Team Mitsubishi RALLIART took home the top prize in the recently concluded Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2022 held from November 21 to 26 in Thailand and Cambodia. Driving Strada (Triton) rally cars (Group T1 prototype cross-country vehicles) and with support from Mitsubishi Motors, the teams traversed over 1,524 kilometers (km), including 637 km of timed special stages (SS). Driver Chayapon Yotha (Thailand) finished in first place overall, with a total time of 8 hours, 22 minutes and 42 seconds, while driver Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia) finished in fifth position, with 17 minutes and 14 seconds behind the leader.
The Team Mitsubishi RALLIART Strada (Triton) joined and won, in the Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 | Photo by Mitsubishi Motors Press
After a three-year absence, the AXCR flagged off in Buriram in the northeastern part of Thailand, where the first Special Stage (SS) of the rally and a ceremonial start was held. Legs 1 to 3 were held in the harsh terrain of Buriram, while leg 4 saw the rally cross the border into Cambodia. The last leg (5) ended at the spectacular ceremonial finish near Angkor Wat, the famed tourist attraction in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The first half of the rally in Thailand consisted mainly of high-speed stages on rough, dry unpaved roads, while the second half was more challenging with large, deep puddles scattered on muddy roads caused by heavy rains in Cambodia.
(L to R) Peerapon Sombutwong (TH) (co-driver) and Chayapon Yotha (TH) (driver) | Photo by Mitsubishi Motors Press
Chayapon Yotha, driving car #105 Strada (Triton), finished fifth in SS1 on the first day. On the second day, he set the fastest time in SS2, the longest SS of this year’s AXCR with a 203 km course, and climbed to the top overall position. After that, the powerful driving performance and nimble handling of the Strada (Triton) helped him to finish SS3 in seventh, SS4 in sixth, SS5 in fifth, and SS6 in fifth, and he maintained the lead he had established in SS2 to take the overall win.
(L to R) Chupong Chaiwan (TH) (co-driver) and Rifat Sungkar (ID) (driver)| Photo by Mitsubishi Motors Press
Rifat Sungkar in car #118 finished SS1 in sixth place following his teammate. He was aiming for higher positions, but after suffering a flat tire and subsequent damages to the chassis in SS2, he dropped to eighth position. The team’s repair work allowed him to continue the rally the next day, and he finished fourth in SS3, fifth in SS4, fourth in SS5, and seventh in SS6, completing the rally in fifth overall while proving the toughness of the pickup truck.
Sakchai Hantrakul in car #119 tested positive for Covid-19 after SS1 and unfortunately had to retire from the rally.
Hiroshi Masuoka, Team Director, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart | Photo by Mitsubishi Motors Press
“For this year’s AXCR, we built on the reliability and durability of the Triton/Strada tuning the engine and chassis and entered the rally with specifications relatively close to the production car. Even so, the two Triton/Strada rally cars delivered and I am very proud of our strong finish. The superb performance came down to the drivers, who were able to maximize the Triton/Strada’s capabilities. I would like to thank not only the drivers, but also the engineers and service guys who worked every day to fine-tune the vehicles perfectly, all the staff who provided support, and the know-how that Mitsubishi Motors has accumulated over the years. The key to it all was the tremendous support from our sponsors and the passionate messages of support we received from fans around the world. We would like to share the knowledge we gained through our participation in the AXCR back into the development of production vehicles, and build Mitsubishi vehicles that are even tougher, more powerful, and more reliable,” said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart.
Team Mitsubishi RALLIART at the Asia Cross Country Rally 2022 | Photos by Mitsubishi Motors Press
AXCR 2022 Auto Category Overall Results
- 1st Place – Chayapon Yotha (Mitsubishi Triton/Strada)
- 2nd Place – Jaras Jaengkamolkulchai (Toyota Hilux Revo)
- 3rd Place – Ikuo Hanawa (Toyota Fortuner)
- 4th Place – Takuma Aoki (Toyota Fortuner)
- 5th Place – Rifat Sungkar (Mitsubishi Triton/Strada)
- 6th Place – Tawee Neanna (Isuzu D-Max)