After the final day of the 2023 AXCR, Chayapon Yotha claims 3rd place overall and all three MITSUBISHI TRITONs complete the rally

LEG 6, the 6th and final day of competition in the 2023 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) took place on Saturday 19 August, and Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) / Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) in #101 TRITON finished the rally in 3rd overall. WIth Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) in Car 112 also completing the rally in 8th and Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) / Chupong Chaiwan (Thailand) in Car 106 in 32nd overall, Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART received the Team Award.

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The total distance of Selective Section (SS) 6 was 51.96km. The first part of the route was the same as the second part of SS4, but towards the end, the competitors drove a new route. It was significantly shorter than the previous SSs, but the degree of difficulty remained the same, with high-speed sections and travel through villages along the way. Local children waved the Lao flag and cheered on the participants near the finish.

Yotha completed this final SS in 7th with careful driving, prioritising staying in 3rd overall. In doing so, he successfully brought the all-new TRITON its first podium finish. Taguchi caught up with a competitor in front early in SS6 but was unable to overtake and finished behind them. The Japanese driver set the 5th fastest time in SS6. He finished the rally in 8th place overall after moving up one place when one of the top runners stopped. Looking back at his first cross-country rally, Taguchi commented, “I had no problems with driving the car and driving on roads without pace notes when I actually drove in the rally. The all-new TRITON is very robust and easy to drive with good handling.” After showing speed and taking the fastest time in SS5, Sungkar adjusted his pace for the day to complete the rally. He took no risks and finished the SS in 22nd to conclude the rally in 32nd overall.

At the ceremonial finish held at Prasat Wat Phu, a World Heritage site of a ruined temple, all participants who had completed the rally passed through the gate and shared their joy. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart won the Team Award, which is contested between teams that entered two or more vehicles and all completed the race, with the combined time of the top two vehicles of each team. They proved the car's robustness and reliability in this challenging rally. The team will thoroughly analyse the data obtained from this rally and use it for future development.

Comments from Chayapon Yotha, driver of Car 101
"Overall, road surface conditions were very tough this year. Even so, we managed to complete all the SSs, and thanks to the team, we were able to help each other and cross the finish line. Of course we wanted to be higher up, and we wanted to get back to our best position - a win in the rally and to get the trophy. Needless to say, the overall performance and drivability of the TRITON has improved compared with last year. My impression is that it has improved comprehensively including the engine, suspension and frame. Next year I hope to be stronger and try again."

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"It's been a tougher fight than we imagined this year. We struggled in some parts, especially in the first half, on the intricate and complicated course. We gradually picked up the pace in the second half of the rally and Chayapon (Yotha) was able to improve his position, eventually finishing 3rd overall. Of course I'm disappointed, but the results will certainly be a benefit for our future and we've collected a lot of data. I'm really grateful to the team members who prepared for the rally in such a short time. In addition, as all three of the all-new TRITONs completed this tough rally, I felt once again how good the durability and handling of the car is. It is a level of perfection that we can confidently recommend to everyone as a car launched globally. We would like to thank all the sponsors of our team and the many people who have supported and cheered us on. We hope to use this experience in the future and make further progress."

After a shortened LEG 5
Chayapon Yotha maintains third place overall with a solid drive while Rifat Sungkar posts the fastest SS time

LEG 5, the fifth day of competition in the 2023 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) took place on Friday 18 August. At Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) / Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) in #101 TRITON remain in 3rd overall after the leg and heading into the final day of the rally. After suffering from a mechanical problem on the previous day, Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) in Car 112 moved up to 9th overall.

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Selective Section (SS) 5 was planned to be 167.82 km. However, the second half of the SS was cancelled and the section was shortened to 106.54 km because some parts were difficult for vehicles to pass due to swollen rivers. Heavy rainfall the night before had left road surfaces with mud and puddles here and there. The route may have been shortened but it was still difficult to conquer because of some tricky places like a deep river crossing right after the start. In this situation, the three TRITONs ran without major problems and the team will carefully service their cars to make sure they are fully prepared for the final day.

