LEG7
Friday, August 15, Pattaya
The long commemorative tournament is coming to an end.
Each team's hopes and dreams are intertwined as they compete for the championship.
On this day, the battle for LEG7, which was said to be the biggest challenge, began. The SS was 164.90 km. The early stages took the teams through Thailand's largest eucalyptus forest. Due to rain from the previous day, the road surface was muddy, and some sidecars and 2WD EVs became stuck. Regardless, the roads through the plantations were nearly entirely pitted, making it another challenging day for the machines.
Tough and strong! Two women make their AXCR debut!
The weather forecast predicting 100% rain was off the mark and, the conditions were drier than expected. The #137 PROPAK GEOLANDAR ASIAN RALLY TEAM, consisting of Hazuki Ito (Japan) and Momo Tsukishima (Japan), who are participating in the event with a new Jimny from Japan, commented, "We heard that the route was extremely challenging and expected to get stuck, so we entered the course prepared for the worst. However, we managed to reach the finish line without getting stuck even once today. The road surface was harder than we expected, and there were many dry sections."
The two of them are experiencing their first overseas rally and their first cross-country rally. While they have experience in ‘speed rallies,’ where they create pace notes after a reconnaissance run and aim to drive as fast as possible, this was their first time participating in an ‘cross-country rally,’ where they were given the route map the evening before and had to tackle the course the next morning without any prior practice.
Co-driver Tsukishima had also prepared mentally by hearing from experienced participants beforehand, but she seemed quite overwhelmed by the challenge of navigating the complex grid maps. This is because the AXCR's grid maps have extremely short section distances (sometimes as short as 80 metres!), and in dense jungles or forest paths, it's difficult to even find junctions or crossroads. Even top teams frequently make mistakes, and in the early stages, Tsukishima was lost and confused, feeling overwhelmed by the expectations of others who saw her as an ‘experienced navigator.’
However, it was during such times that her partner became a reliable source of support. Through exchanges with Ito, who laughed off the team's predicament with the words, ‘Let's get lost together,’ Tsukishima gradually regained her confidence and pace. ‘I did shed tears at that time, but my spirit wasn't broken,’ she said. Tsukishima reflected on this during the mid-stage, and as the race progressed, her navigation accuracy improved significantly, leading to fewer mistakes. Indeed, in this rally, it is often the co-driver who first experiences a slump so severe it makes them want to cry, regardless of gender. This rally has a unique challenge that even Shinozuka Kenjiro, a seasoned driver, describes as ‘one of the toughest in the world.’
For driver Ito, the early stages were also a ‘culture shock.’ ‘Driving a short-wheelbase Jimny, there are quite a few challenging sections. The car bounces wildly, making me worry about hitting my head on the ceiling, or my body floats up and my butt is slammed into the seat. When I watched the in-car footage later, both of us were shaking violently from the neck up, and it was really nerve-wracking.’ Despite that, by the latter half, we were able to drive safely without hitting or damaging the car," she said cheerfully.
Both of them have become quite accustomed to the AXCR. They concluded the interview with a comment that made us chuckle.
‘Momo chan (Tsukishima) is getting used to navigation, and even if we occasionally lose our way, she quickly guides us back on track. We can search together, and even if we make a mistake, we can return while the damage is minimal. Right now, we're running in a really good rhythm. If there are no mistakes, the course feels a bit short... and a little lonely, doesn't it?’
Mana gives it his all to close in on Chayapon
Among them, the first to cross the finish line was the Toyota Hilux driven by Mana Pornsiricherd (Thailand) and Kittisak Klinchan (Thailand) of #101 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING THAILAND. Observing their run from directly behind, Katsuhiko Taguchi of #105 Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART commented ‘The #101 machine was very fast. The heavy-duty Hilux moved so lightly, it was impressive. Seeing that, I realised there's still room for our car to get faster. It's great, isn't it? This kind of healthy competition. I feel lucky to have such rivals.’ Additionally, the Triton driven by Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan) / Takahiro Yasui (Japan) finished the day in 5th place with a strong time.
