FEDERAL-FLEX Asia Cross Country Rally, It carried out by SS3 / 231.15 km out of the SS in 430.58 km of the total runs that go to a Buriram. The layout of the first half of the course start with rocky section going over the wooden bridge looking the jungle of Cambodia borders on to the right side. Later before reaching the PC the drives and riders will have to go through a very narrow road long distance of 83km. Then, the remaining of the course which also include with muddy section, bridges, and tight corners also with high-speed corner section, and all the other variety of section that follows.
The car numbers #1 start at 7:30 am from the MTC (main time control) at the hotel. The start from beginning of the Leg 3, it seemed to make everyone to think that Leg 3 would not have very good outcome for the drivers and the riders because began to rain. The rally started from the hotel 70.26km RS and goes on the SS3. Before finishing the RS rain stopped SS began resuming the rally on the 111km mark rally was cancel again the nature showed its power the drivers and the riders couldn't cross the bridge. Even though the cancel of the 11km mark until the official announcement, the Japanese driver car number #14 Satoshi TAKENO / Naoyuki YANAGAWA (KONYUDOU-KUN with Garage MONCHI KIZUNA MRS / SUZUKI Jimmny SIERA) tried attempting to cross the bridge, but the try short lived. Even the SUZUKI Jimny the lightest car that is competing in the rally but soon as the car went on to the bridge started to collapse. Also the car number #9 Bandit PNTHITA and #17 Luthrin participant went to check how deep is the river but the car got stock and driver start to swim to the shore for safety. From that experience made everyone think that worse is yet to come.
Later the rally move on to the 33km mark with the convoy rally resumed. After everyone finishing up with servicing their vehicles, rally resumed from PC. After started from PC the car number #1 Nuttapon ANGRITTHANON / Kittisak KLINCHAN Team (ISUZU D-MAX) last year's winner got stock in the deep muddy tracks, and it took lots of time to getting out of the mud, so everyone lost their time help out.
Even thought in this very harsh condition but 4cars from the Thailand dominated the top seed. This section's top was for the first time in the rally competition car number #23 Pittiphoon PROMCHOTIKUL / Olan Sarnsirirat Team (ISUZU D-MAX) 2nd is car number # 3 Vorapot BUNCHUAYLUE / Chupong CHAIWAN Team (ISUZU D-MAX) and 3rd place went to car number #15 Paitoon THAMMASIRIKUL / Thanyapat MEENIL Team (ISUZU D-MAX), and last 4th place went to car number #5 Wichai WATTANAWISUTH / Somkiat NOICHAD Team (ISUZU D-MAX).
SS3 1st
#23 Pittiphon PROMCHOTIKUL / Olan Sarnsirirat
(ISUZU D-MAX)
Continue the SS the 5th place went to the Japanese team car number #7 Yoshihiro ITO / Takeshi HIRAKA Team (TAGA meets NAIRAN / ISUZU D-MAX) a same as yesterday he fished the SS with the total 3rd. Also the yesterday's total ranked 4th place the car number #14 Satoshi TAKENO / Naoyuki YANAGAWA (KONYUDOU-KUN with Garage MONCHIKIUNA MRS / SUZUKI Jimny SIERA) end up in (SS) 7th place total rank didn't change from yesterday. Then car number #10 Takatsugu AOKI / Kenji ISHIDA Team (TWO & FOUR MOTORSPORTS / MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV) end up SS as 12th place even the car's height is low but it shows the toughness in driving.
SS3 5th
#7 Yoshiro ITO / Takeshi HIRAKA
(Team TAGA meets NAIRAN / ISUZU D-MAX)
SS3 7th
#14 Satoshi TAKENO / Naoyuki YANAGAWA
(KONYUDOU-KUN with Garage MONCHI KIZUNA MRS / SUZUKI Jimmny SIERA)
SS1 12th
#16 Hiromi / Sadatoshi ANDO
(FLEX FEDERAL SHOW AIKAWA Racing / TOYOTA FJ CRUISER)
However, there was still a happening. The FLEX FEDERAL SHOW AIKAWA Racing of two cars were going on with the rally fine as usual until the 173km mark, but car number #17 were at the 173km mark and they saw terrible thing on the side of the rice field's ditch. The car number #16 Teammate Hiromi / Sadatoshi ANDO Team (FLEX FEDERAL SHOW AIKAWA Racing / TOYOTA FJ CRUISER) got stock on the ditch fell into the field. Mr. TERADA had flash back at the bridge earlier and he commented that “when the attempt of the bridge and the bridge collapsed there something inside of him collapsed as well" despise the accident and ordeal no damages to the car or the driver Mr. Hiromi was rescued after 30min no injuries thank to the muddy field. Mr. Hiromi was saying that before the accident he felt like he was driving on icy road, it was very slippery. The day before were same thing, everyone were having very difficult time with a nature and weather.
MOTO Division
Same thing happened to the motocross division and rally was held in total km of 198km. KTM Team took the 1st, 2nd, and 4th place and put up the good fight. Moreover, the 1st place went to the team number #118 Jakkrit CHAWTALE (KTM 450XCF), 2nd place went to team number #108 Magnus OSTERBERG (KTM 450EXC SixDays), and the 3rd place went to the team number #114 Sumaetee TRAKULCHAI (HONDA CRF250L). As for the Japanese riders team number #102 Hideyuki FUKUOKA (HONDA CRF 450X) did SS in 5th place and total rank in 3rd place. Also team number #105 Tadao EZURE (YAMAHA WR450) did in SS for 6th place and total ranked in 5th.
SS3 3rd
#114 Sumaetee TRAKULCHAI（AP HONDA／HONDA CRF250L）
SS3 4th
#107 Olle OHLSSON（Rally Raid Sweden Team KTM Scandinavia／KTM 450EXC SixDays）
SS3 5th
#102 Hideyuki FUKUOKA（Team Japan／HONDA CRF450X）
SS3 6th
#105 Tadao EZURE（Team Japan [mcc EZURE]／YAMAHA WR450）
SS3 7th
#101 Manoch ABDULLKALEE（AP HONDA／HONDA CRF250L）
SS3 8th
#104 Jesadang CHOTANA（AP HONDA／HONDA CB500X）
Only few 4WD cars returned to the MTC at the hotel when the time has passed 8 o'clock in this LEG3. Rally has made it's returning point (half way into the rally) everyone seems very tired and cold. The Leg 4 tomorrow will have the total run of 166.87km out of 501.59km was supposed to be the scheduled running km but due to the Military relationship between Thailand and Cambodia the length of the SS will be cut down to 84km official announced. LEG4 will be held from BURIRAM to UBON RACHATHANI.
