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Mitsubishi Ralliart’s Triton Clinches Fifth Place At Asia Cross Country Rally 2024
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart secured fifth place overall in the 2024 Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR). The event, held in Thailand from August 11 to 17, saw the team compete with the Triton1 (T1 specification). The rally covered a total distance of 2,075.54 kilometers, including 939.58 kilometers of special stages.
Katsuhiko Taguchi finished fifth overall with a time of 15 hours, 34 minutes, and 52 seconds. Kazuto Koide, competing for the first time, placed 24th, while Sakchai Hantrakul ended in 27th place. Chayapon Yotha retired from first place overall in Leg 5 and finished in 42nd place.
The rally commenced on August 11 at Surat Thani's clock tower. Leg 1 began the following day, leading into Leg 2 which covered over 550 kilometers to Hua Hin. This was the longest section of the competition. Leg 3 took place in Hua Hin, followed by Leg 4 which led participants through mountainous terrain to Kanchanaburi.
Leg 4 proved to be the toughest stage with many teams struggling over rocky terrain. More than ten teams were penalised for not finishing within the allowed time. Leg 5 was the longest special stage at 228.87 kilometers in Kanchanaburi, concluding with Leg 6 on August 17 at Skywalk Avenue near Skywalk Kanchanaburi.
Katsuhiko Taguchi started from seventh position and improved his standing from eighth place last year to finish fifth overall. Despite challenging course settings, he drove carefully and steadily each day. Sakchai Hantrakul began from the 30th position and initially jumped to fifth but faced course errors and vehicle issues, ending up in 27th place.
Kazuto Koide competed as an employee driver and struggled initially but adapted well over time. He supported teammates who encountered vehicle trouble and finished in 24th place overall. Chayapon Yotha started strong but had to retire due to vehicle trouble in Leg 5 after leading by over twenty minutes at one point.
Team Reflections
Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, commented on this year's performance: "This year's Triton was perfected with enhanced performance, showing powerful driving that covered the displacement gap with our rivals and even took the overall lead at one point." He expressed disappointment over not winning but praised Triton's off-road capabilities.
Katsuhiko Taguchi shared his thoughts: "The 2024 Triton rally car was packaged at a high level and was just easy to drive. I am happy to have improved my position from last year." He aims to use this year's experience for further improvements next year.
Technical Insights
Kazuto Koide highlighted Triton's off-road performance: "The Triton rally car I drove was a 2023 model based on a production car and has a drive mode called 4LLc for rocky terrain." He noted its capability on rough roads and plans to apply his learnings to future vehicle development.
Kei Takeoka, an automotive journalist accompanying Team Mitsubishi Ralliart with the Delica Mini support car, remarked on AXCR's challenges: "This year's AXCR had rock sections and river crossings, making it far more challenging than I had imagined." He also noted Delica Mini's popularity among locals during their journey.
Future Prospects
Mitsubishi Motors plans to reflect valuable data gained from this rally into production vehicle development. The team will undergo rigorous tests again and aims for a comeback next year. They expressed gratitude towards sponsors and fans for their support throughout the event.
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