The Daily 2nd place went to the Mitsubishi Triton. The car driven by Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) / Peerapong Sombutwong (Thailand) of #112 Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART. Last year, they retired 2km short of the finish line. Amidst the cries and cheers of the waiting crew, they had to withdraw from the race in tears, but this year they managed to finish the race. The engine settings prioritising reliability seem to have paid off.
As a result, Chayapon maintained his overall first-place position. Although he was narrowed by about four minutes by Mana, who showed a demonic performance, he entered the final day with an advantage of about ten minutes.
In response, Team MITSUBISHI RALLIART's director, Hiro Masuoka, commented, "In a cross-country rally, even a 10-minute lead is not safe. Small mistakes like punctures or wrong turns can quickly catch up to you, so it's as tough as a single second in the WRC. The result is uncertain until you cross the finish line. Tonight is the final maintenance session, so we will focus on thoroughly repairing the car and aim to send it out in perfect condition tomorrow morning."
Additionally, the daily third-place finish went to the AXCR legend #113 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING THAILAND team of Natthaphon Angritthanon (Thailand)/Thanyaphat Meenil (Thailand) in a Toyota Hilux.
Fourth place was taken by the Toyota Fortuner driven by the #104 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING INDONESIA team of Ikio Hanawa (Japan) and Hirokazu Somemiya (Japan). Despite a 15-hour penalty in SS2 affecting their overall standings, their speed remains impressive. Following their impressive performance in LEG5, where they started from the back of the grid and overtook 28 vehicles, they crossed the finish line with an impressive time, defying expectations for a 60-year-old driver and an 8-year-old machine.
What is surprising is that the T2A-D (mass-produced cross-country vehicle diesel) machine has made it into third place overall. It is the Ford Raptor driven by Bailey Cole (USA) and Sinoppong Trairat (Thailand) of #142 Feeliq Innovation Motorsport. This is just my impression, but I feel that the number of Ford Raptors seen on the streets of Thailand has increased dramatically over the past two or three years. It seems to be popular among young people, and I have even witnessed one-make events while passing by. The vehicle appears to be as large as a full-size vehicle, but it can accommodate large tyres and handles well, making it an excellent machine for such competitions. There are signs that the three-way battle between Isuzu, Toyota, and Mitsubishi, along with their works and semi-works teams, may evolve into a four-way battle with Ford joining the fray.
The fourth and sixth places in the overall standings are held by the ISUZU SUPHAN YOKOHAMA LIQUI MOLY RACING D-MAX team. The fifth place is occupied by the aforementioned #105 Katsuhiko Taguchi (Japan)/Takahiro Yasui (Japan) duo, as of the day before the final.
Tomorrow's final day will see the race start with this overall standings order. Will the first to cross the finish line be the red Triton or the silver Hilux? How will the continuous rain affect the road surface and create drama? All will be revealed at tomorrow's finish line.
After 30 years, the anniversary event, the time has come to finally say goodbye. With all our heart, we want to say ‘Good luck!’ to all the competitors who have continued to race until now.
(Photo: Manabu Takahashi, Text: Dai Kawamura)
Moto
With Japanese riders dominating the top ranks on Day 7, what drama awaits on the final day?
On the morning of Day 7 of the competition, LEG.7, the rain that had been falling since the previous evening gradually subsided by the 7:00 a.m. start time, and motorcycles began to gather at the SS start point. The start point was located approximately 60 km from the hotel and the a distance of 165 km is set for the special stage.
Over the day, the total distance covered was approximately 400 km due to the event moving back to Pattaya, the venue for the first day of the competition making the RS after the SS fairly long.
Similar to the first half, there were no significant changes in elevation, and the riders' skills were tested on mostly flat terrain. The familiar red dirt roads drawn on the green landscape were slightly damp with water, and until the sun peeked out from behind the thick clouds. Riders could enjoy a refreshing ride through the vast plantations of the jungle without kicking up much dust (in some areas).
