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Friday, August 8, Pattaya

A night of sea breeze and heat.
The city of Pattaya became one mass.

The neon lights of Pattaya's beach roads begin to light up as the sun sets, and the 97 rally machines move forward as a convoy. The curtain was finally lifted on the major event marking the 30th anniversary of the Asian Cross Country Rally (AXCR), an international rally recognised by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).

Leading the pack were 40 two-wheelers. Next are two sidecars and last but not least, 44 four-wheelers. The high-pitched whirring of the riders and the low exhaust note of the four-wheeled machines. The sound of the reciprocating engines, which still dominate the rally scene, echoes down to the waves and blends into the night sea breeze.

But the scene changed when the Convoy entered Walking Street. Neon signs and loud music enveloped the entrants. On the roadside tourists with smartphones, friends waving team flags and local families were packed shoulder to shoulder.

Fans and staff have flocked from all over Asia to the event to enjoy a chance reunion for a summer. They greeted each other with hugs and commemorative photos began to be taken everywhere. Everyone has an exuberant expression on their face. For a brief moment they have forgotten that the riders and mechanics will be thrown into the scorching jungle from tomorrow and that they will be engaged in a tough and hard competition, a fierce war of attrition.

Finally, the time for the start arrives.

Under the start gate, intense flashing lights are flashed on the competitors. From here onwards, the riders and their crews are on their own stage. The names of the teams and riders are introduced one by one, and the riders raise their hands high in the air to the cheers of the crowd. The four-wheeled cars are even more impressive with the drivers standing on top of their cars and pumping their fists in the air to the loud cheers of their team and spectators. Just before their departure into the night, a commemorative photo is taken with all th! Let's Go Forward!” The team calls, easily drown out the loud music and echo loudly through the neon-lit night streets.

Love for the team and love for your fellow countrymen. A sense of unity was felt in the core of the body. A Midsummer Night's Dream, as if the participants and the whole city of Pattaya had become one mass, continued until the night was over.

Tomorrow, Saturday 9 September, the competition will finally begin in earnest. The road section on the first day is 165.8 km, with a special stage covering 199.13 km, making a total of 364.9 km for LEG.1.

Look out for the next report!

(Photo: Manabu Takahashi, Text: Dai Kawamura)