Huge crowds of fans gathered at the Asunción city square on New Year’s Day to witness the start of Dakar 2017 before the actual race kick off on January 2. While this ceremony was strictly for show, having their vehicles introduced one by one and taking off from the podium was enough for all contestants to make the mental shift to full-blown racing mode.
A total of 318 vehicles: 144 motorbikes, 37 buggies, 10 small 4-wheel buggies, 87 cars, and 50 trucks passed vehicle inspections and were listed in the roster of starters. While the number of trucks in the competition was on par with recent years, Hino's larger rivals who are vying for top positions overall have been further enhancing their capabilities.
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Hino Team Sugawara’s HINO500 Series trucks took the podium after 9:30pm and were greeted with wild cheers after officials introduced team director and driver, Yoshimasa Sugawara (a seasoned rally veteran with the record number of entries) and driver, Teruhito Sugawara (who is currently enjoying a winning streak in the Under 10-litre Class). At 75, Yoshimasa Sugawara shows no signs of slowing down. He commented, “I've been training with a physical trainer back in Japan so I'm feeling very good for this rally. I have been so excited for the rally to start.”
Contestants will leave Asunción on January 2 and race the 39-kilometer special segment (SS) in Paraguay. From there, they will cross the border into Argentina and head for their first bivouac in Resistencia. The first leg of the grueling 13-day battle is about to begin…