Yotha posted the 6th fastest time in the SS and has maintained 3rd place overall. He was already more than half an hour away from the rest of the field on the previous day. Therefore, he is now concentrating on catching the two rivals ahead of him, and pushing hard where he can while avoiding risks. Taguchi was back in a full-blown fight in his TRITON that had been repaired thanks to the hard work of mechanics. He had some incidents in the SS. His air conditioning stopped working due to a blockage with mud, and he also suffered a puncture with 15km to go, losing over six minutes. However, apart from that, he drove at a pace equivalent to that of top SS finishers to move up to 9th overall. Sungkar restarted the rally and set the fastest time of the SS, 2 minutes 24 seconds ahead of the second placed driver, moving up to 32nd overall. He made his presence felt by demonstrating the rough-road driving capability of the TRITON on the slippery surfaces typical of Asia.

The total distance of the SS for LEG 6, the sixth and final day of the rally on Saturday the 19th will be 51.96km. SS6 will use part of the second half of SS4 and take a different route towards the end. This SS will test the ability to respond to how conditions have changed since the route was driven in SS4. The rally will begin at 8.30am with the first starter in the MOTO class (motorcycles). The ceremonial finish will take place at Prasat Wat Phu, a ruined temple with World Heritage status.

Comments from Katsuhiko Taguchi, driver of Car 112
"Compared to the situation we've been in, I think we did well today. The time gaps with the cars in front and behind were big, so I drove without risk. The puncture was a bit unexpected, but we've been gaining experience at a good pace. In the second half of the rally, I think that Yasui and I are getting in tune with each other, as the junctions have became less frequent. Even so, we can still get lost, so there must be something more to be done. Tomorrow is the last day. The time gap to the driver in front is small, so I'll look to improve my position."

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"Now, only the final day remains. The route was high-speed with rough surfaces today again, and a lot of stress was put on our cars, but three of them have been running at their best. We're also able to fully confirm the reliability and durability of our cars. This year, we brought four DELICA D:5s from Japan as support cars, and they have been very helpful because we can travel fast and comfortably in them even on rough surfaces. These are exactly the right support cars for this rally. Chayapon (Yotha) remains in 3rd place overall. I hope he'll continue to drive through the final day. You never know what will happen until you cross the finish line in rallying. We'll do our best until the end."

As AXCR 2023 enters the second half in Laos
Chayapon Yotha moves up to 3rd overall on difficult surfaces while Katsuhiko Taguchi suffers a problem and is now placed 11th

LEG 4, the fourth day of competition in the 2023 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) took place on Thursday 17 August. At Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) / Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) in #101 TRITON moved up to 3rd overall. Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) in Car 112 lost a lot of time due to a mechanical problem. They finished the first day of the second half of the rally in Laos in 11th overall.

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The total distance of Selective Section (SS) 4 was 168.50km. The competitors left their hotel in Ubon Ratchathani in eastern Thailand early in the morning and crossed the border into Laos. The three TRITONs also made their way across the border with the other competitors to the start of the SS. Starting from a point near the Laos-Thai border, the course goes south along the border, then makes a large U-turn to head north towards the finish. The road surfaces were generally dry, but competitors had to pass through muddy terrain in some areas. The drivers were required to take extra care as they passed through many villages during the SS, and the route was also difficult, with a series of river crossings and other difficult places. Like many of the other competing vehicles, the three TRITONs were not immune to mishaps, and each reached the finish with some sort of damage.

Yotha completed this difficult course at a good pace, showing the ability as last year's winner. He set the 3rd fastest time in SS3 and finished the day in 3rd overall. Taguchi put in a good performance to overtake more than 10 cars in the first half of the SS and there were high hopes for further improvement of position in the second half. However, he suffered a mechanical problem in the latter half and finished the SS far behind. Taguchi was 17th in the SS and dropped to 11th overall. He will be looking to make up ground in the final stages of the rally. Meanwhile, Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) / Chupong Chaiwan (Thailand) struggled on the day's difficult road surfaces. They got stuck on a muddy road and were withdrawn from the day's competition. The duo will now try to restart tomorrow.

