Mitsubishi Team Ralliart Finishes the 2024 AXCR in 5th Place

Every year, different kinds of races take place so automakers have a chance to show what their models can do when it isn’t in the hands of a normal every day consumer. It’s also a chance to modify a vehicle for various kinds of races. NASCAR is for speed and turning, drag races are also for speed and a straight shot. Off-road races could be anything else, and that’s why the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) is looked forward to every year. Automakers put together teams of drivers and navigators and modify a vehicle for the ASEAN region’s largest cross-country rally, from Thailand into Malaysia. Mitsubishi Motors entered again with Mitsubishi Team Ralliart and landed in fifth place overall.

It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The AXCR consists of 1250 miles and race takes drivers off-road to a number of places. For instance, 600 miles of this race takes vehicles through mountain ranges, jungles, and across river crossings. Made up of six legs, the race starts in Surat Thani, Thailand, and leg 2 goes from Surat Thani to Hua Hin, the longest section of the race. Leg 5 is also a special stage in the competition in the Kanchanaburi area. As for the drivers, Kazuto Koide – who competed for the first time –  placed 24th, Sakchai​ Hantrakul placed 27th, and Chayapon Yotha held first place overall in Leg 5 before some car trouble landed him in 42nd overall.

So, how did they end in fifth place overall? It seems that one is based on time. Katsuhiko Taguchi finished the race with a total time of 15 hours, 34 minutes and 52 seconds. This would be his second year driving for Mitsubishi and rose from eighth place last year.

“The 2024 Triton rally car was packaged at a high level and was just easy to drive. I am happy to have improved my position from last year, but I am also disappointed because I had a good feeling that I could aim for a higher position. We will use this years’ experience as feedback to further improve the driving performance of the Triton next year, so that we can stay competitive at the top.” – Katsuhiko Taguchi, driving Car #107 for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

Drivers also had Team Mitsubishi Ralliart following them in the Delica Mini support car to provide technical support all throughout the race. Kei Takeoka, an automotive journalist, also followed them through the vigorous plants of Thailand, and described it as areas that didn’t even look like roads. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart took a Triton pickup truck and modified it to handle that and more. They put in a high-displacement engine for stages of the race that were all about speed, but for the stages that would cause a car to rely on its capabilities, a number of changes were made. The tire tread size was increased to improve the truck’s durability and maneuverability, and the rear suspension was switched out for rigid/4-link coil springs to absorb major shocks and improve traction. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart drove about 500 miles over the course of seven days just to test it and make sure it was ready for the races.

It was quite the spectacle. If you want to learn more about races Mitsubishi Motors is taking part in, follow along with us on University Mitsubishi social media.

Photo Source/Copyright: Mitsubishi Media