The route, which connects the roads used by local residents, is characteristic of Asian rallies, and deciphering the route map is the most important and most difficult task.
Most riders other than those at the top of the rankings are struggling not only with their riding skills but also with the difficulty of deciphering the route map, unable to move forward, their stamina depleted, their thinking impaired by the heat and trapped in a vicious cycle of repeating the same mistakes.
However, looking at the results for this day, out of the top 10, seven are participants from Japan, excluding two veteran riders from Thailand and one participant from Indonesia. While all are experienced riders, the result at the end of the event is honestly surprising. It seems they have already adapted to Thailand's unique road conditions and road structure, as well as the complex route maps characteristic of the Asian Rally.
For details, please refer to the official results.
Incidentally, the sidecar team Watanabe/Ozeki (#66/Rising Sun Racing/URAL), which has been participating in the Asian Rally consecutively for several years, finished 34th overall out of 42 motorcycles, including motorcycles, and 22nd in LEG.7.
The two participants, who have challenged the limits of the sport in events like the Isle of Man TT and Pikes Peak using a ‘neeler’ (a streamlined, one-piece body where the rider lies prone with knees tucked under the vehicle), have been transitioning from asphalt to off-road racing for over a decade. ‘There's no place (or opponent) left to fight,’ they joked. When they first arrived in Thailand, they seemed like nothing more than a novelty act, but they even brought ‘sidecar cross’ to the scene, and their unconventional challenges and distinctive appearance garnered significant attention, making a strong impression.
While they have dedicated themselves to winning (achieving their goals) with utmost seriousness, the fact remains that this sport has its limits. It seems they are fully aware of this, and one can't help but wonder what kind of challenges they will present next year.
(Photographs and text by Zensuke Tanaka)
On the other hand, the two motorcycle enthusiasts from Japan who made their debut at the Asian Rally, having just begun their journey into the sport, can also be called challengers.
They don't fully understand the course map or the time system, but they're not pushing themselves too hard, instead enjoying the experience like an overseas tour. They seem to be making the most of their time, chatting with the ‘kind-hearted older gentlemen’ around them.
On this day, he and fellow rider Tani (No. 12/GARAGE GAIN), who was also at the scene and riding a Honda Super Cub, desperately pulled out a stuck sidecar during a special stage. One was riding a Honda CRF250M (a motard-style road-going production bike fitted with front and rear off-road wheels), and the other was riding a Kawasaki Super Sherpa. They stopped their bikes on unfamiliar soil and, getting covered in mud, rescued the Ural ridden by two veteran riders.
I had been waiting every day to capture their actions in photos, but in the end, the two never appeared in front of the camera... (The moment was properly documented by a photographer stationed elsewhere.)
Here, each rider has their own unique story, and many events remain deeply etched in their memories, unknown to others.
When riding alone through jungles, mountainous regions, vast highways or villages where people don't speak your language, you inevitably find yourself in helpless situations.
That's when your humanity is put to the test. The Asian Rally, filled with extraordinary experiences, is fascinating because there's something beyond the competition itself.
And so, tomorrow marks the final day, LEG.8. What kind of drama will be etched into the participants' hearts at the finish ceremony scheduled for the afternoon? I want to capture the moment when everyone safely crosses the gate with a smile.
(Photo: Naoki Yoshizawa & Kazutoshi Nishiyama, Text: Zensuke Tanaka)
Additionally, on this day, the Moto class received day awards from PROPAK, the event sponsor, for the top five in the SS category. The awards were presented by Chairman Ishida, who handed out the prizes. Notably, since Sumaetee (4th place) was unable to attend, his teammate and rival, Ikemachi (1st place), accepted the award on his behalf, a moment that left a strong impression.
(Photo: Manabu Takahashi, Text: Zensuke Tanaka)
MOTO, SIDECAR
