On January 4, Stage3
San Miguel de Tucuman (Argentina) - San Salvador de Jujuy (Argentina)
Liaison: 164km, SS(A): 75km, Neutral Zone: 291km, SS(B): 124km, Liaison: 103km Total: 757km

The itinerary for Jan. 4 took contestants to the foothills of the Andes in the northeastern part of the country where they raced two SSs with a total SS distance of 199km in the last Argentine stage in the first half of the rally. Upon leaving Tucuman, racers traveled on a 164km liaison route to the start line of the first SS in the foothills of the Andes at an elevation of 1800m. The SS challenged contestants with the first off-road terrain where they drove over wastelands with no roads. Some areas were reminiscent of Africa featuring sandy terrain with grass outcrops and dried river beds. The total SS distance for the Trucks category was 75km shorter than that for other categories (other categories raced for 240km). This also meant that trucks had to travel a longer, 291km, neutral zone from the finish line of the first SS to the start line of the second. In this neutral zone, contestants passed the 4960m point, the highest point of elevation in this year's Dakar Rally. This was followed by the second SS which was 124km long and set in highlands at 3500m+ elevations. After the SS finish line, racers headed down from the mountains on a 103km liaison route before reaching the bivouac at Jujuy which was set up in a parking lot by the side of a national highway. The total distance traveled this day was 757km.

The two HINO500 Series trucks fielded by HINO TEAM SUGAWARA continued to deliver stunning performance on the day's course which challenged racers with an amped up level of difficulty. The Teruhito Sugawara and Hiroyuki Sugiura crew piloting Car 2 delivered error-free performance in segments that were particularly challenging for navigators. But later in the day, the truck suffered a flat upon hitting a tree stump, losing about 15 minutes replacing the tire. After this, the truck had a great run to the finish line under high elevation conditions, finishing 21st in the overall trucks category and top in the Under 10-litre Class. This brought the truck's accumulated standings so far to 20th place (preliminary).

Car 1 piloted by Yoshimasa Sugawara and Mitsugu Takahashi finished the first SS in 40th place, and finished the day at 36th overall and second place in the Under 10-litre Class. This brought their accumulated standings so far to 34th place (preliminary).

The itinerary for Jan. 5 will take contestants across the border into Bolivia where they will be racing a long 416km SS on their way to Tupiza.

Teruhito Sugawara: I think we could have finished at a better standing had it not been for the flat. While that is regrettable, the engine felt powerful even under high-altitude conditions so the driving felt really good. I'm excited for the highland stages that are scheduled to begin tomorrow.

Hiroyuki Sugiura: In terms of navigation, the fesh-fesh (powdery sand) made it quite challenging to make sure that we passed the waypoints. The flat was frustrating, but things went very well otherwise.

Hiroyuki Azuma: Myself and other mechanics worked on the team in July in the Silk Way Rally, so we do have on-site experience, but it is much more hectic to be honest in the Dakar Rally because we have two trucks to service. We'll be facing back-to-back days where it can be difficult to complete our servicing by morning, so we’ll give it our best.

Koji Nakamura: Mr. Azuma and myself play a backup role on the team where we would support work on whichever truck is in need of more hands. I've only worked on-site for two days so far and I'm still in the process of getting accustomed physically, so I hope to get up to speed asap.

Junya Inoue: As the mechanic in charge of Car 2, I feel a great sense of responsibility as well as some pressure in doing my work. That said, we haven't come across any major problems so far, and I'm doing fine physically.

Kenji Kunimoto: I'm in charge of Car 1. We aren't seeing any notable problems with the truck as its specs have been honed and matured. I'm a bit concerned as we head into high-altitude regions, and I've started taking altitude sickness pills.