- Also achieves record 23rd consecutive finish since the company's first entry in the race -

Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) won its fifth consecutive championship in the Under 10-litre Class in the Trucks category, and also achieved its 23rd* consecutive finish in Dakar Rally 2014. Starting in Argentina and finishing in Chile, the rally was held from January 5 through January 18 (local time).

Hino was the first Japanese truck maker to enter this rally in 1991. In 1997, the company entered three trucks, and became the first company to achieve a 1-2-3 finish in its category. Subsequently, the company has been champion in thirteen out of fourteen applicable years in the Under 10-litre Class since it was set up in 1996, and is recognized as a true powerhouse in the Trucks category.

This year, Hino entered the race with two HINO500 Series trucks. The company teamed up with Team Sugawara, led by drivers Yoshimasa Sugawara - who made his record 31st consecutive entry in the Dakar Rally - and his son Teruhito Sugawara. In addition to three mechanics who were screened from among applicants from Hino dealerships nationwide as has been customary over the years, this year, Hino dispatched a mechanic sub-leader who has had extensive prototyping experience at Hino headquarters and is equipped with skills that have been indispensable on the factory floor, and an engineer who was charged with tuning the computers that control the trucks' electronically controlled engines in the field as part of the racing team. Furthermore, local dealers set up servicing bases, making this event truly a group effort.

These actions were instrumental in Teruhito Sugawara achieving the team's 5th straight championship in the Under 10-litre Class and a 12th place finish out of 70 contenders in the overall Trucks category that was populated with trucks that were powered by engines with almost twice the displacement. Yoshimasa Sugawara became the first driver in this rally to race a Hino truck powered by Hino's 8.8-litre A09C engine, and finished 2nd in the Under 10-litre Class and 32nd overall. The truck's engine and suspension were being constantly tuned during the race to achieve optimum settings. The team plans to have Teruhito Sugawara race this truck next year to aim for a high position finish in the overall Trucks category.

By taking part in the world's top level race, Hino aims to share the excitement of racing with customers and motor fans around the world, and build on the spirit of challenge and technological capabilities honed through this experience to deliver products and services that benefit our customers. 

*This was the company's 23rd entry in the race since 1991, except for 2008 when the race was canceled due to political instability.

Please visit our official website for the "Dakar Rally 2014 Race Report" where you will find detailed daily coverage of the race.
http://www.hino-global.com/dakar/latest_news/index.html

Comments

Masakazu Ichikawa: Car 2's performance was just amazing this year, and Car 1 did very well too. While we are the quickest and essentially unrivaled in the Under 10-litre Class, we are committed to aiming for a spot in the top 10 in the overall Trucks category next year.

Yoshimasa Sugawara: I took part in this year's Dakar Rally as a test driver for our new truck, and I'm very happy with the results. I am particularly moved by the fact that we, my son and I, were able to achieve a 1-2 finish in the Under 10-litre Class. I would like to thank everyone who helped us make this happen.

Katsumi Hamura: A lot happened along the way, but I'm very happy with the results. At any rate, I'm very relieved to have reached Valparaiso without much event.

Teruhito Sugawara: Race results show us finishing in 12th position, but there was much more substance to this year's race, so I have a great sense of achievement. I'm very happy to have finished with great results on the last truck to be powered by a J08C engine. I can't wait for the next Dakar Rally where we will likely be entering a truck powered by a 8.8-litre A09C engine.

Hiroyuki Sugiura: The distances were long this year. I think we could have finished higher up in position if the dunes were a bit more difficult. I got quite anxious when we tipped over, so I was relieved that we were able to get through that ordeal. I think I now have a better understanding of how difficult it is to finish in this rally.

Seiichi Suzuki: The water temperature on the new engine on Car 1 remained stable throughout the race, and the fan drive that we developed specifically for the mid-ship engine configuration had no problems, so that was a huge relief. Another thing that was reassuring was that we had an engineer on site who had extensive knowledge of the engines' computers.

Takeshi Suenaga: It feels like such a short period of time when I look back, but when we were in the thick of it, we were all just busy getting things done. I've got some things to reflect on including things that I realized only after making mistakes. It was also very interesting to know that different dealers in different regions of the country have different ways of using the same tools.

Hiroaki Tamura: The two weeks of the race just zipped by, and I'm glad we were able to deliver good results. I was surprised at the huge crowd at the podium.

Norishiro Senuma: This was the first time for me to travel outside of Japan, so everything was new for me. We were all very busy during the race, but was never a problem as long as we stayed fit physically. Just as my predecessors told me, staying fit is a big part of this race.

Tadahiko Fuke: It was over before I knew it. Day after day, it was a repetition of feeling anxious until the trucks finished the SS, and breathing a sigh of relief once they were back at the bivouac.

Katsuyuki Nagoshi: Now that it's over, two weeks feels like such a short time. We now have a better idea of what we should be doing next year and onward. I intend to take this experience home and make the best of it.

Please visit our official "DAKAR" website
https://www.hino-global.com/corp/dakar/index.html