Ceremonial Start in Asunción, Paraguay

On Jan. 1, 2017, teams took part in a ceremonial start that was held in Asunción. This start was purely ceremonial and actual racing will begin on Jan. 2. The schedule for the day had contestants leave the Parc-Fermes (vehicle storage area) for a cruise throughout the city before they headed for the podium that was set up near the president's official residence in the city's outskirts. After their appearance at the podium, all vehicles returned to the Parc-Fermes. While this start was strictly ceremonial, having their vehicles introduced one by one and taking off from the podium was enough for all contestants to make the mental shift to full-blown racing mode. Members of HINO TEAM SUGAWARA also came together in anticipation of the 13-day battle that was finally to kick off the next day on Jan. 2.

The ceremony was held at the city square facing the president's official residence by the Paraguay River in the northern part of the city. The weather was clear all day until sunset, and the air was extremely humid. Then the squalls hit the city after sunset. A huge crowd gathered to have a glimpse of the Dakar Rally which will be starting in Paraguay for the first time and the ceremony overflowed with customary South American cheer.

A total of 318 vehicles―144 motorbikes, 37 buggies, 10 small 4-wheel buggies, 87 cars, and 50 trucks―passed vehicle inspections and were listed in the roster of starters. While the number of trucks in the competition was on par with recent years, Hino's larger rivals who are vying for top positions overall have been further enhancing their capabilities.

It was past 9:30 pm that HINO TEAM SUGAWARA's HINO500 Series trucks arrived at the podium. The crowd cheered wildly when the HINO500 Series trucks―piloted by Yoshimasa Sugawara, a seasoned veteran of the rally with the top record number of entries, and Teruhito Sugawara who is currently enjoying a winning streak in the Under 10-litre Class―were introduced by officials. The trucks' crews waved to the crowd from the podium before slowly driving away.

On Jan. 2, contestants will leave Asunción and race a 39-kilometer special segment (SS) in Paraguay. From there, they will cross the border into Argentina and head for their first bivouac in Resistencia.

Yoshimasa Sugawara:I've been training with a physical trainer back in Japan so I'm feeling very good for this rally. I have been so excited for the rally to start. I will give it my best to finish with a 1-2 victory in the Under 10-litre Class.

Mitsugu Takahashi:The thought of the rally kicking off does make me tense in a way but it's a good kind of tension. We do have some concerns with how the rains may have affected our first SS tomorrow so we will stay alert.

Teruhito Sugawara:In recent years, competition in the trucks category has developed into one where we have to keep on pushing to simply stay in the race regardless of what the different stages might throw our way. We have prepared our trucks to be able to deal with these harsh conditions. I believe our suspensions and engine in particular have now become more fitting of racing trucks. I'm looking forward to how we do.

Hiroyuki Sugiura:The organizers made some changes to the specs of their designated GPS for this rally, and this has made navigating somewhat more difficult. We will also be driving through long stretches of high altitude areas that are physically tough (low oxygen), so I am readying myself mentally for what may come.