HINO TEAM SUGAWARA Holds "Race Participation Report Session" for Dakar Rally 2026

Event

Mar 3, 2026

Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hereafter "Hino." HQ: Hino, Tokyo. President: Satoshi Ogiso) entered their HINO 600 series truck as HINO TEAM SUGAWARA (Director: Teruhito Sugawara, General Manager: Satoshi Ogiso) in Dakar Rally 2026 which ran from January 3 thru 17, 2026 in Saudi Arabia. The team finished at 15th place in the trucks category.

Members of HINO TEAM SUGAWARA who have returned home in triumph held a "Race Participation Report Session" at Hino's headquarters.

At the beginning, team director and driver Teruhito Sugawara and navigator Hirokazu Somemiya looked back on the two-week rally, followed by each member sharing their unique experiences during the race while viewing photos taken in Saudi Arabia. After reports from team members, Makoto Wakimura, Hino Motors Executive Officer in charge of the Dakar Project, offered words of appreciation to the team members.

Teruhito Sugawara reflecting on the race

Below are comments from the dealership selected mechanics after Dakar Rally 2026, directed toward their own future and those who aspire to become mechanics.

Mechanics selected from dealerships across the country
(from left to right: Masakazu Tazawa, Hiroki Imagawa, Takumi Kikuchi)

■Mechanic: Masakazu Tazawa, Nishi Tohoku Hino Motors
The first half went smoothly without any troubles, but in the second half, we faced rollovers and vehicle troubles that were physically and mentally challenging. Even under such circumstances, we supported each other as a team and achieved our 35th consecutive finish. Thank you for your support.

After returning to my dealership, I will of course use this experience to continue improving myself daily, but I also want to educate young mechanics and communicate the spirit of challenging beyond the boundaries of being a mechanic.

To the mechanics who will be selected in the future, we have firmly passed on the baton of Dakar Rally dealership selected mechanics, so make sure to finish the next race! Let's boost the Hino brand together.

■Mechanic: Hiroki Imagawa, Minami Kanto Hino Motors
I realized that Dakar is not straightforward. The first half went smoothly, but troubles piled up in the second half, all-night maintenance increased, and before we knew it, we had finished. I'm glad we were able to bring the truck to the finish line as a team.

Returning to my dealership, I want to share what I learned with many people--the fun of racing activities, the sense of accomplishment beyond the hardships--and pass the baton to the next mechanic.

This experience and knowledge are invaluable things that cannot be obtained in daily work. Being involved from truck fabrication to the race, learning aspects unique to competition vehicles that differ from production vehicles, challenging new things every day, I was able to spend meaningful time. It was moving when I first saw the truck we built running. The two weeks that were the culmination of our activities, and the teammates we fought alongside, are treasures for life. I hope many people will take on the challenge of this activity.

■Mechanic: Takumi Kikuchi, Hiroshima Hino Motors
The first half went smoothly, but the second half had continuous troubles--a true taste of Dakar's harshness. Daily long hours of maintenance deepened bonds with teammates, and the joy when we finished was exceptional. The two-week grand adventure passed in a flash.

During truck fabrication and the race, I had technical learning experiences I'd never had before. After returning to my dealership, I want to utilize that learning and also share it with teammates other than myself.

Dakar is an invaluable experience I will never forget in my lifetime. Those working in maintenance at Hino dealerships have the chance to participate. For those who want to have a grand adventure on the world stage, or want to grow more technically and mentally, I definitely want them to experience it on site.

Below are comments from members after Dakar Rally 2026, looking toward the future.

The three crew members who completed the grueling course
(from left to right: Hirokazu Somemiya, Teruhito Sugawara, Yuji Mochizuki)

■Team Director and Driver: Teruhito Sugawara
Thank you for your cooperation and support for our participation. This event also had continuous troubles in the second half, resulting in disappointing results, but we managed to extend the consecutive finish record that has continued since our first year. I am grateful that this was only possible thanks to everyone's support.

Although the truck and team are growing stronger and more resilient year by year, as the results show, I keenly felt that there are still many areas lacking to aim for higher rankings. We will continue to build a team that can compete at even higher levels, aiming for even greater heights. Please look forward to HINO TEAM SUGAWARA's future!

■Navigator: Hirokazu Somemiya
Thank you everyone for your tremendous support. This year's Dakar navigation difficulty was above average. There were some tricky sections, but we somehow conquered them. Since everyone got lost in sections that were corrected just before the start, I want to be careful about that in future events.

It was a long and tough battle, but we somehow brought the truck to the finish line and extended our consecutive finish record. Since our goal is a high ranking finish, we're not in a position to celebrate unconditionally, but we proved that we are a strong team that can overcome various troubles. The battle toward next year has already begun. We look forward to your continued support.

■Navigator and Mechanic: Yuji Mochizuki, Hino Motors
This event also had troubles that could have led directly to retirement, but I am happy that as an onboard mechanic, I was able to bring the truck to the finish line. When things were difficult on site, everyone's support was my emotional support. Thank you very much.

Looking toward the next event, I want to dig deep into the causes of troubles from the crew's perspective and work with all my might on preventing recurrence. We were able to extend our consecutive finish record to 35, but rather than finishing being the goal, I want to support the team's growth into one that "can win," even if my contribution is small.

Head of Development Takuma Tsuchiya and those who provided support on site, Takayuki Monma and Ryoko Makita (from left to right: Tsuchiya, Monma, Makita)

■Team Manager: Takayuki Monma, Hino Motors
This year's team structure had two more members than last year, and in addition to the usual dealership selected mechanics, we entered with new members and roles.

The participating members performed as expected, and the rally went smoothly from the beginning to just before the final stages, but the rollover in Stage 10 near the end and the recurrence of troubles resulted in disappointing results, following last year. Next year, we will take measures for the race vehicle and further mature the team structure to challenge for even higher rankings.

■Head of Development: Takuma Tsuchiya, Hino Motors
The suspension improvements we made for this race matched the course characteristics and performed as intended. On the other hand, it is deeply regrettable that the transfer, which experienced problems in the previous event, recurred despite the measures we implemented. Even under such circumstances, the fact that we were able to finish safely is the result of all team members' efforts.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors who have been supporting us on a daily basis. We will continue to build good trucks. We look forward to your continued support and encouragement.

■Support Car Driver and Public Relations: Ryoko Makita, Hino Motors
Thank you for all your support for the team. I have been posting on SNS centered on Instagram, daily report photos, etc., to convey the situation on site in real time. I hope you enjoyed it.

The rally period is limited to two weeks, but there is still so much more to share about team members' achievements, world-class competitors, foreign cultures, and more. I will continue to provide more information in the future, so please look forward to it.

End of release