Team Mitsubishi Ralliart has once again taken the overall victory at the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR), securing its second consecutive win in this year’s edition following its previous victory in the same championship last year.
Held in Thailand from Aug 9 to 15, the team fielded three units of the current-gen Mitsubishi Triton pick-up truck, with all three being specced for the T1 modified cross-country vehicle category.
First Overall AXCR Victory by a Japanese Driver Pairing
For the first time in its entire history, the AXCR top podium spot was claimed by an all-Japanese driver and co-driver pairing, with driver Katsuhiko Taguchi and co-driver Takahiro Yasui taking overall victory.
Covering a total distance of 2,145.19 km, which includes 921.8 km of special stages (SS), the Japanese duo claimed the top prize with a total time of 12 hours 58 minutes 20 seconds.
Meanwhile, second driver pairing Kazuto Koide and Eiji Chiba clocked 20 hours 58 minutes and 30 seconds to take the 27th overall position, while the 2025 edition champion Chayapon Yotha and Peerapon Sombatwong, settled for a 36th position finish after completing the rally in 34 hours 48 minutes and 43 seconds.
31st Edition of AXCR
The 2026 AXCR saw this historic rally championship entering its 31st edition, where Thailand has become the de facto venue in recent years.
This year’s championship kicked off with a ceremonial start on Walking Street in Pattaya, followed by the first SS that started on Aug 10. Leg 1 headed north from Pattaya to Prachin Buri through eucalyptus and rubber plantations, while Leg 2 moved west from Prachin Buri to Nakhon Sawan.
Leg 3 featured a loop route from Nakhon Sawan through plantation areas in northern Thailand before returning to the city, followed by Leg 4 which continued north from Nakhon Sawan to Kamphaeng Phet, passing through forests and rural communities before entering farm roads that wound through cassava and sugarcane fields.
Then came the two penultimate rounds, with Leg 5 taking competitors to Phitsanulok in northern Thailand, an area known for its expansive natural scenery.
With only 58.62 km of SS scheduled for Leg 6, the rally’s final day, Leg 5 effectively became the last major test in the fight for overall victory. The final stage was based in Phitsanulok and traversed mountainous terrain before returning to the city for the finish.
Commenting on this second consecutive victory, director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Hiroshi Masuoka commented, “I am extremely proud that a Japanese driver and co-driver pair has won this rally for the first time in the event’s history.
“This year’s rally was a closely fought battle from the very beginning, and it was impossible to predict who would come out on top. I believe this victory was achieved because every member of the team fully committed to teamwork. Mitsubishi Motors has long used the experience gained in motorsports under extreme conditions to support the development of production vehicles.”
