FOR RALLIART’S SAKE
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart makes a grand comeback to the Asia Cross Country Rally 2022
Bangkok Thailand—Team Mitsubishi Ralliart marks its official return to the rally scene— after more than a decade of absence—as the squad heads over to the Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 with three raceprepped Triton (Strada in the Philippines) trucks.
Also known as the “Asian Rally” or “AXCR,” the long-distance off-road race takes place over five days (November 21 to 26), with the starting line in Buriram in Thailand, and the finish line at Siem Reap in Cambodia.
Competing at the AXCR is a crucial first step in Mitsubishi’s efforts to revive the Ralliart brand, which made a comeback last year when the car manufacturer released Ralliart special edition vehicles and accessories in some Asian markets.
Backed by Mitsubishi Motors’ technical support, the Ralliart team is ready to conquer the challenging AXCR route, which changes every year. This year, the course will cover 1,700 kilometers of all types of terrain, including rough mountainous trails, swamps, jungles, beachside, desert, rivers, plantations, tarmac, as well as circuits.
The unpredictable weather conditions in this part of the world should make the annual across-country rally more exciting which is doubly important considering it’s the first AXCR race in a long while. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the organizers to postpone the event for two years.
“Mitsubishi has a deep history with rally raids and joining this year’s AXCR is a good time for the company to come back to the rally scene. It’s part of Mitsubishi’s new branding initiatives and puts the focus on our strong points which are our pick-up trucks and SUVs,” said Takanobu Suzuki, Mitsubishi’s executive vice president for sales and marketing in the Philippines.
Suzuki said that Mitsubishi would become more visible in the world of rally races again moving forward. In fact, the goal is to get back to competing in larger events. Because the AXCR is sanctioned by the FIA or the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the same governing body for many auto racing events such as Formula One, it’s important for the company to dominate this side of the world first. AXCR, after all, is considered by many to be the toughest rally raid in Asia.
Mitsubishi Motors and Ralliart are no strangers to competing in rallies. In fact, it was a top contender in both World Rally Championship and the Dakar Rally for many years.
Ralliart appointed Hiroshi Masuoka—back-to-back Dakar Rally champion driver (20022003)—as team director.
“To lead the team to victory as team director, I have drawn on my rallying know-how and experience, built the team organization, and worked to hone our cars. The Triton rally cars have improved with every run, and they are now faster, stronger, and tougher. We have a great service organization in place to support the team, allowing the drivers to apply 100 percent of their own potential. The whole team is ready for this tough challenge,” Masuoka said.
Organized by R1 Japan, Inc., AXCR is designed to challenge each competitor team’s skills such as endurance, navigation, preparation, and teamwork, as well as the capability and toughness of their vehicles.
The three Triton rally cars (Group T1 prototype cross-country vehicles) that Ralliart would use during the race had their weight reduced, but just to a minimum for its rally modifications, while still leveraging on the Strada/Triton’s original strength—robust chassis frame and excellent handling.
Suzuki said: “We know that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will make us proud. More importantly, we know that joining the AXCR would excite and entertain Mitsubishi’s many fans, who I’m sure are as ecstatic as we are to see the Triton compete in the rally raid.”