Dakar Rally 2015 Culminates at the Finish Line in Buenos Aires.
HINO500 Series trucks make a 1-2 finish in Under 10-litre class for their 6th straight championship.

January 17, contestants of Dakar Rally 2015 crossed the finish line in Buenos Aires, Argentina to conclude the 14-day itinerary of the race. HINO TEAM SUGAWARA entered the race with two HINO500 Series trucks, of which Car 2 piloted by Teruhito Sugawara and Hiroyuki Sugiura finished 16th, and Car 1 piloted by Yoshimasa Sugawara, Yoko Wakabayashi, and Katsumi Hamura finished at 32nd in the overall Trucks category. Car 2 clutched its 6th straight championship in the Under 10-litre class, and Car 2 came it at 2nd place. This was the second year in a row for the team to accomplish a 1-2 finish in this class.

The itinerary for the day stretched from Rosario back to Buenos Aires. Contestants were to travel a 77km liaison route and then race the rally's final, 174km SS which was set on gravel agricultural roads. However, the road surface had been turned to soft mud due to the rain over the last few days, and organizers decided to truncate the SS at CP1 which was at the 34km point. As a result, contestants were detoured to paved roads and raced to the SS finish line, and travelled a 142km liaison route to arrive at Buenos Aires. Car 2 finished at 21st and Car 1 at 42nd overall for the SS. However because the SS was shortened to 34km, there was little change in time difference and no effect on the trucks' accumulated positions.

The finish area was set up at the Technopolis expo hall where race vehicles underwent inspections before the start. This was where the podium ceremony was held, and this day being a Saturday, the hall and nearby streets were packed with a crowd of spectators numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The HINO500 Series trucks -- with engineers and mechanics atop their roofs, waving a large koinobori (carp streamer) and the Japanese flag -- appeared at about 5:00pm. Crews of both trucks and Hino president Yasuhiko Ichihashi, who was visiting from Japan to share in the celebration, shook hands and waved at the cheering crowd.

This year's race was conducted on a loop route between Argentina and Chile, starting from Buenos Aires and then back again, over a period of 14 days and a distance of *8161km (of which timed segments made up *3781km). Both HINO500 Series trucks, which received performance enhancements in the form of A09C-TI engines (Displacement: 8866cc. Max. output: 630PS ) that produced more power than the previous iteration, as well as suspensions upgrades, made strong showings right out of the start. And while Car 2 driven by Teruhito Sugawara suffered a time loss on January 5 when his truck encountered a problem with its radiator -- thought to have been caused by a flying stone -- his truck subsequently clocked times that were on par with the leading group in the overall Trucks category. Additionally, the enhanced, 3-person crew make-up on Car 1 proved to be highly effective. Car 1 was driven by Yoshimasa Sugawara, the oldest Dakar Rally participant at 73 years of age. The truck delivered consistent performance throughout the race and provided good support for Car 2. Another point to note in this year's race, in addition to upgrades made to the trucks, was that neither of the trucks sustained any major problems, thanks to the inspection and servicing work carried out by the mechanics which typically went on all through the night. HINO TEAM SUGAWARA will be drawing from the data and information gained in this year's rally to make further performance enhancements in preparation for next year.

* Both distances according to pre-race announcements.

Yasuhiko Ichihashi: This is the first time I've been at a Dakar Rally finish and it was quite a moving experience. The team did exceptionally well. These are great results also for all Hino employees who have been supporting the team.

Yoshimasa Sugawara: I'm feeling relieved now that we've delivered the results that we expected to. I was in good physical condition and was able to drive comfortably despite the fact that I'm a year older now. I think the upgrades to the truck as well as the training I've been doing has had an effect.

Yoko Wakabayashi: Tears came rolling out when we finished and received the medal. This was my very first experience in the Dakar Rally, and I was given the opportunity to navigate in the team's first attempt at a three-person crew. It was quite difficult at first to find my groove. I personally can't give myself a passing grade but the experience has been invaluable.

Katsumi Hamura: We went through a lot but I'm happy that we finished without much event. This was the first three-person crew for me in a long time, so it was hard at first just getting used to it.

Teruhito Sugawara: I was secretly aiming for a top 10 spot in the overall Trucks category, but that will have to wait. That said, compared to races up to last year where we've been just pushing our trucks to the limit, I think we've taken a huge step forward in that the truck feels like it can do more, and that there is more room for performance upgrades. This was a meaningful race that gave us hope for the future.

Hiroyuki Sugiura: The SS today was very muddy because of the rain. We were slipping all the way just to get to the 34km point. I'm personally not happy with our 16th place finish in the overall Trucks category. I want for us to be able to keep up with our bigger rivals.

Katsuyuki Nagoshi: The drivers gave me thumbs up for the A09C engines' control maps before we reached the finish line. Speaking of problems, there were none after we replaced the turbo waste gate in the first half. I think we've accomplished what we came here to do for my second year on the team. I intend to be here again next year.

Seiichi Suzuki: The problem we had on Car 2's radiator was partially due to luck, or lack of such. I'm glad the countermeasures we took were effective. Our rivals are getting faster so I will keep up my work for next year.

Takeshi Suenaga: Watching our team finish was a moving experience. I'm really glad that we've been able to come this far. The assistance team this year was made up of the finest members so I hope we get the chance to work together again someday.

Hironaga Hayashi: I feel like I could've have done more, but in any case I'm relieved that we were able to finish. I've always admired the Dakar Rally, so I'm truly happy that we were able to finish without much event.

Shunsuke Sugawara: The finish was a moving experience. Our work ended when we saw the trucks out this morning, but personally, I would've liked to conclude this by servicing the trucks back to tip top shape again, after their last day of racing. I feel a bit sad in that sense.

Hiroya Fukuno: I know I'm repeating myself, but the race just zipped by so quickly. I'm happy that we were able to finish. I haven't had much sleep over the last 2 weeks but I'm feeling great and would like to let my colleagues back home know what I'm feeling.

Takashi Masuda: There were so many things that I felt from being here on site as a member of the team. There was so much to learn. There are quite a few Dakar Rally veterans among my seniors in Hiroshima, and I too hope that my juniors can come here to have this experience.

* 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.

Send the message to HINO TEAM SUGAWARA!
http://www.teamsugawara.jp/

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

Photos

Route Map