On July 8, 2024, the 6th round of the All Japan Rally Championship (JRC) “2024 ARK Rally Kamui” was held in Niseko Town, Hokkaido. The team of Tomoaki Shinkai and Yuichi Ando from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR-WRJ) finished in 9th place driving their GR YARIS GR4 RALLY DAT.
This rally marked the first gravel (unpaved) rally of the season, with challenging road conditions. Shinkai and Ando maintained a cautious pace and successfully completed all stages. The slippery roads from the initial day’s rain and the deep ruts posed significant challenges, but their strategy to prioritize data collection paid off.
Shinkai commented, “Despite the difficult conditions on the wet gravel roads, completing the rally without damage is a major achievement. The GR-DAT allowed for focused steering, acceleration, and braking even in unstable conditions.”
TGR engineer Chikara Kawabata stated, “We obtained valuable data in the rain, which we hope to utilize in the next rally in Hokkaido.” The team is eager to build on this experience for future events.
The final results of the rally saw Daiki Arai and Toshisuke Matsuo (Škoda Fabia R5) taking first place, followed by Norihiko Katsuta and Yusuke Kimura (GR YARIS RALLY2) in second, and Fumio Nutahara and Shungo Higashi (GR YARIS RALLY2) in third.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will continue to participate in the All Japan Rally Championship, aiming to create even better cars through the development of both their vehicles and their personnel.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, July 8, 2024
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