2nd #107 Paitoon THAMMASIRIKUL / Somkiat NOICHAD（Isuzu D-MAX）
Baptism of the longest high-speed SS in this year
LEG1 on the first day is 248.12km course from Pattaya to the southeast of Chanthaburi. The competition is taken place in the order of MOTO -> AUTO basically on the same course. MOTO top ♯1 Yoshio IKEMACHI departs the front of the hotel at six in the morning. Then, starting at 46 people of MOTO every one-minute interval, then 20 units of AUTO spaced one hour from the last departs at 2-minute intervals.
Thus it begins with the first RS (road section), which is basically a public road. While following the traffic rules competitors travel along with the road map. On this day, it required to travel to 143.26km towards the inland within 2 hours and 30 minutes at the target time. A time penalty will be added if there is delay for the sequential starting SS (Selective Sector). After this, the rally will proceed in the ranking due to the integration time.
It is followed by the SS section raced in the time measurement. In fact, on this day, it was assigned the longest SS of 216.29km during the competition. Also penalty occurs if it exceeds the 6 hours maximum running time.
Condition of the course is basically dry. However, there is also some muddy road surface where the rainwater tends to be pooled in a grove of shade from the daily squall. Apparently, some riders and teams were taken their foot in a deep rut and had jumped out from the course accidentally. In addition, if it was underestimated as a dry and flat high-speed course, there are some hidden large holes in various places and in many places had them continuously. So, it was reported that they struggled with putting on speed. However, in the AUTO division, there is also a team that earned the top speed of 140~150km on the 5-speed. The average speed was quite high and it did not seem like over 200km SS length.
However, damage to the chassis and suspension from deep holes and steps were serious. Brake was used frequently in front of the holes and line selections were limited in the narrow road for the four-wheel teams. Therefore, many teams claimed "harsh on the machine." Team after another had a serious trouble here. For the four-wheel teams, resolving this trouble until the start in the next morning safely became the first turning point of the rally.
Also PC was provided in the middle course in the SS. Once carried out time measurement from the start is stopped there. There after the MOTO with one-minute intervals and the AUTO with 2-minute intervals are resumed. They can receive maintenance by service team during this time. Since it is a short break, it is difficult to fix the serious damage, but their supporting system in these places also affects the rally a lot. Further, MOTO can refuel gasoline here, so they can compete at the same distance as the AUTO.
#5 Jakkrit CHAWTALE (Thailand)
Well, for the MOTO division, #5 Jakkrit CHAWTALE (Thailand) ran through this SS in the top time. In the first half, although the top start competitor #1 Yoshio IKEMACHI (Japan) have jumped out at the fastest time, he slightly missed courses several times in the second half and settled for second place in allowing reverse to Jakkrit who have been cleared steady.
There are mainly dry courses, but also quagmire courses as soaking up to the waist. Several competitors were quite troubled by these muddy conditions. In addition, some players were picked up by the car with engine trouble, abandoned the SS by tire burst in the RS, ran out of gas, and even had dropped time significantly in the beginning of the rally.
♯102 Kenjiro SHINOZUKA / EJ CHIBA
For example, both two TATA Xenon teams,♯103 and♯122 stuck in trouble on the right front of the upper arm at midfield course. ♯102, Kenjiro SHINOZUKA / EJ CHIBA(Japan, Suzuki Jimny) also had a cut-off trouble in the right front damper mount and had been forced to slow down. This team, the last year’s second place was no longer able to increase the pace by the trouble in driving system or overheating. SHINOZUKA also commented “We could only recover to the 60% or 70% of pacing even though we had finished suspension repair. We have to be patient in this fight for a while."
Meanwhile, last year's champion ♯101 Nuttapon ANGRITTHANON / Peerapong SOMBUTWONG (Isuzu D-MAX) won the goal first easily. They have been keeping a good start this year again with 2-hour block time through MOTO and AUTO.
♯111 Tadamitsu NIIHORI / Chupong CHAIWAN (Toyota Hilux Revo)
Second place, ♯107 Paitoon THAMMASIRIKUL / Somkiat NOICHAD (Isuzu D-MAX) jumped up from the sixth. Third place beat six cars was ♯111 Tadamitsu NIIHORI / Chupong CHAIWAN pair (Toyota Hilux Revo) were the only Japanese Asia Cross Country rally champion. They are familiar with the ranking affected by starting order in this rally and have succeeded in stepping forward firmly in the SS marathon.
Although the first day of the FEDERAL-VESSEL Asia Cross Country Rally 2016 actually became a high speed condition that can be called high-speed dirt, there were many opinions that "If it rains, there must be teams cannot return." This speed range was not organizer’s intention, but rationally it is better to think that “luckily it did not rain”. Existence of this muddy course, typical rally condition will depend on the weather in the future.
