An employee of Ralliart Inc., the Japanese first started off-road racing in 1979 and has since accumulated impressive results in domestic events before debuting in international events. He attempts his first Paris-Dakar challenge in 1987. In 1990 he climbs to victory with an impressive T2 category win (10th overall). After proving that he can handle the Dakar, he finishes 4th overall in 1994 and in 1997 / 1998 he again achieves two consecutive 4th overall places. He took 6th overall in both 1999 and 2000, steadily building a magnificent record in the legendary Dakar Rally. In November 2000 Masuoka went to the Baja 2000, the most famous and toughest off-road event organized in the United States. The off-road event held in Mexico is much different from its European counterparts. Indeed, the Baja 2000 requires that competitors drive their machines over 2,500km non-stop! Masuoka teamed up with 3 American drivers to cross the Mexican Baja California peninsula in a production-based Mitsubishi Montero Sport/Challenger. Masuoka and his team-mates succeeded in taking the Montero Sport/Challenger to victory in class 3I completing the race in a little more than 55 hours, an incredible achievement considering that many doubted they would even finish on their first participation in the Baja. The challenge provided Masuoka with valuable experience for his attempt on the 2001 Dakar in which he finished 2nd overall after a controversial finish. In the exciting 2002 Paris-Dakar, Hiroshi Masuoka kept the pace and stayed on top for 12 straight days subsequently taking his first overall victory on his 15th attempt. In the same year, he entered the Morocco Rally where he finished 2nd overall. The impressive results of his achievement and his growing popularity makes him one of the top rally drivers in the world. Mitsubishi driver Hiroshi Masuoka proudly represents Japan in the world of off-road racing.

Career highlights

1987 Paris-Dakar 29th overall 1996 Granada-Dakar 6th overall 1988 Paris-Dakar retire 1997 Dakar-Agades-Dakar 4th overall 1990 Paris-Dakar 10th overall 1998 Paris-Granada-Dakar 4th overall 1991 Paris-Dakar 96th overall 1999 Granada-Dakar 6th overall 1992 Paris - Cape Town 20th overall 2000 Paris-Dakar-Cairo 6th overall 1993 Paris-Dakar retire 2001 Paris-Dakar 2nd overall 1994 Paris-Dakar 4th overall 2002 Paris-Dakar 1st overall 1995 Granada-Dakar 10th overall 2002 Rallye Maroc 2nd overall

Makes his debut on a motorcycle event in 1980. The talented French motor sport competitor achieved 6 victories in the 2-wheel category on the most difficult cross-country event in world, the Paris-Dakar. He also achieved 4 victories on one of the world's top motorcycle enduro races, the ISDE (International Six-Day Enduro). In 1999 he makes his first attempt in the 4-wheel category on the Granada-Dakar Rally, finishing an impressive 7th overall. He continues in the 4-wheel category eventually finishing a magnificent 2nd overall in the 2000 Dakar. In 2001 he takes victory in the T1 category. His talent continues to shine as he takes overall victory on the 2002 Tunisia Rally as a Mitsubishi Works driver with a Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero.

Career highlights

2-wheel category 4-wheel category 1991 Paris-Dakar 1st overall 1999 Granada-Dakar 7th overall 1992 Paris - Cape Town 1st overall 2000 Paris-Dakar-Cairo 2nd overall 1993 Paris-Dakar 1st overall 2000 Rallye Maroc 5th overall 1995 Granada-Dakar 1st overall 2001 Paris-Dakar 1st T1 1997 Dakar-Agades-Dakar 1st overall 2002 Tunisia Rally 1st overall 1997 Enduro World Championship World Champion 1998 Paris-Granada-Dakar 1st overall 2001 Enduro World Championship World Champion

Fontenay made his debut in the Paris-Dakar Rally as a co-driver in 1983. From the 1987 Paris-Dakar he becomes "quick service" driver for the Mitsubishi Team. He eventually makes his way behind the wheel to become a top rally driver and in 1993 he powers up to the top after winning 5 consecutive events in the Cross-Country World Cup series in the T2 category. In both the 1994 Australian Safari and in the 1995 Paris to Beijing Rally he defeated the more powerful T3 vehicles in his T1 Pajero/Montero (Standard production vehicle category) to achieve an impressive overall victory. After 16 years challenging the famous Dakar Rally, the pinnacle of his career was an overall victory in the 1998 Paris-Granada-Dakar Rally. In 2000, the popular Frenchman finished third on the Paris-Dakar-Cairo Rally and third again on the Rally of Moroc. He took third place again on the Por Las Pampas Rally, and finished fourth overall in the UAE Desert Challenge after stopping to help fellow Mitsubishi driver Jutta Kleinschmidt. On the 2002 Paris-Dakar, Fontenay took his Pajero to 4th overall. In the same year he challenged the Italian Baja where he finished an impressive 3rd overall on the difficult event.

Career highlights

1988 Paris-Dakar 2nd overall 1997 Dakar-Agades-Dakar 2nd overall 1989 Paris-Dakar 7th overall 1998 Paris-Granada-Dakar 1st overall 1991 Paris-Dakar 3rd overall 1998 UAE desert Challenge 1st overall 1993 Italian Baja 1st overall 1999 Granada-Dakar 9th overall 1995 Granada-Dakar 4th overall 2000 Paris-Dakar-Cairo 3rd overall 1995 Paris-Beijing 1st overall 2000 Rallye Maroc 3rd overall 1996 Granada-Dakar 3rd overall 2001 Paris-Dakar 6th overall 1996 Atlas Rally 2nd overall 2002 Paris-Dakar 4th overall

The young Italian driver entered his first rally in 1978. In 1983 he achieves victory on the European Rally Championship in the Lancia Rally. In 1984 he puts all his efforts into the WRC and it pays off in 1986 when he clinches his first WRC victory for the Lancia manufacturer's team. The following year he achieves 3 wins and ranks 2nd in the series. In 1988 he takes 5 wins and becomes the first Italian driver to take the World Rally Championhip drivers' title. In 1989 he repeats his awesome performance to take the title again. He begins his cross-country challenge in 1996 and has so far taken 2 victories in the T4 category.

Career highlights

WRC Cross Country Rally 1987 WRC Three WRC Victories 2nd Position WRC 1996 Italian Baja 3rd overall 1999 Tunisia Rally 1st T4 1988 WRC Five WRC Victories World Champion 1999 UAE desert Challenge 1st T4 2000 Italian Baja 3rd T4 1989 WRC Five WRC Victories World Champion 2000 Tunisia Rally 2nd T4 1990 WRC Two WRC Victories4th Position WRC