Hino Motors set to enter the 2007 Paris-Dakar rally aiming for its 17th consecutive successful course completion with a 2-truck team-up

　Hino Motors, Ltd. (“Hino”) is aiming for its 17th consecutive successful finish in the Dakar Rally (commonly known as the Paris-Dakar). Hino will be entering two medium-duty Hino FT trucks in the Camion (Truck) Division of the rally widely considered to be the most punishing in the world, which is scheduled to start on January 6, 2007.

　Since the rally in 2006, Hino has been promoting initiatives centered in the reinforcement of the support structure of Team Sugawara led by Yoshimasa Sugawara and vehicle development with a changeover in the team name to HINO TEAM SUGAWARA.

　In preparation of the rally in 2007, it has developed a new model vehicle realizing a broad improvement in aerodynamic properties of the vehicle body. This improves the degree of design maturity of the vehicle and makes it possible to aim for more effective racing performance taking advantage more than ever of the light-weight and compact body of the Hino FT.
　In addition, six mechanics will be dispatched from the Hino Group, two more than last year, showing its strong commitment to a fully equipped backup system.
　The drivers again this time will be the father-son team of Yoshimasa Sugawara, who is looking to further improve his world record of 24 consecutive appearances and 18 consecutive completions in the Paris-Dakar, and Teruhito Sugawara, a higher-ranking winner for two consecutive years. The HINO TEAM SUGAWARA will be pursuing its 17th consecutive completion with a powerful lineup that further enhances its collective strength.

　In 1991, Hino became the first Japanese truck manufacturer to take part in the Paris-Dakar and, since then, it has set new records for both consecutive appearances and completions. Furthermore, in 1997, it placed first, second and third overall for the first time ever in the Camion Division. It has consistently completed the course in the world’s most grueling rally event, competing against monster camions in the overall camion category for top place and succeeding in winning high rankings.

　Hino will continue to demonstrate its technological capabilities, product strength and corporate spirit of challenge through the Paris-Dakar.

Photo: 2006 Paris-Dakar

Daily on-site reports will be presented on the company website (http://www.hino.co.jp/j/brand/race/dakarrally/index.html*) during the event (January 6-21, 2007).　 Don’t miss it!　*Japanese only

(Reference material)


- Overview of the 2007 Dakar Rally

Schedule Start: January 6, 2007(Lisbon, Portugal) Finish: January 21, 2007(Dakar, Senegal) Countries transited Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Senegal (6 countries) Total distance About 10,000km Total entries (projected) Motorcycle division: 240 4-wheel division: 185 Camion division: 80

- “HINO TEAM SUGAWARA” team composition

Team name	HINO TEAM SUGAWARA
Vehicle	2 Hino FTs
Division to enter	Camion division
Composition	<Truck #1> Driver: Yoshimasa Sugawara Navigator: Katsumi Hamura Yoshimasa Sugawara (65 years old), who has had a record of 24 consecutive entries in the Dakar Rally, has completed runs for 18 consecutive years, has six second-place wins in the camion division and continues to set major new records, will be the driver of truck #1, assisted again this year by navigator Katsumi Hamura. <Truck #2> Driver: Teruhito Sugawara Navigator: Seiichi Suzuki and Akira Koishizawa Teruhito Sugawara, the second son of Yoshimasa who will drive truck #1, won the 2003 Pharaoh Rally (Egypt), the first Japanese to take the honor in the Camion category. He made his Paris-Dakar debut as a driver in 2005 and has rewarded high rankings for two consecutive years. His navigator again this year is Seiichi Suzuki as well as Akira Koishizawa who will debut in Paris-Dakar. Koishizawa has experience in international events, including the Rally Raid Mongol and the Tunisia Rally. <Mechanics> Kei Sato, Hino Motors, Ltd. Koji Yamamoto, Hino Motors, Ltd. Koshin Kitamura, Iwate Hino Motors, Ltd. Akihiro Yamaguchi, Tokyo Hino Motors, Ltd. Hiroyuki Sakata, Osaka Hino Motors, Ltd. Yuji Yoshioka, Ehime Hino Motors, Ltd. Six mechanics will be dispatched from the Hino Group to support the Hino FTs at each base camp. Four of them are selected from among nationwide sales companies and have HS-1 qualifications, the very highest qualifications for mechanics at Hino.

- History of Hino in the Dakar Rally

Hino FT (1991 - 2006)

Hino first participated in the Dakar Rally as a Japanese truck manufacturer in 1991. It took second place overall in the camion division in 1994 and the same again for the second time the following year. It reinforced the team structure beginning in 1994 with the aim of winning the overall championship and went on in 1997 to achieve a brilliant feat of placing unprecedented first, second and third in the camion division. It continued later to show itself to be a top team in the camion division, winning the overall championship in this division three more times. In addition, it won seven straight victories in the under-10-liter category of the camion division in effect between 1996 and 2002. The displacement categories went through an reorganization for the following two years and Hino won the championship again for this category when it was reestablished for the 2005 event.

Cumulative total	Year	Route	Distance (km)	Vehicle type	Result (Camion category /Under 10 Liters class)
16	2006	Lisbon - Dakar	9,043	Hino FT	5th, 7th/ NA
15	2005	Barcelona - Dakar	8,956		2nd, 6th/ Winner (only the winner was awarded)
14	2004	Clermont - Ferrand - Dakar	10,411		5th/ NA
13	2003	Marseille - Sharm El Sheikh	8,602		5th/ NA
12	2002	Arras - Madrid - Dakar	9,440		3rd/ Winner (7th consecutive victory in this class)
11	2001	Paris - Dakar	10,873		2nd/ Winner
10	2000	Paris - Dakar - Cairo	7,880		5th/ Winner
9	1999	Granada - Dakar	9,441		4th/ Winner
8	1998	Paris - Granada - Dakar	10,570		2nd/ Winner
7	1997	Dakar - Agades - Dakar	8,051		Winner, 2nd, 3rd/ Winner, 2nd, 3rd (a record first in the Camion category)
6	1996	Granada - Dakar	7,579		6th,11th/ Winner, 2nd
5	1995	Granada - Dakar	10,067		2nd/ NA
4	1994	Paris - Dakar	13,398		2nd/ NA
3	1993	Paris - Dakar	8,877		6th/ NA
2	1992	Paris - Sirte - Cape Town	13,015		4th,5th, 6th, 10th/ NA
1	1991	Paris - Tripoli - Dakar	9,186		7th, 10th, 14th/ NA (participated as the first Japanese truck manufacturer)