Hino Workforce Sugawara won’t be the quickest truck on the Dakar Rally, however they certain know easy methods to be dependable. The Japanese producer has had not less than one among their vehicles attain the end yearly since their début in 1991, a streak that prolonged to thirty-three in a row (recall the 2008 race was cancelled) when Teruhito Sugawara completed a career-best sixth in school on the newest version in January.
Sugawara’s Hino 600 is a truck with a four-stroke, straight-six diesel engine that produces 789.05 horsepower. It was initially purported to characteristic a 400-kilogram hybrid system however the crew was unable to put in it because the FIA requires such autos to be within the Mission 1000 class. With out hybrid energy, the crew needed to swap to a better gear ratio that offered extra acceleration, albeit at the price of gas effectivity.
After a comparatively calm begin to the 2024 rally, the six-speed transmission began to slide in the course of the third stage however the crew managed to maintain it collectively by racing conservatively the following day till it was shortened for vehicles for security causes. The Hino survived the primary day of the 48-hour Chrono Stage earlier than dropping 5 hours to broken gas line on the second, which compelled Sugawara, co-driver Hirokazu Somemiya, and mechanic Yuji Mochizuki to funnel fuel into the tank whereas the truck was tilted. They finally completed the rally with out additional problem, with Sugawara’s greatest end being a sixth in Stage #6.
“Hino Motors was in a position to full thirty-three consecutive races and place sixth general within the 2024 race because of the assist of many individuals, particularly the sponsors,” stated Sugawara. “On behalf of the crew, I wish to categorical my gratitude as soon as once more. Though the setting round us is hard, we’ll proceed to work collectively as a crew to arrange a sooner, extra dependable truck and a stronger crew.”
The truck returned to Japan in June. The crew’s essential focus as they put together for the 2025 race is on updating the piping surrounding the engine in addition to bettering the transmission’s clutch plate power. In addition they hope to make extra sturdy components, together with revising the manufacturing and upkeep cycles to higher expedite the alternative course of.
In July, the crew launched a recruiting drive to convey mechanics from Hino dealerships throughout Japan onboard. They final chosen Soichiro Kashiwatani from Aomori Hino Motors, Shao Sangon of South Kanto, and Satoshi Uehara from Nagano.
Hino has raced the Dakar yearly for over three a long time. P. Josseau completed seventh of their maiden Dakar in 1991 as a part of a four-truck effort earlier than they introduced on Yoshimasa Sugawara, a former Honda bike rider and Mitsubishi driver, for the 1992 version onwards. Sugawara proved to be a mannequin of consistency as he ran the following twenty-seven Dakars for Hino with seven podium finishes, sixth being seconds; he holds the file for probably the most Dakar Rallies began in a row with thirty-six. His son Teruhito joined the programme in 1999 as a co-driver and help truck pilot earlier than changing into a contest driver himself in 2005. Even when the elder Sugawara suffered his lone retirement in 2010, Teruhito continued Hino’s end streak by putting seventh.
The 2025 Dakar Rally is scheduled for 3–17 January.
