Car 1 forges forward, kicking up dust.

Car 2 races briskly over desert terrain.

Competition in Dakar Rally 2020 kicked off on Jan 5. On this day, contestants raced a 319 km SS (timed section) between Jeddah and Al Wajh along the Red Sea, and both HINO TEAM SUGAWARA trucks were off to a great start with Car 1 crewed by Teruhito Sugawara, Hirokazu Somemiya and Yuji Mochizuki finishing the stage in 13th place overall in the trucks category, and Car 2 piloted by the Ikuo Hanawa, Yudai Hanawa and Mayumi Kezuka crew finishing in 19th.

With the Dakar Rally relocating from South America to Saudi Arabia this year, its battlegrounds have made a dramatic transition into the country's deserts. This marks the beginning of the third era of this rally which was inaugurated in 1978 in Africa. The first half of this year's rally takes contestants clockwise around the northern part of the country, starting off from Jeddah on Jan 5 and arriving at the capital city of Riyadh on Jan 10. In the second half after the rest day, contestants head south down to the area near the Yemen/Oman border, and reach the finish line in Qiddiya near Riyadh on Jan 17. This 13-day, 12-stage 7,856 km journey features 5,097 km of SSs and is expected to be more challenging than ever, especially in the deserts.
HINO TEAM SUGAWARA has entered this renewed Dakar Rally with a new team lineup. Teruhito Sugawara―who has taken over the position of team director from Yoshimasa Sugawara after he announced his retirement from this rally at the end of the last event―will be driving Car 1 which is based on the "Hino Ranger" / "HINO 500 Series" export model, and Ikuo Hanawa armed with extensive experience in off-road racing overseas will be piloting a new truck based on the bonnet-type "HINO 600 Series" truck developed for the North American market and equipped with an automatic transmission. The support squad, which consists of mechanics selected from Hino Motors and dealerships nationwide, has also been reinforced as the team aims for its 11th straight win in the Under 10-litre Class and a top group finish in the overall trucks category.

After making final adjustments to its racing trucks and coordinating its staff members in Jeddah, the team underwent the organizer's vehicle inspections on Jan 3, and appeared in the evening of Jan 4 at the start ceremony that was held in a park by the sea. While Hino's 500 Series trucks have been regulars on the podium, the team's new truck with its bonnet-type cab attracted much attention from onlookers.
The first leg of this rally started off in Jeddah on Jan 5, heading out northward to Al Wajh. The roster of race vehicles that started this day consisted of 144 bikes, 23 quads (4-wheel bikes), 83 cars, 46 SSVs (small buggies), and 46 trucks. A 319 km SS was set up after a 195 km liaison along the coast. This consisted of two segments with an 8 km section in the first half followed by 19 km of paved road (neutral zone) before reaching the second half which was 213 km long. The SS started off with winding roads in an intermountain area and the road surface soon shifted to dunes that were small but soft nonetheless. In the latter half contestants were faced with wide open areas with many fresh ruts that posed a complex set of challenges for navigators. The level of difficulty of the day's course was relatively high partly due to the risk of punctures that might be caused by the many stones that were buried hidden in the sandy terrain.

HINO TEAM SUGAWARA's Car 1 hit a stone in the first half of this stage puncturing its front-right tire, but it was smooth racing after that and the truck finished 13th overall in the trucks category. Meanwhile, Car 2 got stuck in a dune area due to a problem with its center differential lock. While this set the crew back by about 30 minutes, they were able to cross the finish line safely in 19th place. The team's Cars 1 and 2 finished the Under 10-litre Class in first and second place, respectively.

The Hino trucks arrived at the Bivouac in Al Wajh after sunset between around 7:30 and 8:00 pm. Upon their arrival, the team's mechanics who were on standby wasted no time in beginning inspections on their trucks.
For Jan 6, a 367 km SS is scheduled on the way to Neom.

Teruhito Sugawara (Driver, Car 1)
I think the road surface in Saudi Arabia is similar to that in the area around Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt where we raced in the 2003 event. We punctured a tire, but I think we raced reasonably well for the first day. Starting in this event, I will be working as both team director and driver, and I think we were able to organize a great setup in aiming for a top group finish. I will be aiming for a top 5 finish together with Mr. Hanawa.

Hirokazu Somemiya (Navigator, Car 1)
Although we came up against a variety of different road surfaces, I was able to navigate carefully and correct for any potential mistakes before they occurred so we were able to finish without making a single error. We're told that we won't be receiving the road books for tomorrow's SS until the last minute before the start, but I don't think this will work against me personally as all teams will be working under the same conditions.

Yuji Mochizuki (Navigator, Car 1)
Although we had some minor issues on the first day, such as the tire puncture and turbine mounting bolts becoming loose, I think we are off to a reasonably good start. While I feel a bit of pressure being the first Hino Motors employee to be on the rally team in a long while (first since 1997), I intend to give it all I've got and have a good time.

