Dakar Rally 2017 contestants raced a 39km timed segment on their way from Asuncion, Paraguay to Resistencia, Argentina on January 2 for the short stage (SS) that was set on flat gravel terrain to the east of Asuncion. This was the first SS to be set in Paraguay, and while it was short and problem free, teams had to be on their toes as they faced winding forest roads, extensive dust, and river crossings.
Piloting their HINO500 Series trucks, Hino Team Sugawara kept their cool all the way to the finish line. Car 2 crewed by Teruhito Sugawara and Hiroyuki Sugiura finished 19th overall and first in the Under 10-litre Class. The Car 1 crew of Yoshimasa Sugawara and Mitsugu Takahashi finished 40th overall and 3rd in the Class.
“We finished three minutes behind the top finisher on the 39km SS today, so that was a pretty solid performance. We might even be able to shorten this time difference in the longer stages that are upcoming,” commented Teruhito Sugawara regarding the day’s rally.
After the SS, contestants crossed the border into Argentina on a liaison segment, and headed for their first bivouac at Resistencia. On Jan. 3, contestants will be traveling westward within the borders of Argentina and race a 275km SS on their way from Resistencia to San Miguel de Tucuman.