For LEG 5, the fifth day of competition on Friday the 18th, an SS with a total distance of 167.82 km is planned. However, it was announced that the second half of the SS would be cancelled and the section would be shortened to 120.76 km due to some areas that would be difficult for vehicles to pass. With only 51.96km of competitive section on the final day, LEG5 will be crucial to go for a top place. The rally will begin at 8.00am with the first starter in the MOTO class (motorcycles).

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"The fourth day of the rally has finished. I was told that this was the toughest course in recent years. It was a very challenging course for the cars, with water, big deep holes yet it was high-speed. Chayapon (Yotha) finished in good shape, but Taguchi lost time due to a mechanical problem. We're now investigating the cause. With two days to go, I'm sure there'll be more muddy roads to come, but we'll not give up and fight to the end."

After LEG 3, the halfway point of the rally, Chayapon Yotha is 4th overall while Katsuhiko Taguchi is placed 8th heading into the second half

LEG 3, the third day of competition in the 2023 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) took place on Wednesday 16 August. At Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) / Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) in #101 TRITON put in a solid performance. On this day, the 16th of August, Yotha celebrated his 36th birthday and finished 4th overall. Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) in Car 112 came out in 8th overall and after getting a positive feeling, they will take on the second half of the rally with three days in Laos.

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The total distance of Selective Section (SS) 3 was 179.63km. After the Passage Control (PC) at 93.15km, there was a service area. The roads were in dry and stable conditions as in LEG 1 and LEG 2. However, they undulated, with rocks and holes in places, so there was no room for letting the guard down. The three TRITONs made the most of their rough-road driving capability and all made it to the finish without any major problems.

The start list was changed on the very morning of LEG 3, with Yotha as the first runner. In gravel rallies (on unpaved roads), the first runner tends to lose time having to sweep loose gravel on the road surface. However, in cross country rallies, this is not necessarily a disadvantageous position, as it reduces the risk of getting caught up in problems caused by the car in front. Yotha drove at a good pace in the first half of the SS, but deviated from the route towards the end, allowing his rivals to get ahead of him. Nevertheless, he held on to 10th place in the SS and rounded off the day in 4th overall.

From the early stage of the SS, Taguchi was unable to increase his speed, being stuck behind another competitor in trouble which was blocking the road. He also struggled with the complex branching of jungle roads, but showed a tenacious drive. He crossed the finish line in a three-car group with the car in front of him. He was 20th in the SS and moved up from 9th to 8th overall. Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) / Chupong Chaiwan (Thailand) drove while providing a support role for the other two cars, as they had received a major eight-hour penalty on the first day. He was 7th in the SS after a risk-free steady drive and now in 35th overall.

From LEG 4, the fourth day of competition on Thursday the 17th, the SSs will be set in Laos. The competitors will leave the hotel where the rally is based in the early morning of the 17th and cross the border into Laos. SS4 will run southwards along the Thai-Laos border, passing through a number of villages. The SS with a distance of 168.50km will start at 5.30am, with the first starter in the MOTO class (motorcycles), and be heading towards the border.

Comments from Rifat Sungkar, driver of Car 106
"A very unfortunate incident happened to me on the first day, and yesterday I didn't feel the rhythm was really there, but today we were 7th and we enjoyed driving. Personally I'm disappointed not to be able to fight for a win, but we have to fight and aim for a win as a team. I think the instructions are right - to take care of my TRITON, to avoid risk, to drive at about 80% pace, and to support the other two cars if something happens to them. So, I'm doing my job."

