2000 Paris-Dakar-Cairo Rally (6th-23rd January, 2000) Ralliart To Support Strong Mitsubishi Entry on Dakar

Ralliart will again support a strong entry of Mitsubishis on the legendary Dakar 2000 Rally, which in January 2000 runs for the first time west to east across North Africa from Dakar in Senegal to Cairo in Egypt. Among the leading entries in former Dakar winner Kenjiro Shinozuka, co-driven by Dominique Serieys, who will drive the Team Nisseki Mitsubishi Ralliart Pajero/Montero T2 (Modified Cross Country Cars). Scrutineering takes place in Paris between December 27 and 28, and the competition starts in Dakar on January 6. Probably the worlds greatest and most spectacular motoring challenge, the Dakar 2000 will cover 10,847 kilometres crossing six countries, with 7,745 kilometres of competitive stages and 3,102 kilometres of liaison sections. Joining Shinozuka in the Mitsubishi Challenge will be Hiroshi Masuoka of Japan and his German co-driver Andreas Schulz in a second Team Nisseki Mitsubishi Ralliart Pajero/Montero T2, Masuoka having impressed with his agile performances on previous Dakars. They will be joined by the only all-female pairing ever to have led the Dakar, Jutta Klienschmidt of Germany and Tina Thorner of Sweden, who will crew another Mitsubishi Ralliart Pajero/Montero T2. Popular Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay and his navigator Gilles Picard will return to the Dakar in a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero T2 supported by Ralliart. Spaniard pair Miguel Prieto and Pascal Maimon join the fun in a Pajero/Montero T2, and Portuguese Carlos Souza and Joao Luz are entered in a Mitsubishi L200 Strakar T3 (Prototype Cross Country Cars). The popular female Japanese drivers Makiko Tomokawa and Akemi Asada will again challenge the grueling Dakar Rally. The veteran pair will attempt to complete the Dakar to Cairo route in a T1 (Production Cross Country Cars) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. New-comers Jean-Luc Cretier, a famous downhill skier who won a Gold Medal during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic and a top French model Estelle Hallyday will complete in the same Standard Car Class, also in a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. Mitsubishi distributors from Brazil, Belgium, Italy, South Africa,ÿetc., will also support their vehicles in this world-famous event.