LEG5
Wednesday, August 13, Prachinburi
A fierce second half begins, with victory in sight.
The fifth day of competition began the day after a rest day. This day's course was a loop starting from Pranchiburi. The 199.13km SS followed the exact same route as Day 1, allowing everyone to build on their previous experience. Furthermore, each team had ample time for maintenance on the rest day, and the road section leading to the SS was only about 50km long, providing a perfect environment for them to focus on their attack speed.
Teams that started earlier on the first day were surprised by the stark contrast in the track compared to the first day and the course conditions were completely different.
Compared to LEG1, the course was much worse. The potholes were extremely deep, and even in the same double caution areas, they were about 1.5 times more severe. The ruts were also incomparably deeper, scraping the underside of the car. Even in such conditions, the tyres still managed to generate forward momentum!
These words come from Katsuhiko Taguchi of #105 Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, who started in 25th place and climbed to 7th. On this day, due to suspension trouble in LEG3, he started late and struggled with the large number of cars ahead, but he finished with a steady and smooth drive, securing the day's top result.
Driver Taguchi has been partnering with navigator Takahiro Yasui for four years. The results of the navigation training they conducted in Thailand at the end of last year have been excellent, and they have become accustomed to the local environment, allowing both of them to perform at their best.
Co-driver Yasui also said, "Mistakes and hesitations have decreased. If the accuracy was 60-70% in previous years, it has now improved to about 85%. However, it's still not perfect. This rally is a test of endurance between the drivers and the navigators. Above all, it's important not to give up."
In the AXCR, the starting order for the next day is determined based on the previous day's times. This starting order has a significant impact on the times. Unlike asphalt circuits, rallies on dirt roads become more difficult to drive as the road surface deteriorates, increasing the risk of getting stuck or going off course. When weather conditions like rain are added to the mix, the road surface changes drastically, making the course so difficult it's almost unrecognisable from the same route.
On this day, the second-fastest time was set by the Toyota Hilux driven by Mana Pornsiricherd (Thailand) and Kittisak Klinchan (Thailand) of #101 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING THAILAND. Third place went to the Isuzu D-MAX driven by Thongchai Klinkate (Thailand) and Banpoth Ampornmaha (Thailand) of the #103 ISUZU SUPHAN YOKOHAMA LIQUI MOLY RACING TEAM. Fourth place was taken by the Toyota Fortuner driven by Tubagus Adhi Moerinsyahdi (Indonesia) and Jatuporn Burakitpachai (Thailand) of #122 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING INDONESIA.
After driving nearly 200 km of special stages, the time difference between first and fourth place was just 3 minutes and 11 seconds. As always, the three major manufacturers—Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Isuzu—continue to battle it out without giving an inch.
The price of pushing to the limit? Machines collapsing due to metal fatigue
The most shocking incident was the accident involving the #102 Isuzu D-MAX, which had been in second place overall until the previous day. The rear end of the cargo bed was hanging down as it slowly made its way through the latter half of the route, but shockingly, the ladder frame at the rear of the vehicle had bent and broken. Even for me, who has been covering the event since 2002, this was an unprecedented occurrence.
The first half of this year's race featured many mountainous roads, with more severe bumps and potholes than usual. Additionally, rugged terrain such as gravel fields and rock formations relentlessly tested the tyres, machines, and drivers. The accumulated metal fatigue likely caused the frame to finally snap. This year saw the axle of a Land Cruiser 80 break unexpectedly, and the suspension of a Land Cruiser Prado collapse without warning... Previously unseen incidents occurred one after another.
Takuma Aoki, the driver of the #107 GEOLANDAR takuma-gp FORTUNER that won the overall championship in 2023, also commented:
"If you go fast, the damage increases, but if you slow down, you can't achieve a good time. Yet there are also high-speed sections like in previous years. Deciding where to save time and where to minimise damage to the vehicle and balancing that decision-making with a focused driving style, is extremely important. Especially this year, as we are competing as a private team, we are focusing on driving in a way that minimises machine breakdowns while aiming for a top position."
Unlike the works teams, which can replace faulty parts with new ones overnight, privateers have their own way of competing.
Hiroshi Masuoka, General Manager of Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART, reflects on the turbulent first half of the season as follows.
“The first half and middle stages were close contests, as expected. The course is varied, with mud and rocks, which makes it very interesting. It's tough on the cars, though. And, as expected, the rival teams have become much stronger, and the quality of the drivers is also improving. It's an acrobatic, high-speed race with a sense of speed, and I think it's a very good race.”
For many people, the speed-filled driving of the Dakar Rally may leave a strong impression, but at its core, Masuoka honed his skills by driving a Mitsubishi Jeep over rugged terrain with steep slopes and difficult sections, jumping and bouncing through cross-country driving. Having enjoyed the three-dimensional terrain himself, his perspective on the AXCR's extreme terrain differs slightly from those in speed-oriented competitions who may be somewhat fatigued by the rough terrain.
“What we're looking for in the Triton is a vehicle that can run stably in any weather or road conditions, and is also durable. So, this competition is exactly what we're looking for,” he commented. He also said, “Over the next two days, we'll focus all our efforts on supporting Chayapon and aim for the podium until the very end.”