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"At the end of today, we've finished three days, half of the competition. We've been competing under tough conditions which put stress on the cars too. Chayapon (Yotha) is still going strong and very consistent. Taguchi's pace is improving, but he had to drive through terrible dust and suffered a deviation from the route. But he's gradually getting used to it, and I'd like the two to go all out on the last three days in the second half of the rally. Unfortunately, Rifat (Sungkar) will not be able to be involved in the fight for the lead, so he'll be running as a quick support to help the team if something goes wrong. We, Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, will do our best with all our resources. We haven't given up the overall victory."

Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART's Chayapon Yotha performs well to take 2nd in SS2 and moves up to 4th overall after LEG 2

LEG 2, the second day of competition in the 2023 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) took place on Tuesday 15 August. Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART saw last year's winners, Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) and Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) in a TRITON in #101, continue their good performance from the previous day. Yotha completed the SS in 3hr 17min 16sec (provisional) to take 2nd place, which promoted him to 4th overall. He will be aiming to further move up the field from tomorrow onwards.

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The day's competition took place on the 207.26 km Selective Section (SS) 2. After the Passage Control (PC) at 111.77km, there was a service area, as on the previous day. The routes varied in character from farmland and village roads to rough gravel roads. The three TRITONs were all aiming to improve their positions with precise handling and engines that are torqueful throughout the range.

According to the start list based on the previous day's provisional classification, Yotha started 6th, Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) 8th, and Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) / Chupong Chaiwan (Thailand) 32nd. The rally was run under dry conditions as on the previous day, with the first runners in the AUTO class (four-wheel category) starting SS2 at 10:24am. Yotha continued to drive steadily, but Taguchi was plagued by deviations from the route and lost time, taking 3hr 44min 58sec (provisional). He finished the SS in 14th and is now 9th overall.

Incidentally, the provisional results announced on the evening of the 15th granted the participants new SS times for LEG 1. At Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, Yotha was granted 2hr 7min 52sec and Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) and Takahiro Yasui (Japan) in Car 112 1hr 56min 16sec. Meanwhile, Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) and Chupong Chaiwan (Thailand) in Car 106 was given an 8hr for failing to pass a designated point on the previous day.

The third day of competition, LEG 3 / SS 3, on Wednesday the 16th, will be the last SS in Thailand. A wide variety of roads await, including areas of sugar cane fields and rubber plantations, as well as small roads connecting villages to each other. The SS has a distance of 179.63km and will start at 9.00am, with the first starter in the MOTO class (motorcycles).

Comments from Chayapon Yotha, driver of Car 101
"Today has been mostly a good day. The road surfaces were fast and there were rocky conditions in some sections. In the high-speed sections, I pushed to pick up pace and tried to drive the fastest. I tried to protect the car and avoid sustaining damage in the rocky sections. Of course, tomorrow I'll look to achieve better results than I did today. In a nutshell, I'll aim to come out on top tomorrow."

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"At the end of the second day, Chayapon (Yotha) and Taguchi have been doing well. Chayapon is in a good position in 4th overall. Unfortunately, Taguchi lost time in some areas due to course deviations, but in any case, the car is in good shape and we want him to improve his pace from now on. We'll go into the middle stage of the rally tomorrow. There is a possibility that the road surface conditions will worsen, but our TRITONs have the ability to drive reliably on any surface, so I think our positions will gradually improve."

On the first competitive day, LEG 1 appears to be a survival rally
At Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART last year's winner, Chayapon Yotha is high in the classification, but the other two lose time

LEG 1, the first day of competition in the 2023 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) took place on Monday 14 August. Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART had a tough start with two cars losing significant time, but last year's winners, Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) and Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) in Car 101, had a good run.

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Starting from the hotel where the rally is based in Pattaya, the competitors moved on to SS1 via a 128.54 km road section. The vehicles were lined up at the start of SS1 waiting to go out and the Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART drivers were also preparing for the start, heightening their level of concentration. The SS travels through plantations and small villages on both gravel and tarmac roads with a total distance of 206.81km. A service area is situated after the Passage Control (PC) at the 81.2 km point, where simple servicing can be carried out.

