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From Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, Rifat Sungkar (Indonesia), winner of the Indonesian Sprint Rally Championship, and Chayapon Yotha (Thailand), who has won the Thailand Autocross Championship, will drive two Triton rally cars in the Group T1 (prototype cross-country vehicles) category and compete for the higher position. The highly experienced Sakchai Hantrakul (Thailand) will support them in a third Triton support car. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will have all the resources it needs to take on the AXCR challenge; TANT SPORT (Thailand), which owns the team, is joined by team director Hiroshi Masuoka, a former two-time Dakar Rally champion driver, and Mitsubishi Motors engineers will accompany the team to provide technical support.

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart conducted endurance tests of the Triton rally car for 1,100 km at the Grand Prix Motor Park off-road race track in Kanchanaburi, in the west of Thailand, from August 29 to 31. Reducing the weight and improving the output characteristics of the engine have increased drivability, enabling agile handling over the twisty course. In addition, new dual dampers have improved road following performance and contributed to significant improvements in driving stability and rough road drivability.

Rifat Sungkar praised the feel of the car in his first experience in the Triton: "Rally drivers pass through many different corners, one by one. Therefore, it is crucial for the rally car to have excellent maneuverability and drivability as the driver intends, and high durability and reliability over rough roads. A good co-driver who can navigate accurately and quickly is also important for a successful result. Through the endurance tests, we were able to confirm that the Triton rally car delivers excellent performance in terms of rough road drivability and durability."

Having participated in the previous endurance test in June, Chayapon Yotha responded positively after driving the improved car at anticipated rally speeds:
"Speed is not everything in rally competition. In order to win, it is important to maximize the sense of unity between the driver and the rally car, and to control the tempo flexibly between acceleration and deceleration. We have confirmed that the Triton rally car has a great finish and responds precisely and agilely to driver input."

Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, commented:
"It is a privilege to welcome such talented drivers to the team. Rifat has lots of experience in sprint rallying, so if we do a good job as a team to manage the long-distance aspect of a cross-country rally, he will deliver a great performance. Chayapon has extensive experience in cross-country rallies and improves every time he gets in the car, so I'm expecting good outcomes from him. With regard to the Triton, the two endurance tests enabled us to identify issues and deal with them. We will carry out a shakedown test in November before AXCR 2022, but the Triton is looking good so far and I believe the drivers will be able to deliver tough, solid performances."

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

Team Director: Hiroshi Masuoka (Mitsubishi Motors)
Team Principal: Chayut Yangpichit (TANT SPORT)
Technical Director: Kopong Amatayakul (TANT SPORT)
Technical Support (body, chassis): Yasuo Tanaka (Mitsubishi Motors)
Technical Support (engine): Takashi Shibayama (Mitsubishi Motors)

Drivers and co-drivers:

Visit Mitsubishi Motors' AXCR 2022 page for details about the rally, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart and its vehicles.
One of the WORK's toughest wheel models, the “CRAG T-GRABIC2", in a special color finish is equipped on the TRITON Rally Car.
The site also features photo galleries, videos, and other content.
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/innovation/motorsports/axcr2022/

About Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211) —a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan—, is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has about 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Russia. Mitsubishi Motors has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, Mitsubishi Motors has been a leader in electrification—launched the i-MiEV –the world's first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV –the world's first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. The company announced a three-year business plan in July 2020 to introduce more competitive and cutting-edge models, including the Eclipse Cross (PHEV model), the all-new Outlander and the all-new Triton/L200.
For more information on Mitsubishi Motors, please visit the company's website at
https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/

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