Tomorrow's LEG6, like LEG4, has already been cancelled due to issues at the Cambodian border. The remaining two SS sections amount to approximately 235 kilometres in distance. The sections where teams can engage in intense competition are dwindling.
However, anything can happen until the very end of the AXCR. Do you remember what happened last year? On the day before the final day, an unforeseeable event occurred.
Chayapon, who had a significant lead of 19 minutes over second place, saw his Triton come to a sudden engine failure just 2 km from the finish line!! He was eliminated from the championship race, and on the final day, TOYOTA GAZOO RACING THAILAND secured the ‘overall victory’ they had been desperately seeking.
At that time, the winners were Mana Pornsiricherd (Thailand) and Kittisak Klinchan (Thailand). This year, their Hilux, bearing the championship number #101, is firmly in second place in the overall standings, just behind the #112 Mitsubishi Triton driven by Chayapon Yotha and Peerapong Sombutwong.
How will the fated showdown between #101 and #112 unfold? Will Isuzu capitalise on the Toyota-Mitsubishi rivalry to secure the overall victory? Stay tuned for the report on Friday, 15 August.
(Photo: Manabu Takahashi, Text: Dai Kawamura)
Moto
The early stages of the race saw the top contenders bunched together. The joy of enjoying both competition and sight seeing.
On the fifth day, following a rest day, Leg 5 began at a slightly more leisurely pace. The first rider (Moto) started from the hotel at 7:00 a.m. and headed for the same SS start point as Leg 1 on the first day of the competition.
Leg 5's SS will use the same course as Leg 1. The course traverses flat terrain, vast plantations, with work roads and residential roads meticulously marked on the route map. The route primarily consists of compacted flat dirt roads with red or white soil, where participants race through clouds of dust. Occasionally, the route crosses some man made terrain such as irrigation canals, reservoirs, and various-sized waterways—including concrete structures—that create ‘unnatural’ obstacles for the natural environment.
‘Oh, the same route again,’ one might think, but that's not the case, which is part of the fun. The route surface has been roughened and warped by the enthusiastic tyres and rally-spec vehicles of dozens of cars, and the sun-baked soil has hardened, only to be slightly reshaped by showers and nighttime thunderstorms, presenting a vastly different appearance from just a few days ago.
The first to receive the starting flag for such a stage was Jakkrit (#46/KTM 500E XC-F), the undisputed champion from his home country of Thailand, who had surged to the top in Leg 3. Following him were Japan's top rallyist, Ikemachi (#16/HUSQVARNA FE350), his teammate from Thailand, Sumaetee (#17/KTM 250XCW), and Izumoto (#22/HUSQVARNA FE450), who is always ready to rise to the top.
On this day, the top three positions remained unchanged from the starting order. Last year's winner, Matsumoto (#1/KTM 250 EXC-TPI), moved up to fourth place, while his teammate and one of the top contenders, Yamada (#2/HUSQVARNA FE450), rose to sixth place. Izumimoto finished fifth, sandwiched between two regulars in the Asian Rally. Additionally, another top rider, Sunakawa (#14/KTM 350 EXC-F), rose to seventh place.
Other top riders from Thailand and Indonesia also made it into the top 10, and on this day, none of them incurred any penalties, so their rankings reflect their pure speed in the SS. Of course, the overall standings will change day by day, so please check the results regularly.
It's not just the top contenders who are battling it out. The two Japanese sidecar teams riding URAL, who are always asked for photos by overseas fans every year, had one of their sidecars experience engine trouble immediately after the SS start. To avoid obstructing the path of the following Auto, they were towed back to the hotel by the other sidecar.
While it's inevitable to focus on the top contenders, the two young riders making their debut in the motorcycle category admitted, ‘We didn't understand the rules at all...’ They suffered significant time losses at the RS before the SS, as they were unable to follow the route map as intended due to issues with their homemade map holder malfunctioning leaving them unable to properly control their route and time each day.
Additionally, on the second day, some experienced engine trouble, believed to be caused by piston rings. As they were unable to fully resolve the problem it led to a withdrawal on this day.
It’s hard to take your eyes off the movements of the veteran rally drivers competing for the top spots but, at the same time, the emotions of the other half of the field, who are largely out of contention shouldn’t be ignored. This is because, despite investing significant time and money into the Asian Rally, they are unable to participate in the actual competition.
However, it seems that they are still ‘enjoying themselves to the fullest.’ Even if their own machines break down and they have to retire, they use their mechanical skills to support other participants. Some are taking the opportunity to simply enjoy overseas touring and looking at the results, a clear line between ‘above and below’ becomes evident.
Leg 6 on the following day has been been cancelled. Due to various circumstances, this is an unprecedented schedule in the history of the Asian Rally, but the competition still has two days remaining: Leg 7 and Leg 8.
It is honestly surprising how clearly the participants' desire for competition and overseas sightseeing is evident, but the fact that the event has progressed without major accidents or injuries is also quite rare when looking back at past events.
If the remaining two days of competition can be enjoyed fully without any issues, that would be ideal.
The joy of fully enjoying the summer in Thailand, which is far more comfortable than Japan, on a beloved motorcycle is something I would like many people to experience.
(Photographs and text by Zensuke Tanaka)
MOTO, SIDECAR