The road surface in the SS was basically dry, although there were puddles in places. Therefore, fine particles of dust would be flung up, and catching up with a competitor in front means some caution would be required when passing. For the four-wheel category, SS1 started at 9.55am, an hour after the last runner in the two-wheel category. Led by Yotha, the three TRITONs drove away deep into the forest, kicking up a cloud of dust.

This rally started with a difficult turn of events from SS1 with many deviating from the route, but the two cars, No. 101 with Yotha and No. 106 with Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) / Chupong Chaiwan (Thailand), were in a close battle until midway. At about 160 km into the SS, Sungkar was running well, just ahead of Yotha. However, he suffered from cooling system trouble due to the front grille being covered by tall weeds and lost a lot of time. After a solid drive, Yotha finished the day as the top MITSUBISHI driver.

Meanwhile Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) in Car 112, had some bad luck in the early stages of SS1. At about the 45 km mark, the Japanese duo had to stop and lost about an hour because other competing vehicles collided with each other and blocked the route. Although they had a course deviation on the day, the combination between Taguchi and his co-driver Takahiro Yasui should become more solid as they drive more distance. There were no problems with the feedback from the car, and Taguchi will be aiming to move up the field from tomorrow onwards.

The second day of competition, LEG 2/SS 2, on Tuesday the 15th, will cover 207.26 km, with the main part of the SS on the roads around farms and in villages. The competition will begin at 8.35am with the first starter in the motorcycle category. Incidentally, the organisers are still considering measures to be taken regarding delays caused by the accident, and no official results have been issued yet as of 8.00pm local time.

Comments from Chayapon Yotha, driver of Car 101
"Today the roads were fast, but in some places there were large holes and we had to slow down considerably at those places. The TRITON is very good. It was very responsive and I was able to pass the motorcycles in every section. We didn't finish with a very good result in terms of time today, but we know we have to catch up from tomorrow onwards. We'll aim for a better performance tomorrow. We don't have any plans to make changes to the car's settings. We'll only check it. At the moment, the car is very good, so I think we can catch up with the vehicles in front of us if the situation improves."

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"It's been a rough first day, with many deviating from the route, the collision between competing cars on the course and many other things. At least all of our three cars are back, so I think they'll be able to run tomorrow, but we have to think about our strategy hereafter. Also the previous year's winner, Chayapon (Yotha), is in a good place. First of all, we have to finish the first half of the rally, so we'll concentrate on servicing the car properly."

Asia Cross Country Rally 2023 Kicks Off
Three TRITONs set off on a gruelling rally in the excitement in Pattaya

The 2023 Asian Cross Country Rally (AXCR) began on Sunday 13 August. A ceremonial start was held on Walking Street in the famous beach resort of Pattaya, with each rally car passing through the gate one by one. The three MITSUBISHI TRITONs started off amidst a large crowd of spectators, ready for the full-scale competition beginning the following day.

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After the shakedown test on Thursday the 10th, Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART moved its base to the outskirts of Pattaya and carried out careful vehicle servicing in preparation for the rally. On Saturday the 12th, Team Director Hiroshi Masuoka and the drivers were interviewed and photographed by the media, and the team prepared steadily for the start of the rally.

The three TRITONs arrived at the scrutineering area at 8.00 am on Sunday the 13th, which was blessed with fine weather. The official scrutineering took place in the square adjacent to the hotel where the rally is based, and the extent of modifications and safety equipment on each vehicle was checked. The TRITONs compete in Class T1 for modified cross-country cars. While attracting attention from many rivals, all three of Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART's TRITONs passed the official scrutineering without any issue.

After the competitors' briefing in the afternoon, a start list was issued in the evening. The competitors left the hotel as a group and travelled to Walking Street. And at 8.00 pm, the motorcycle categories started first. Leading the way in the four-wheel category were the winners of the 2022 edition, Chayapon Yotha and Peerapong Sombatwong both from Thailand in Car 101. Rifat Sungkar from Indonesia and Chupong Chaiwan from Thailand in Car 106 and Katsuhiko Taguchi and Takahiro Yasui both from Japan in Car 112 also departed in their respective car number order to make their way through the crowd.

