News Release
The Dakar 2009 Race Report (Stage 4, January 6)
Moving on to Neuquen across waji (dry river beds), the two Hino 500 Series vehicles steadily pushed up their rankings.
Jacobacci - Neuquen
Connection 4 km, SS 459 km, Connection 25 km, Total: 488 km
The route on the 6th was due north from Jacobacci in the Rio Negro Province to Neuquen, the capital of the Neuquen Province. The vehicles drove the 4-km connection, the 459-km SS, and the 25-km connection to arrive at Neuquen. During the initial phase, the piste surfaces were sandy, followed by rock areas and off-road waji (dry river beds) crossings. In the latter part of the route, there were areas where the vehicles had to drive along the bottom of waji, that was similar to one of the stages in Africa. Car 2 (Teruhito Sugawara / Seiichi Suzuki) of Hino Team Sugawara finished 16th in this SS in the Camion division, after overtaking J-P Reif (Man) who won the 1997 Race with, the Hino 500 Series vehicle. Car 1 (Yoshimasa Sugawara / Katsumi Hamura) finished 19th in the Camion division after overtaking five units that were stuck on its way.
As a result, both vehicles were able to push up their rankings, so that Car 2 became 13th overall and Car 1, 16th. As real off-road driving trials increased, the potential of the Hino 500 Series vehicles could really be seen -- along with the effects of revisions in the vehicles done for this race -- shifting the engine position rearwards, revising the suspension, and reducing the required maneuverability force in power steering, etc. Even the rising water temperature, a concern until yesterday, was resolved by a countermeasure to lock the fluid coupling (clutch) of the fan. It was an exhilarating driving day. The long stage will continue through tomorrow. The seven Hino mechanics at the bivouac set up in a sports center in the city of Neuquen were making thorough inspections of the vehicles until dawn.
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| Yoshimasa Sugawara and Teruhito relaxing after the stage. | Mechanics working at the bivouac in Neuquen in a dusty wind. |
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| Navigator Hamura emphasized steady progress. |
Yoshimasa Sugawara (Car 1 Driver)
“The engine was good even today. Unlike other vehicles stuck in waji or fesh-fesh, we were able to drive well, at stable water temperatures. However, there was one area where a camion stopped in waji after hitting a motorcycle or an area where it was difficult to drive because of a dense cloud of dust. We will drive even more carefully tomorrow.”
Katsumi Hamura (Car 1 Navigator)
“The navigation was not hindered by dust today, and there was no area that was difficult. Rather, there were areas where we were at an advantage driving with cars, and areas where we were hindered by them. I think they influenced our time to a certain extent.”
Teruhito Sugawara (Car 2 Driver)
“The steering control also drifted -- it seems that the sand here in South America is heavier (i.e., offers greater resistance). Although we allowed four to five vehicles to overtake us in the beginning, we were able to catch up with them in the bumpy off-road section.”
Seiichi Suzuki (Car 2 Navigator)
“We ran out of fuel as we forgot to switch the fuel tanks. We lost time there, as we had to remove the trapped air. Moreover, we experienced other incidents today, like damaging the side covering when we drove down into waji.”
Yasushi Nakamura (Hino Mechanic)
“The air cleaner tends to get clogged quickly as it is quite dusty. The underside of the vehicle is also often hit by stones. The water temperature stabilized when we locked the fan clutch. We are all doing fine here.”
