Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Triumphs at Asia Cross Country Rally 2025 with Chayapon Yotha’s Overall Victory and Team Award

Bangkok – August 18, 2025: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, which receives technical support from the company, has won first place in the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2025, held in Thailand from August 8 to 16. The team competed with the Triton¹ pickup truck (T1 specification, or modified cross-country vehicle), covering a total distance of 2,316.32 kilometers (km), including 1,002.95 km of Special Stages (SS)².

In the overall standings, Chayapon Yotha secured first place with a total time of 16 hours, 15 minutes and 12 seconds; Katsuhiko Taguchi finished in fifth place; and Kazuto Koide placed 22nd overall. The team also earned the Team Award – given to teams with three or more finishers based on the combined time of their top two vehicles – for the second time, and the first in two years.

This year’s AXCR kicked off with a ceremonial start at Walking Street, a well-known tourist spot in Pattaya, Thailand. The rally officially began the following day with Leg 1, traveling roughly 360 km northeast from Pattaya to Prachin Buri in eastern Thailand. This leg featured the rally’s longest SS, spanning 199.13 km.

 

Leg 2 took competitors about 500 km north from Prachin Buri to Khao Yai. The SS included a mix of rocky terrain and high-speed sections through plantations, highlighting the diverse landscapes AXCR is known for. Leg 3 remained in the Khao Yai area, where the already demanding course was made even tougher by afternoon squalls that turned the roads muddy, causing many vehicles to struggle.

 

Legs 4 and 6, originally planned to run within 50 km of the Cambodian border, were canceled due to safety concerns. Leg 5 proceeded as scheduled, returning to Prachin Buri for an SS near the city. Although the route followed the same path as SS1, the course had deteriorated significantly due to deep ruts left by vehicles in Leg 1 and fallen trees caused by continuous rain. Even top teams were caught in the mud, making it one of the most grueling days of the rally.

 

In Leg 7, the rally returned to Pattaya, retracing parts of the SS1 and SS5 routes. This stage featured narrow paths through plantations, pothole-ridden roads, and river crossings.
The final day, Leg 8, concluded at Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya.

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Driver Highlights

 

Chayapon Yotha, the team’s ace driver, started in 12th position but quickly climbed the ranks with strong times in Leg 1, ending the first day in second place. Thanks to precise navigation by co-driver Peerapong Sombutwong and consistent driving that pushed for speed while minimizing mechanical strain, he took the overall lead in Leg 3. Despite getting stuck in deep mud during Leg 5, he maintained an aggressive pace and recorded
the second fastest SS time in Leg 7. He held onto the lead and won the rally by a narrow margin of seven minutes, claiming his second overall AXCR victory – his first in three years.

 

Katsuhiko Taguchi began in a strong fifth position and remained among the frontrunners in the early stages. However, in Leg 3, rough terrain damaged the front suspension and dropped him to 10th overall. In Leg 5, where many vehicles struggled with deep mud, he overtook 18 competitors and posted the fastest SS time, recovering to sixth overall. Despite damage to the guard and rear suspension on the demanding Leg 7 course,
his determined driving earned him a fifth place overall – the highest among Japanese pairs – concluding his third AXCR challenge.

 

Kazuto Koide, competing in his second year as a corporate driver, faced early setbacks. On the first day, poor visibility from dust led to a collision with a suddenly stopped vehicle, resulting in a day retirement, and in Leg 5, he experienced rear brake failure. Despite these issues, he supported teammates dealing with mechanical troubles in Legs 3 and 8, fulfilling his role as a support vehicle. He improved on last year’s result, finishing 22nd overall.

 

Comments from Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

 

Hiroshi Masuoka, Team Director

“Winning was our top priority this year, and I am thrilled we achieved it while showcasing the strength and audacity of Mitsubishi Motors-ness. Securing the team award is a testament to the collective effort and determination of everyone at Team Mitsubishi Ralliart. By refining the Triton’s core strengths – its stability on high-speed stages and agility on winding roads – we gained a competitive edge over rivals with larger-displacement engines. Looking ahead to next year, we will continue to enhance the vehicle to further boost our competitiveness.”

 

Chayapon Yotha, Driver of Car #112

“I am truly happy to have claimed overall victory once again, thanks to the entire team playing their part perfectly and delivering a flawless vehicle. This year’s rally was extremely demanding, with rocky sections, mud, and slippery terrain. Yet, the Triton’s durability and exceptional handling allowed me to stay in control through high-speed corners and technical muddy stretches, delivering top-tier performance. I will be back next year to defend the championship.”

 

Katsuhiko Taguchi, Driver of Car #105

“Although I finished fifth again this year, I can clearly see how much our crew has improved. We consistently posted competitive times against larger-displacement vehicles across all stages, even recording the fastest SS time in Leg 5. The Triton continues to evolve year after year, and its suspension and handling capabilities were crucial in tackling rough terrain and contributing to Chayapon’s victory. After the rally, we identified areas where we can gain more time, so with thorough testing to build on our strengths, I am confident we can achieve even better results next year.”

 

Kazuto Koide, Driver of Car #118

“Although the rally was mentally demanding, especially with a day retirement, it was an invaluable experience. The Triton I drove was equipped with an automatic transmission using standard production components, yet it proved remarkably resilient even under the harsh conditions of AXCR. The handling and maneuverability I experienced will provide valuable feedback for future vehicle development, and I look forward to applying these insights to the next generation of Mitsubishi models.”

 

AXCR 2025 Auto Category – Overall Standings

1.      Chayapon Yotha (Mitsubishi Triton)                                    16 h 15 m 12 s

2.      Mana Pornsiricherd (Toyota Hilux Revo)                           16 h 23 m 03 s

3.      Bailey Cole (Ford Raptor)                                                     17 h 08 m 29 s

4.      Ditsapong Maneein (Isuzu D-Max)                                     17 h 09 m 32 s

5.      Katsuhiko Taguchi (Mitsubishi Triton)                                17 h 37 m 56 s

6.      Natthaphon Angritthanon (Toyota Hilux Revo)                17 h 46 m 52 s

…

22. Kazuto Koide (Mitsubishi Triton)                                           29 h 34 m 31 s

 

Updates on the rally will be posted on

Mitsubishi Motors Thailand’s official Facebook account.

 www.facebook.com/MitsubishiMotorsTH

 

Updates on the rally will be posted on Ralliart’s official Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/ralliart.official/

 

AXCR Special Website:

https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/brand/ralliart/axcr/axcr2025/

 

1.      Due to the closure of the border between Thailand and Cambodia, the event is now being held in Thailand only.

2.      Sold as L200 in some markets.

About Mitsubishi Motors Thailand (MMTh)

Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd., the largest plant in the MMC group and an export hub to more than 120 countries, is one of Thailand’s leading automotive manufacturers committed to produce and sell a range of vehicles that are eco-friendly, high in quality, performance, safety, comfort, technology and customer satisfaction. In 2018, MMTH officially opened Education Academy in Pathum Thani and celebrated a total production of six million units at the beginning of 2021. MMTh’s current range of vehicles includes MITSUBISHI TRITON, MITSUBISHI PAJERO SPORT, MITSUBISHI ATTRAGE, MITSUBISHI MIRAGE, MITSUBISHI XPANDER, MITSUBISHI XPANDER CROSS and MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER PHEV. To ensure the highest quality, MMTh uses its proving ground in Si Racha, Chonburi to assess products from design and prototype stages to pre-production and commercialization. This ensures customers take delivery of vehicles that are second-to-none in all aspects of quality.

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