Ikuo Hanawa (Driver, Car 2)
This was the first day of my first Dakar Rally, and while we had a problem along the way, I had a great time. In contrast to the off-road races that I usually race, which are much more sprint oriented, the Dakar Rally is a marathon. This difference is significant and everything is new for me, so I intend to give it my best.

Yudai Hanawa (Navigator, Car 2)
I wasn't nervous because I'd learned how to track GPS waypoints in the Silk Way Rally, but the elements in the Dakar Rally road books are really complex. I think it's good that we will be receiving them in the morning.

Mayumi Kezuka (Navigator, Car 2)
I sit in the middle seat as the truck's mechanic. My main task while we are racing is to operate the Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) and listen for any unusual noises, but I'm still not happy with how I'm doing. This being the first day, I had an upset stomach from nerves this morning, so I intend to do my best starting tomorrow.

Kenji Nagakubo (Product Planning Division Officer and Dakar Rally Technical Director, Hino Motors)
We're finally here. We are all aiming to finish in the top group, but our first priority is safety. I think our rankings will follow as a result.

Mitsuru Enomoto (Dakar Challenge Section Chief, Vehicle & Module Planning Div., Hino Motors)
This is the first time we are entering a bonnet-type truck in the race, but we have no concerns as we've made more than enough preparations as a team. I hope we can all come together to finish in the top 5.

Seiichi Suzuki (Mechanic, Japan Racing Management)
While Car 1 is based on specs from the previous year, there are many elements in Car 2 that are new for us. Since we were presuming a South American setting in developing the truck, we will see how it does here in Saudi Arabia where there is much more sand. There isn't much we can say about potential problems, such as how hot its automatic transmission might get, until we get some more mileage in the race.

Kengo Takasugi (Mechanic, Ken. Factory)
My role is to support mechanics in the area of repairing FRP molded components and fabricating sheet metal parts. You never know what the Dakar Rally will throw at you so I am committed to fulfilling my role up to the very end.

Koki Seino (Mechanic, Hino Motors)
It's been 23 years since the last time I was on the Dakar Rally team. I was also on the team in 1991 when Hino first entered the race, and the trucks have changed quite a bit since then and I think the risks are higher now as their speeds are much higher. All of our mechanics on the team this year are exceptional. I will do my best to make this a rally that we can all be happy with after our trucks are over the finish line.

Masataka Nishiyama (Mechanic, Hino Motors)
I'm originally from the Vehicle Planning & Production Engineering Div. at Hino Motors and I've been involved in the Dakar Rally since we started building Car 1 last year. As one of the mechanics assigned to Car 2 in this year's race, I intend to do my best to make sure the truck finishes.

Shinji Kitagawa (Mechanic, Hino Motors)
Based on my experience from the last event, I will be supervising the Car 1 mechanics. We will do our best to contribute to boosting our results as much as possible.

Ryo Ishii (Mechanic, Hino Motors)
I've been assigned as mechanic for Car 2. I work at the Overseas Parts & Service Div. and have only been with the company for four years so everything is a learning experience for me. I'm a bit anxious but I'm learning every day.

Yasunori Nagata (Mechanic, Higashi Hokkaido Hino Motor)
The Saudi sun is hot. Coming to the Dakar Rally as a mechanic had been a dream for me since the time I was a student when Mr. Sugawara (Yoshimasa) came to speak at our school. I started working with the team at the truck building stage so I'm familiar with its construction and this makes it easier for me to do my work. I've been assigned to Car 2.

Keisuke Watanabe (Mechanic, Gunma Hino Motor)
It feels like a long time since I joined the team as a dealership mechanic in April, from truck building and racing the Silk Way Rally, but time has just flown by. Now that we are finally in the Dakar Rally, the main event, I will do my best to make sure that both trucks make it across the finish line. I've been assigned to Car 1.

Yasuhumi Watanabe (Mechanic, Tokyo Hino Motor)
I feel very excited now that we are finally in the Dakar Rally. I've been assigned to Car 2 and I'm committed to doing everything I can to make sure the truck finishes.

Koichiro Hoshijima (Mechanic, Okayama Hino Motor)
The last nine months or so have been tough at times but I also had quite a bit of fun. The Dakar Rally has finally begun, and I want to do my best to make sure that everyone is smiling in the end. In terms of servicing, I've been assigned to Car 1 along with Mr. Watanabe (Keisuke).

The day before the race, the team receives an inspection of their equipment at the vehicle inspection area.

Car 1 members respond to cheering on the podium at the ceremony.

Driver Teruhito Sugawara explains how the first day went.

Driver Ikuo Hanawa looks back on their run at the stage of day 1.

Hino Team Sugawara's mechanics hold a preparatory meeting before inspection and maintenance.

A mechanic guides Car 2 to its berth at the Al Wajh bivouac.