The New Triton × Kei Takeoka

Kei Takeoka^*1 and her partner Triton competed in the XCR Sprint Cup Hokkaido Round 3 - 2024 ARK Rally Kamuy (hereafter, “Rally Kamuy”) in July 2024, and 2024 Rally Hokkaido in September of the same year. She finished third in her class in Rally Kamuy, which she had positioned as a “shakedown” (test run). Then in Rally Hokkaido, in the main event, due to a typhoon, the parts ordered could not be delivered in time, and the team was forced to enter the same specifications as in Rally Kamuy, only with an overhaul, but she still managed to take fourth in her class.

Since the Triton rally car was completed with only a short preparation period of 13 days, Takeoka’s first time driving it was when transporting the car from Tomakomai Port to the rally site the day before the main event.
Rally Kamuy finally got under way on July 5. The warm reception she received from the fans and people affiliated with the event “brought tears to my eyes before I knew it, even though it was just the start of the rally,” says Takeoka. Competing in a rally behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Motors car had also long been a dream of hers.
At the same time, the recce (course reconnaissance) the day before the rally was also her first time driving on a gravel (unpaved) road. Although cars drive slowly during a recce, she made as many adjustments as she could in that time while figuring out the car’s condition and her own intuitive feelings. She and the Triton seemed well suited for each other.
The weather was rainy during the two days of the rally, and she apparently felt some sluggishness when trying to pull off of muddy roads, but she was unfazed, “since it has torque, there was no problem at all.” It seems the flat output characteristics of the clean diesel engine paid off.
On the second day she repeated the settings and drove the car, and the Triton’s ride characteristics were a perfect match for her own sensibilities. She claims it was fun to drive. However, she laughs ironically while reflecting on the Kamuy Rally. “Having fun driving and recording a good time are two entirely different matters. The car set ups are really difficult!”

On courses with narrow roads, you have to be careful to avoid stopped cars that have retired from the race, but “It’s so easy to sense the size of the Triton and steer it, that I had no trouble with that at all,” says Takeoka. There are also many narrow paths when driving off-road, and drivers frequently drive with little lateral space to maneuver. Having the car built to make its width easy to sense is a key requirement for pickup trucks. Takeoka also appears to be impressed by the Triton’s balance of tough, straight proportions with an excellent field of vision.
On the other hand, on the high-speed course, the longer wheelbase proved effective. Even when she hit the accelerator on gravel, the tires tightly gripped the road and stability was excellent. She also apparently struggled to decide whether to change the set up of the chassis, but she was able to handle the roads beautifully using the many different drive modes. Takeoka explains, “I tried various drive modes, but personally I found 4HLc (center differential lock in four-wheel drive) Mud Mode was easy to drive with, and it matched my driving style. Seeing it from the outside, my coach also felt the same.”

Takeoka had accompanied Team Mitsubishi Ralliart as driver of the Delica Mini support car at Asia Cross Country Rally (hereafter, “AXCR”) 2024 in Thailand in August 2024. According to Takeoka, she was able to gain many insights while interacting closely with the professional rally drivers. As there was little preparation time for Rally Hokkaido, she immediately took off for a test run on the course the day after returning from Thailand. As she enthusiastically relates, “I wanted to try doing everything I hadn’t done yet.” “In Rally Kamuy, I drove the whole way without changing from D (drive) position, so I practiced manual mode drivind in order to drive even faster. However, after that I was unable to prepare the way I intended due to the typhoon. Still, her attitude remained positive as ever, taking the approach that “If I really think about the situation with the typhoon, just being able to compete at all is something to be happy about.”

And then came the main rally event. On the high-speed special stage (SS) with long stretches of tough road surfaces, she put on a display of speed and smooth driving as she pursued and passed another driver's car. “It’s what I’m good at, I enjoy it,” she says. She also had some anxious moments since the course put a heavy load on the brakes, but Takeoka says, “The Triton reminded me of its toughness, that it can get you back to your starting point in any situation. It really is awesome.”
On the second day, she struggled with how to attack an SS resembling gymkhana, which is not her strong point, and also ended the day with feeling unsatisfied when the second leg of the last SS was cancelled due to machine trouble in another car blocking the road. Despite that, she was beaming with the pure pleasure of rally racing in a Mitsubishi car. According to Takeoka, “The Triton is heavier than the cars I’ve ridden in other rallies and has a larger body, but it was also the most comfortable and it controlled as her want.” “You can get the feeling of being one with the car as you drive. Even when it jumps and bounces on rough road surfaces, the car still holds stable without lurching in any odd directions. It has a superior 4WD system, which is a strength of Mitsubishi Motors.” Indeed, the setting of this grueling rally seems to have reminded her of the unique automotive craftsmanship that goes into Mitsubishi Motors cars.
Now, Takeoka is dreaming so big that she can’t sleep at night. “Along with swapping in the parts that got delayed due to the typhoon and making the adjustments that I think should be made, I’ll also be training myself to handle corners faster. Next year I want to fully compete in XCR Sprint Cup Hokkaido and also take on AXCR!”

She continues, “I got a strong feeling that Mitsubishi Motors returning to rally competition has brought joy to many people. Being an automaker with so many fans really is one of Mitsubishi’s strengths.” You can also count Takeoka herself as a Mitsubishi Motors fan.