Hino wins the "Series Production Trucks" and "Under 10-liter" championships in the Dakar Rally 2011.Also achieves 20 finishes in as many years, setting a new record for the number of consecutive finishes.
Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) competed in the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally 2011 that was held from January 1 to 16, 2011 (local time). Hino won the championship in the “Series Production Trucks” and “Under 10-liter” categories, and also achieved 20* finishes in as many years, setting a new record for the number of consecutive finishes.
Hino entered this rally for the first time in 1991 -- the first Japanese truck manufacturer to do so -- and in 1994 and 1995, came 2nd place overall in the Trucks category. In 1997, Hino entered three trucks and became the first in the history of this rally to achieve a 1-2-3 clean sweep in this category. In subsequent years, Hino has won three 2nd place titles in the Trucks category as well as eleven championships in the Under 10-liter category over the twelve races since the category was first introduced in 1996, making it a force to be reckoned with in the truck division.
Continuing from last year, Hino has teamed up with Team Sugawara -- headed by Yoshimasa Sugawara who holds the record for the most consecutive entries in the Dakar Rally at 28 entries, and his son Teruhito Sugawara -- and took part in this rally as the HINO TEAM SUGAWARA. Hino dispatched five mechanics that were chosen from Hino Motors and Hino distributors to meet the challenges of this rally and reflecting the concerted effort of the entire Hino group.
As a result, amidst the 68 entries in the Trucks category -- many of which were either specially developed for racing or so-called monster trucks that boasted nearly twice the engine displacement of the HINO 500 Series -- Teruhito Sugawara won the championships in both the Under 10-liter category and the Series Production Trucks category, and 9th place in the Trucks category overall. Yoshimasa Sugawara won 2nd, 3rd, and 13th places in these respective categories.
Hino is committed to continuing to deliver products and services that meet our customers’ needs by leveraging the fighting spirit and technological capabilities which have been accumulated over the two decades since first entering the rally.
* Twenty consecutivefinishes since our first entry in 1991, excepting 2008 when the rally was canceled due to political unrest.
Shoji Kondo, Chairman of the Board, Hino
We are very happy with how we did in this rally as our rankings were better than what we had expected. Not only that, it was great to be in South America where the rally was actually being held and taking part in the excitement. For me, this has reconfirmed the importance of our activities. Being Hino's 20th anniversary of racing in this rally, I am convinced that there is power in continuity. I am very glad that we were able to continue thus far, thanks in no small degree to the passion of Mr. Sugawara and his team.
Tsunehiko Fujii, Senior Managing Director, Member of the Board, Hino
I would like to applaud everybody on the team. I believe this rally must have been one of the most difficult rallies from a mechanic's perspective, but thanks to their work, we've been able to maintain good rankings through the end of the race. It appears these results reflect the improvements that we've been making to our trucks, so I think it is within our reach to join the top group among the best 10 in the Trucks category. What an amazing achievement to come in at the 13th place at the age of 69! I was in awe. We have had visits by Hino's overseas distributors who cheered us on, confirming my feeling that the world is giving our activities credit. We are excited to continue this activity moving forward.
Yoshimasa Sugawara, Team Director and Driver, Car 1
Teruhito ran a great race to achieve 1st place, and I was able to finish the race. As much as I'm surprised at these results, I'm very satisfied. I am filled with gratitude for everyone's support. Thank you very much. In any case, I didn't think it would rain at the podium. I thought that was very South American.
Hiroyuki Sugiura, Navigator, Car 1
I was very happy to get up on the podium at the goal. It was exciting with a lot of people cheering on. I would like to thank chairman Mr. Kondo and senior managing director Mr. Fujii of Hino who came to cheer us on. I consider this to be the starting point in developing myself further as a navigator.
Teruhito Sugawara, Driver, Car 2
We owe a great deal to everyone's support for being able to deliver results under these very difficult conditions. I will not be sitting on our laurels of 20 consecutive finishes in the race, and intend to wash all such thoughts away just as the rain gave the podium a good wash. I am committed to taking on new challenges.
Seiichi Suzuki, Navigator, Car 2
I am very happy that both of our trucks finished and we were able to deliver results. While our trucks experienced no major problems, the coolant temperature rose on some instances regardless of the modifications we had made. So I got a real feel of the challenging nature of our endeavors.
Takayuki Monma, Mechanic (Overseas Parts & Service Div., Hino)
I'm very happy that both trucks ran a solid race without any major problems, and were able to deliver results. We were also able to redeem our disappointment from last year (when one of our trucks had to withdraw from the race). I'm very thankful to everyone's support.
Masayoshi Yamamoto, Mechanic (same as above)
I am very happy that we were able to reach the goal without event. None of us mechanics were injured, and I feel a great sense of achievement in that both of our trucks were able to finish. This was my first experience working on a rally site so I worked so hard. I also think that there were situations where my Spanish ability came in handy.
Takashi Sanno, Mechanic (Yokohama Hino Motors, Ltd.)
I had an understanding of how things would be during the rally, where day and night would be reversed, but I struggled as I found it hard to recover from my exhaustion. In terms of work, however, we never had to perform any major work other than taking apart the brakes over and over again. I believe this was because the trucks were refined to near perfection.
Hiroshi Hashiba, Mechanic (Ishikawa Hino Motors, Ltd.)
When I saw much lower trucks parked at the Parc-Fermes at the end of the rally, the fact that this rally was being staged under extremely harsh conditions really sunk in. As this was the second time for me at this rally, I think I was able to give advice to other mechanics on things such as how to set up at the bivouac. I am exhausted, but all that exhaustion just gets swept away once I’m on the podium. That feeling was the same as the last time.
Kenichi Suetsugu, Mechanic (Hiroshima Hino Motors, Ltd.)
I have been involved since September when the trucks were being constructed, so it's been a long time. At the podium, it really sunk in that we had made it. The rain poured down hard, but that'll be part of a good memory too. After having worked on the site, I felt that I got into the groove in the second week. I've noticed some areas where the HINO 500 Series could use some improvement so if I have another opportunity to come, I think I will be able to work more efficiently.
(Reference Material)
Hino in the Dakar Rally
Hino Motors, Ltd. ("Hino") participated in the Dakar Rally (then known as the Paris-Dakar Rally) for the first time in 1991, as the first entrant from among all the Japanese truck manufacturers. Its truck achieved 2nd position in the overall Truck Division in 1994 and 1995. In 1997, after undergoing reinforcement to aim at an overall victory, Hino became the first to dominate the top three positions in the overall Truck Division, an unprecedented finish in Dakar Rally history.
The team has continuously participated in the rally as one of the top teams in its division; for example, it has come in 2nd position in the overall Truck Division 3 times. Moreover, it achieved 7 victories in the under 10-liters category between 1996 and 2002, since this class was established. This class was abolished in 2003, 2004, and 2006. Hino won victories in 2005, 2007, and also in this 2010 rally.
