The overall winner of last year’s AXCR, three all-new Triton pickup trucks took part at the ceremonial start of the event in Pattaya, a resort in southern Thailand. After that, the specially-prepped trucks will make their way east to the border between Thailand and Cambodia. From there, it’s a race to Prasat Wat Phu, one of Laos’ World Heritage sites on August 19.

In preparation for the start of the rally, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart conducted a shakedown test of the new Triton rally cars that will be driven in the AXCR using the test course of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand Co., Ltd. (MMTh) in the Si Racha district of Thailand’s Chonburi province—the same one used by the production Triton.

Unlike last year, this year’s AXCR will be held in August, during the rainy season, so the course is expected to be the type of difficult course typical for AXCR, with muddy roads and river crossings. To step up to this challenge, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart has verified the reliability and durability of the new Triton through two durability tests, covering a total of roughly 2,000 kilometers, conducted in Japan and overseas. The team made final adjustments to the engine and chassis ahead of the race.

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart confirmed during the shakedown that the Triton rally cars will provide the performance expected of them.

Sixty-three teams will be competing in this year’s AXCR (21 moto, 1 sidecar, and 41 auto category competitors).

Until reaching Ubon Ratchathani, the goal of Leg 3 of the rally, on August 16, competitors will be driving tough roads, including muddy courses and roads piled with rock debris. During Leg 4, on August 17, competitors will cross the border between Thailand and Laos, and then from Leg 5, starting August 18, the rally will all take place in Laos. The course in Laos is expected to pass through tree-filled highlands and rice paddy areas. These legs are in the south of Laos, which experiences heavy rains, so course conditions are expected to further decline due to squalls. Leg 6, on August 19, will end with the final goal near the World Heritage site of Prasat Wat Phu.

“To lead the Team Mitsubishi Ralliart to victory as team director, I’ve been leveraging the expertise I’ve built up through my past rally experience, shaping up the team and putting the finishing touches on the rally cars. The base car of the new Triton rally car has been improved, and on top of that we’ve used the results from last year’s rally to make them even faster, stronger, and more durable. We’ve confirmed that it’s met our higher expectations through the shakedown test. “ said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart. “We’ve created a solid service system to support the team, and we’re providing emotional support as well so that the drivers and co-drivers can give 100 percent. Team Mitsubishi Ralliart is more than ready to take on this tough challenge. We’ll do our best to claim a second consecutive win.”

The all-new Mitsubishi Triton has been confirmed for a January 2024 launch in the Philippines.