The FEDERA-FLEX Asia Cross Country Rally 2013, kicks off from Pataya to Aranyaprathet running total of 421.44km today on 11th ss1 / 208.07km started off.
4WD started off with TC (time control) from Pataya hotel at 7:30 in the morning. After 143.70km of RS, went into the SS1 part of the rally. That day’s SS1 it will be the long section of SS including the TC (time control). The course condition was very tough to navigate with going through the sugar cane field and rice field in the muddy rough tracks, and junctions. Maximum time was 6 and a half hour to complete those sections. Usually at this section the first car should be back to the Papaya Hotel still bright in the sky, but not this year’s rally the track condition changed from fine to very worst due to the sudden rush of rain. The muddy condition became very muddy, the car drivers and moto-cross riders got their greeting from Asian Rally Gods.
Nice sunny day SS1 of the rally started, but in front of PC 8 cars has started in the fair muddy condition but 9th and 10th cars started in a much worse muddy condition. Then seen many cars start getting stock in the mud, and crew and the drivers were getting winch out of the mud and stated their SS1 part of the rally.
Even in the bad condition of the rally there is one team raised the ranking greatly the regular rally challenger the car number #2 Vorapot BUNCHUAYLUE / Chupong CHAIWAN Team (ISUZU D-MAX) the car was running in the 6th place but it became to the top place. Also at the SS2 the car number #15 Paitoon THAMMASIRIKUL / Thanyapat MEENIL Team (ISUZU D-MAX) start form the 18th place. At the SS3 the car number #20 Sirichai SRICHAROENSILP / Amunay KOSITAPORN Team (TOYOTA VIGO) started at 10th place and those team started ranking up greatly also.
SS1 1st
#3 Vorapot BUNCHUAYLUE / Chupong CHAIWAN
(SITTHIPHOL GROUP ISUZU BRIDGESTONE / ISUZU D-MAX)
SS1 2nd
#15 Paitoon THAMMASIRIKUL / Thanyaphat MEENIL
(SITTHIPHOL GROUP ISUZU BRIDGESTONE / ISUZU D-MAX)
SS1 3rd
#20 Sirichai SRICHAROENSILP / Amnuay KOSITAPORN
(Sirichai SRICHAROENSILP / TOYOTA VIGO)
SS1 5th
#7 Yoshiro ITO / Takeshi HIRAKA
(Team TAGA meets NAIRAN / ISUZU D-MAX)
The Japanese Team the car number #7 Yoshiro ITO / Takeshi HIRAKA Team (ISUZU D-MAX) stated at 9th place but finished the SS in 5th place. The driver said “today’s rally course was the toughest course I have ever been in one” and at PC he used winches 3 times and using all of his rescue kit that should tell the story about how tough the course condition was. The Japanese driver Yoshiro ITO was stock on the mud once but he recovered and after PC he gratefully overcome the100m muddy obstacle which 10 other competitor was stock at the scene. But the obstacle caused the Yoshiro ITO’s car hole a lot of damages. The right side engine mount was broken, both right and left mirror was lost. At the service the team went full repair to the car for the next day of the rally.
SS1 7th
#14 Satoshi TAKENO / Naoyuki YANAGAWA
(KONYUDOU-KUN with Garage MONCHI KIZUNA MRS / SUZUKI Jimmny SIERA)
Also the 12th started team car number #14 Satoshi TAKENO / Naoyuki YANAGAWA Team (KONYUDOU-KUN with Garage MONCHI KIZUNA MRS / SUZUKI Jimmny SIERA) also did good in SS they end up in 7th place. The Japanese drive car number #14 said “after the PC was very hard to overcome, but when we entered the cane field the muddy track were tough and other 10cars were stock, and the other part of the course were also worse, not muddy conditions but the river like flooded road was even tougher by using the skill called "KUROKAN TECHNIQUE".
SS1 16th
#16 Hiromi / Sadatoshi ANDO
(FLEX FEDERAL SHOW AIKAWA Racing / TOYOTA FJ CRUISER)
The car number #16 Hiromi / Sadatoshi ANDO Team (FLEX FEDERAL SHOW AIKAWA Racing / TOYOTA FJ CRUISER) The Japanese driver Hiromi said “there were so many things happen at the SS. Helping another driver and been helped by another driver finishing up the SS with Team member car and break the front window. Overall it was very fun”.
MOTO Division
As for the Moto Cross division, top seed member has change dramatically. The top place for the SS1 is the team number #114 Sumaetee TRAKULCHAI (HONDA CRF250L). At the yesterday’s prologue the 2nd place Team number #107 Olle OHLSSON (KTM 450EXC SixDays) end up in 3rd place in SS1. The most highest ranked Japanese rider goes to the Team number #105 Tadao EZURE (YAMAHA WR450)was 11th place. Tadao EZURE rider said “ There were some miss coursed few times, but during the rain I could run the bike in full power on the muddy course so he thought he became on top of the SS but when he fished he wasn’t so he was disappointed. He will try his best to become the top on the next leg” he commented. Yesterday’s prologue section Team number #102 Hideyuki FUKUOKA (HONDA CRF450X) he ended the rally at 4th place. The Japanese riders are doing so well at the part of the rally.
SS1 1st
#114 Sumaetee TRAKULCHAI (AP HONDA / HONDA CRF250L)
SS1 2nd
#105 Tadao EZURE (Team Japan [mcc EZURE] / YAMAHA WR450)
SS1 3rd
#107 Olle OHLSSON (Rally Raid Sweden Team KTM Scandinavia / KTM 450EXC SixDays)
SS1 4th
#102 Hideyuki FUKUOKA (Team Japan / HONDA CRF450X)
Tomorrow’s rally Leg 2 will be starting from the same as yesterday ARANYAPRATHET (rally challenger’s hotels) also the course will be the loop course. The total length of the rally has been shorted from the original 414.86km to 189.44km due to the bad weather (rushed sudden rain)
