, so I have high expectations for the team," concluded team director Masuoka.

Chayapon will start SS3 tomorrow with an advantage of 4 min 7 sec.

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After a three-year absence, the Asia Cross Country Rally finally gets underway

Three Triton rally cars finish Super SS with high expectations

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On Sunday, November 20, the day before the start of Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR), a press conference was held at the Mitsubishi Motors dealership in Buriram. More than 100 media representatives and special guests from Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines were invited to participate in the event. Team director Hiroshi Masuoka shared his excitement that MITSUBISHI MOTORS and RALLIART have finally come back to the field of motorsports. The drivers and co-drivers of the three TRITON rally cars, as well as engineers and mechanics, attended the press conference. Many photo sessions and interviews were requested by the gathered media guests.

On Monday, November 21, in the morning of the day of Leg 0, scrutineering, or official vehicle inspections, was held to check the range of modifications to the car as well as the safety equipment of the car and driver. From this year, the implementation of GPS devices with drive recorder function became mandatory, and testing was done to see if the devices worked properly. The GPS devices will be used to check whether the cars are driving the course correctly during the rally and whether they are following traffic laws during liaisons, and those cars that violate them may be penalized. The three TRITON rally cars of the Team Mitsubishi RALLIART passed the scrutineering without any issues.

In the afternoon, a session called Super Special Stage (SS1) was held to determine the running order for the SS2 of Leg 1 that start the following day. The course was a 3-km tarmac road in an area owned by the local government, and the roads were completely closed off for the session.

Although the official results of SS1 have not been released as of 7:00 pm local time, it is expected that Rifat in car #118 (Indonesia) and Chayapon in car #105 (Thailand) will be at the higher rank for SS1, thanks to their aggressive driving. Team director Masuoka expressed his relief: "The machines are in perfect condition, and we have high expectations for tomorrow's Leg 1."

At 8:00 pm local time, a ceremonial start will be held, in which participants will pass through the starting gate. The main stages of the AXCR will finally get underway.

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Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Heads to Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 with the Triton – Rally to Start on November 21

Tokyo, November 18, 2022 – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, which receives technical support from Mitsubishi Motors, will participate in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2022 to be held from November 21st with three Triton rally cars (Group T1 prototype cross-country vehicles).

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On the first day of the competition, the team will drive a special stage (SS) in Buriram, northeastern Thailand, followed by a ceremonial start, and then will enter a full-scale stage in Thailand from the 22nd, before reaching the goal in Siem Reap, northwestern Cambodia, on the 26th.

On November 9th, prior to the opening of the AXCR, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart carried out a shakedown of the Triton rally cars that will compete in the AXCR, on the proving ground of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (MMTh) in Si Racha, Chonburi, Thailand. In previous years, the rally had been run in August during the rainy season, which created challenging routes of mud-clogged roads and river crossings, but this year, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the rally start back to the drier month of November. As a result, in addition to the tough routes, the team is anticipating dry, off-road trails and new challenges including steep gradients.

To prepare for these challenges, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart subjected the Triton rally cars to a total of 1,900 kilometers of endurance testing. After checking the reliability and durability of the rally cars while making final engine and chassis adjustments to deliver both powerful performance and ease of handling, the team was able to confirm that the cars are ready for the rally.

In Leg 0, a total of 56 machines – 21 vehicles in the motorcycle category, 2 in the sidecar category, 32 in the car category, and 1 in the truck category – will run in an opening SS in the city and then participate in the ceremonial start to be held at the Chang Arena. The rally proper begins on the 22nd with Leg 1, and will be competed over courses in the area around Buriram, until Leg 3 on the 24th. Leg 4 on the 25th takes the rally close to the Thailand and Cambodian border before crossing into Cambodia for the final Leg 5 on the 26th, to the finish line near the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat.

Hiroshi Nagaoka, executive vice president of Mitsubishi Motors, commented:
"The accomplished engineers of our development team, who had supported the team in winning numerous victories in the World Rally Championship and Dakar Rally, passed down the technology to our mid-career and younger generations and prepared the rally cars for the grueling AXCR. Under the leadership of team director Hiroshi Masuoka, who has won the Dakar Rally two times in a row, I am confident that the team will come together to deliver a strong performance with Mitsubishi Motors-ness. Please look forward to a great showing from Team Mitsubishi Ralliart."

Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, commented:
"To lead the team to victory as team director, I have drawn on my rallying know-how and experience, built the team organization, and worked to hone our cars. The Triton rally cars have improved with every running, and they are now faster, stronger, and tougher. We have a great service organization in place to support the team, allowing the drivers to apply 100 percent of their own potential. The whole team is ready for this tough challenge."

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Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Announces Team Lineup for Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 in November

Tokyo, September 16, 2022 – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, which will compete in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) with Mitsubishi Motors’ technical support, has revealed the team lineup for the upcoming AXCR 2022 to be held from November 21 to 26 in Thailand and Cambodia.

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From Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia), winner of the Indonesian Sprint Rally Championship, and Chayapon Yotha (Thailand), who has won the Thailand Autocross Championship in Thailand, will drive two Triton rally cars in the Group T1 (prototype cross-country vehicles) category and compete for the higher position. The highly experienced Sakchai Hantrakul (Thailand) will support them in a third Triton support vehicle. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will have all the resources it needs to take on the AXCR challenge; TANT SPORT (Thailand), which owns the team, is joined by team director Hiroshi Masuoka, a former two-time Dakar Rally champion driver, and Mitsubishi Motors’ engineers will accompany the team to provide technical support.

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart conducted endurance tests of the Triton rally car for 1,100 km at the Grand Prix Motor Park off-road race track in Kanchanaburi, in the west of Thailand, from August 29 to 31. Reducing the weight and improving the output characteristics of the engine have increased drivability, enabling agile handling over the twisty course. In addition, new dual dampers have improved road following performance and contributed to significant improvements in driving stability and rough road drivability.

Rifat Sungkar praised the feel of the car in his first experience in the Triton: "Rally drivers pass through many different corners, one by one. Therefore, it is crucial for the rally car to have excellent maneuverability and drivability as the driver intends, and high durability and reliability over rough roads. A good co-driver who can navigate accurately and quickly is also important for a successful result. Through the endurance tests, we were able to confirm that the Triton rally car delivers excellent performance in terms of rough road drivability and durability."

Having participated in the previous endurance test in June, Chayapon Yotha responded positively after driving the improved car at anticipated rally speeds:
"Speed is not everything in rally competition. In order to win, it is important to maximize the sense of unity between the driver and the rally car, and to control the tempo flexibly between acceleration and deceleration. We have confirmed that the Triton rally car has a great finish and responds precisely and agilely to driver input."

Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, commented:
"It is a privilege to welcome such talented drivers to the team. Rifat has lots of experience in sprint rallying, so if we do a good job as a team to manage the long-distance aspect of a cross-country rally, he will deliver a great performance. Chayapon has extensive experience in cross-country rallies and improves every time he gets in the car, so I'm expecting good outcomes from him. With regard to the Triton, the two endurance tests enabled us to identify issues and deal with them. We will carry out a shakedown test in November before AXCR 2022, but the Triton is looking good so far and I believe the drivers will be able to deliver tough, solid performances.”

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Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Conducts Endurance
Tests of the Triton Rally Car for the Asia
Cross Country Rally 2022 in November

Tokyo, July 15, 2022 – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, which will compete in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2022 with Mitsubishi Motors' technical support, has conducted endurance tests of the Triton rally car on an off-road course in Thailand on June 27th and 28th, confirming that preparations for the rally are proceeding smoothly. The endurance tests subjected the car to high loads comparable to those expected in the rally and focused mainly on the reliability and durability of the chassis and engine. To test the performance of the rally car in an environment similar to that of the actual course, the Team used a 10-kilometer course that combines a high-speed range, rough gravel road and a narrow, winding forest course.

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"Since the Triton has a robust chassis frame and an excellent handling performance, we decided to reduce the vehicle weight at a minimum for the rally modification while leveraging its original strength as much as possible," said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart. "Having covered more than 800 kilometers in two days, the rally car showed its great performance throughout the tough endurance tests as we expected, and now we are confident that our preparation is on the right track."AXCR is a grueling, week-long, 2,000-kilometer cross-country rally that races through the unique natural terrain of Southeast Asia. Normally held in August of each year, the rally was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the dates for the rally were pushed back to November 21st to 26th, and the course will be about 1,700 kilometers long, beginning in Buriram in the northeast of Thailand before crossing into Cambodia and ending at the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat.

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