SS1, the stage for the first day on the 14th, is set approximately 130 km east of the city of Pattaya with a distance of 206.81 km. The competition will begin at 8.35am with the first starter in the motorcycle category.

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"This year's goal is simply to win by any means. We will do our best to win for the second year in a row. Of course there is pressure, but winning last year has increased the motivation and level of all the team members. We are confident as the TRITONs are in good condition. However, we cannot drop our guard, as our rivals have also improved their performance considerably. On the first day, we intend to let all three cars run as they wish anyway. Teamwork is important, but we have told them to go non-stop and not to help each other when they see the others stop. It sounds harsh, but if they help each other out, especially in the early stages of the rally, we suddenly lose two cars and we only have one car left to fight with. I will look at their positions and time differences every day to give them advice tailored to their individual situations. I will instruct them well so that they can show their full ability."

Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART Is on Its Way to Consecutive Victories in Asia Cross Country Rally 2023 with the New TRITON Rally Car

Tokyo, August 11, 2023 – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announces that Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, for which it provides technical support, will be taking on the Asia Cross Country Rally 2023 (hereafter, AXCR) in Thailand and Laos. In this competition, scheduled for August 13 to 19, the team will be driving three new TRITON rally cars (T1 cross-country prototypes).
The ceremonial start of the event will be held on August 13, the first day of the event, in Pattaya, a resort in southern Thailand. The following day, August 14, the team will drive east along the border between southeast Thailand and Cambodia, racing towards its goal near Prasat Wat Phu, one of Laos's World Heritage sites, on the 19.

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In preparation for the start of the rally, on Thursday, August 10, Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART conducted a shakedown test of the new TRITON rally cars that will actually be driven in the AXCR using the test course of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Co., Ltd. (MMTh) in the Si Racha district of Thailand's Chonburi province. Unlike last year, this year's AXCR will be held in August, during the rainy season, so the course is expected to be the type of difficult course typical for AXCR, with muddy roads and river crossings. To step up to this challenge, Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART has verified the reliability and durability of the new TRITON through two durability tests, covering a total of roughly 2,000 km, conducted in Japan and overseas. The team made final adjustments to the engine and chassis to produce powerful driving and sporty handling. Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART confirmed during the shakedown that the TRITON rally cars will provide the performance expected of them.

On August 13, a ceremonial start will be held on Pattaya's Walking Street for the 63 teams that will be competing in AXCR (21 moto, 1 sidecar, and 41 auto category competitors). The following day, August 14, the rally will start in earnest, with Leg 1. Until reaching Ubon Ratchathani, the goal of Leg 3 of the rally, on August 16, competitors will be driving tough roads, including muddy courses and roads piled with rock debris. During Leg 4, on August 17, competitors will cross the border between Thailand and Laos, and then from Leg 5, starting August 18, the rally will all take place in Laos. The course in Laos is expected to pass through tree-filled highlands and rice paddy areas. These legs are located in the south of Laos, which experiences heavy rains, so course conditions are expected to further decline due to squalls. Leg 6, on August 19, will end with the final goal near the World Heritage site of Prasat Wat Phu.

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"To lead the Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART to victory as team director, I've been leveraging the expertise I've built up through my past rally experience, shaping up the team and putting the finishing touches on the rally cars. The base car of the new TRITON rally car has been improved, and on top of that we've used the results from last year's rally to make them even faster, stronger, and more durable. We've confirmed that it's met our higher expectations through the shakedown test. " said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART. “We've created a solid service system to support the team, and we're providing emotional support as well so that the drivers and co-drivers can give 100%. Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART is more than ready to take on this tough challenge. We'll do our best to claim a second consecutive win."

Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART Takes on the Challenge of Consecutive Asia Cross Country Rally Victories with the All-New TRITON Rally Car

Tokyo, July 26, 2023 - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, for which the company provides technical support, will be competing in the Asia Cross Country Rally (hereafter, AXCR), to be held from Thailand to Laos in August of this year, using rally cars based on the all-new TRITON1 launched today in Bangkok, Thailand.
The all-new TRITON has been fully redesigned and evolved significantly for every aspects.
The TRITON rally car, which has also been modified in line with AXCR vehicle restrictions, offers even greater performance than last year's model, improving its durability and reliability, for which the vehicle already had a solid reputation, its sporty and stable handling, its exceptionally responsive driving performance across the full speed range, and its ability to deal with tough road conditions such as muddy roads.

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Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART will be taking on the AXCR 2023 with three cars driven by Chayapon Yotha (Thailand), champion driver of last year's AXCR, Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia), who placed 5th overall last year, and Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan), who won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1999 and 2010. Team director Hiroshi Masuoka and Mitsubishi Motors engineers will work with the local crew, accompanying the team throughout the rally in the DELICA D:5, an all-around minivan with the road handling of an SUV and the comfort of an MPV. They will do everything from analyzing competition conditions through racing segments and formulating strategies to providing technical support at service park.

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"We are very excited to be able to take on the competition with the all-new TRITON, which has been fully redesigned and evolved significantly for every aspects.. TRITON rally cars have undergone over 2,000 km of endurance testing in Japan and Thailand with no major problems, and we've confirmed that they provide even better performance than last year's model in every stage, from flat dirt high-speed stages to muddy low-speed stages. We'll be driving with three rally cars, each of which is competing for the overall victory, and we want to take the championship position up on the podium for another consecutive victory."

Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART Announces Team Lineup for Asia Cross Country Rally 2023

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, for which the company provides technical support, will be competing in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) scheduled for August of this year.As with last year, Mitsubishi Motors' Hiroshi Masuoka will serve as team director, Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) the champion driver of AXCR 2022 and Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia)will be returning again this year, joined by new Japanese driver Katsuhiko Taguchi.

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Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART claimed an overall victory last year in its first attempt at AXCR. This year, the following team drivers and co-drivers will attempt to claim a second consecutive win: defending champions Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) and Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand), last year's 5th place drivers Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) and Chupong Chaiwan (Thailand), and Japanese duo Katsuhiko Taguchi and Takahiro Yasui. They will be driving a total of three new TRITONGroup T1s (prototype cross-country vehicles). 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 consecutive Dakar Rally champion driver, and Mitsubishi Motors engineers will accompany the team to provide technical support.

From June 19 to June 23, Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART conducted high-stress endurance tests of the TRITONrally cars, envisioning actual rally conditions, on an off-road course near Khao Yai National Park, in the heart of Thailand. The new TRITONhas been completely redesigned, including its body, frame, chassis, and engine, greatly increasing its competitive potential. The reliability and durability of the rally cars, primarily their bodies and engines, were confirmed by driving roughly 800 km over the course of the five days endurance test, and adjustments were made in preparation for the actual competition.

Comments from Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART team director Hiroshi Masuoka
"The all-new TRITON rally car took advantage of the strengths of the base model to get further enhancement in handling performance, driving stability, and ride comfort. And also the improvement of turbo charger enabled quicker engine response in the entire range from low rpm to high rpm. The vehicle is now the great rally car that can handle any road condition.
Although the endurance test course setting seemed as tough as AXCR 2023 actual course, we ran over 800 km with each vehicle and found no major initial problems. I could confirm that the performance exceeded our expectations and I felt good response towards our consecutive victories."

An off-road driving test of the new TRITON was conducted
Approximately 840 km driven over 3 days to confirm reliability and durability

Tokyo, April, 2023 - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, which will compete in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2023 with Mitsubishi Motors' technical support, has conducted off-road driving tests of the new TRITON in Japan at the end of April.

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With its first time test for 3 days long and approximately 840 km driving distance, Mitsubishi Motors checked its performance, mainly drive train, under various road circumstances and confirmed that preparations for the rally are proceeding smoothly.