Team Arrives at the Final Bivouac in Rosario in Great Shape.
Team is fully prepared for tomorrow's race to the finish line in Buenos Aires.

On January 16, contestants raced on a 298km SS set between Termas de Rio Hondo and Rosario, and the rally has now moved on to its last bivouac site in Rosario. The total distance traveled this day would total a whopping 1024km due to the long liaison routes before and after the SS. As such, this was the last stage to test the contestants’ perseverance. Contestants first traveled southward from Termas on a 248km liaison route, and then raced the day's SS in the foothills near Sierra Cordoba. After the SS, they were to travel on a 478km liaison route from the outskirts of Cordoba to Rosario. The SS mainly consisted of gravel piste (unpaved) in an intermountain area. Although the course was not that difficult, crews had to exercise caution as any deviation from the course was sure to result in damage to their vehicles.

The two HINO500 Series trucks fielded by HINO TEAM SUGAWARA raced this stage with a mixture of cautiousness and daringness. Car 2 crewed by Teruhito Sugawara and Hiroyuki Sugiura finished at 29th in the overall Trucks category and top in the Under 10-litre class. Car 1 piloted by Yoshimasa Sugawara, Yoko Wakabayashi, and Katsumi Hamura drove cautiously and finished at 42nd overall and 5th in the class. With these results, Car 2 and Car 1 now stand at 17th and 31st in overall accumulated rankings, respectively. In the Under 10-litre class, the A. Cabini crew (Mercedes Benz Unimog), who are currently in 3rd place, managed to narrow their time difference somewhat with the Hino team's Car 1 who are in 2nd place. However, Car 1 continues to command a 25h 19m 38s lead over the A. Cabini crew. As such, Car 2 and Car 1 continue to maintain their solid 1-2 positions in the class.

The bivouac in Rosario was set up in the middle of the field enclosed by an elliptical horse racing track at the "Polo Club," the city's famous horse racing stadium. While we have confirmed that both HINO500 Series trucks have finished the SS -- Car 2 at 4:17pm and Car 1 at 5:10pm -- neither truck has arrived at the bivouac as of this writing around 8:30pm. Mechanics are standing by here at the bivouac to make sure that they are able to complete the last inspections and services of this year's race as thoroughly as possible.

The itinerary for January 17, which will take contestants to the finish line in Buenos Aires, features a 174km SS. This will be a rerun in the opposite direction of the SS they raced on January 4 which mainly consisted of flat agricultural roads. And because the course is not particularly difficult it is hard to imagine that there will be major changes in position. However, equally true is that one never knows what will happen in the Dakar Rally until it is actually over. The team intends to stay focused to take on the last day of the rally.

Katsuyuki Nagoshi: We made some modifications to the software that governs engine output characteristics, and the drivers gave me the OK, so we're over one hump in terms of year-2 of working on the A09C engine. There are many things that you wouldn't notice unless you were actually on site, so I think it was very meaningful that I was here as part of the team.

Takeshi Suenaga: Tonight's servicing work will be the last, so we will be leaving no stone unturned. For the mechanics from Hino dealers, this will be the last chance for them to actually work on the trucks hands-on so I think each of them will have special feelings as they work.

Hironaga Hayashi: This will be the last night so I'm going to make sure I have nothing to regret.

Shunsuke Sugawara: Time just zipped by. It's as if we started yesterday and are finishing tomorrow. I don't feel tired.

Hiroya Fukuno: I feel a bit sad knowing that this will be our last night, but I intend to do my best tonight.

Takashi Masuda: I was very anxious at first, but things just went so quickly once it started. I'm happy that we've made it this far in great shape. Making the Dakar Rally team had been a dream for me, and I feel like my dream will finally come true when we finish tomorrow.

* 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.

YouTube by J SPORTS
Dakar Rally 2015 - Playlist
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2qHJ6JYuHy3EIASRdVzA-Cjj2Ek2eQD7

Photos

Route Map