HINO 500 Series trucks are given car numbers.
List of entrants and route information are announced.

HINO 500 Series trucks are given car numbers. Car 1 is assigned #513, and Car 2 #526.

Late November, the organizers of the Dakar Rally (A.S.O.) announced the list of entrants and car numbers. Hino's Car 1, piloted by the Yoshimasa Sugawara/Hiroyuki Sugiura crew, was given #513, and Car 2, piloted by the Teruhito Sugawara/Seiichi Suzuki crew, was given #526. The car numbers in the Dakar Rally are grouped for different divisions. Numbers 1-249 were given to motorcycles, 250-299 were given to Quad, 300-499 were given to Cars, and 500 and above were given to the Truck Division, the division in which Hino will be racing. The starting numbers of each division, or the ace numbers, were given to the champions of the previous rally, which means #500 went to the champion of last year, Vladimir Chagin who will be driving a Kamaz. Additionally, other entrants from Japan, the Mitsuhashi/Alain Guehennec crew and the Terada/Tanaka crew of Team Land Cruiser Toyota Autobody were given numbers #336 and #340, respectively.
The "iriTrack Tracking System" on the official Dakar Rally website tracks all of these contestants. You will need these car numbers to use the system, so make sure to make a note of them. We will let you know how to use this system in the days to come.
Late November, the organizers of the Dakar Rally (A.S.O.) announced the list of entrants and car numbers. Hino's Car 1, piloted by the Yoshimasa Sugawara/Hiroyuki Sugiura crew, was given #513, and Car 2, piloted by the Teruhito Sugawara/Seiichi Suzuki crew, was given #526. The car numbers in the Dakar Rally are grouped for different divisions. Numbers 1-249 were given to motorcycles, 250-299 were given to Quad, 300-499 were given to Cars, and 500 and above were given to the Truck Division, the division in which Hino will be racing. The starting numbers of each division, or the ace numbers, were given to the champions of the previous rally, which means #500 went to the champion of last year, Vladimir Chagin who will be driving a Kamaz. Additionally, other entrants from Japan, the Mitsuhashi/Alain Guehennec crew and the Terada/Tanaka crew of Team Land Cruiser Toyota Autobody were given numbers #336 and #340, respectively.
The "iriTrack Tracking System" on the official Dakar Rally website tracks all of these contestants. You will need these car numbers to use the system, so make sure to make a note of them. We will let you know how to use this system in the days to come.

Rival teams vie for victory at the Dakar Rally 2011

Organizers announced the route information along with the list of entrants. There were a total of 429 vehicles entered in all divisions, up approximately 20% from last year. Among these different divisions, the Truck Division in which Hino will be racing, saw an increase to 69 trucks, up by approximately 40%. With many rival teams vying for victory, this is expected to be a tough race.
The total distance of the rally is approx. 9,500km, consisting of approx. 4,500km of actual race segments and approx. 5,000km of travel distance. Contestants will traverse this distance, which is roughly equivalent to the distance between Tokyo and London, in 16 days or one day short of last year's race. The race will start off in Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 1, travel north-west, then travel along the borders of Bolivia and Chile, and arrive at Arica, the northern most area of Chile, on January 8 for a rest day. Then the course heads south to Copiapo-now known as the town where miners were trapped and later rescued-and head east towards Buenos Aires. The goal ceremony will be held in Buenos Aires on the 16th. En route, contestants must traverse the Andes Mountains and the Atacama Desert, which is considered to be the driest desert on the planet, testing the endurance of the crews and vehicles to the limit.

Both racing trucks arrive at Buenos Aires

On December 4, the ship carrying both of Hino's racing trucks and supply parts arrived safely at Buenos Aires port after a 40-day voyage from Tokyo. Once they are cleared at customs, they will undergo final adjustments primarily at the Zarate factory of Toyota Argentina S.A. to prepare for the race that will begin on January 1. The team members and staff will arrive on different dates on and after December 9.

Hino Team Sugawara assistance car leaves port together with European teams

In late November, vehicles taking part in the Rally from Europe were loaded on a transport ship arranged by the organizers, and left the port of Le Havre, France. The HINO 700 Series and the Toyota Land Cruiser, the assistance cars that will support Hino Team Sugawara, were also loaded on this ship, as these vehicles were undergoing preparation in Le Mans, France. The HINO 700 Series is a large 6-wheel drive heavy-duty truck - which are rarely seen in Japan - and will be traveling rugged roads fully loaded with repair parts and equipment needed for the rally. During the race, this truck will move from camp to camp ahead of the racing trucks to secure maintenance areas, and as such, will play a vital role in supporting the teams' efforts to achieve victory.

(FYI) Race Overview

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Hino's Dakar website: https://www.hino-global.com/corp/dakar/
Official Dakar Rally website: https://www.dakar.com/

Route Map

* The information included in this news article was up to date as of its time of publishing, and may be revised without notice.

* The HINO vehicle referred in this news in relation to the rally is specially designed, tuned and modified for the Dakar Rally, and most of its specifications are different from those of the HINO vehicles sold in the market unless otherwise specifically mentioned.