2002 Dakar / Daily Report

Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero
Team Nippon Mitsubishi Oil Ralliart
H. Masuoka / P. Maimon
(1 January 2002)

After playing a waiting game for three days in Europe, the Mitsubishi Pajeros/Monteros surged forward on the first African stage between Rabat and Er Rachidia in Morocco on New Year’s Day. Japanese driver Hiroshi Masuoka won the 85 km special stage by 35 seconds in his Mitsubishi, which moved him up to second place overall.

Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart
J. Kleinschmidt / A. Schulz
(1 January 2002)

Belgium’s Gregoire De Mevius still leads for Nissan at Er Rachidia at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, but with Jutta Kleinschmidt scoring third fastest, just one second adrift, and drivers like Kenjiro Shinozuka, fifth fastest, and Jean-Pierre Fontenay, seventh, not far behind, his days in the lead look numbered.

Kleinschmidt’s result puts her in fourth place in her Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero behind Stephane Peterhansel, with Shinozuka fifth and Fontenay sixth, all looking very comfortable indeed in their Mitsubishis. Portugal’s Carlos Sousa is seventh in his Mitsubishi L200.

Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart
J.P. Fontenay / G. Picard
(1 January 2002)

At 85 km the stage was far from the longest of the rally, but very tough with fast, flowing sandy stages through the Eucalyptus, pine and cork forests of northern Morocco. The stage was 5 km longer than the planned 80 km after last minute re-routing to avoid a flooded river. However, the recent heavy rains have all now disappeared, and the grim weather of Europe was replaced on New Year’s Day with fine, warm conditions.

Stage winner Masuoka was clearly delighted with his performance, commenting: "It was great to win that stage. It was short, but our time suggests that we are going to be competitive from the start, and that’s encouraging. I am thinking about winning, but there are many things that can happen before Dakar".

Mitsubishi Pajero / Montero
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart
Team Nippon Mitsubishi Oil Ralliart
Service at bivouac in Er Rachidia
(1 January 2002)

Kleinschmidt was equally happy, adding: "The drive was excellent. We are already inside the top five and that’s essential. The car is running very well and gives me optimism. The team is working well, the competition is going to be tough, but I am on course for a win".

Also going well were former Middle East Rally Champion Saeed Al-Hajri of Qatar in his Mitsubishi L200, holding tenth place at Er Rachidia, and 1997 World Downhill Ski Champion Luc Alphand of France, also in a Mitsubishi.

With the first African stage under their belts, the remaining competitors in this year’s Dakar now face the much longer and more challenging 338 km stage to Ouarzazate. With the two liaison sections, the total distance will be 576 km. This competitive section will be particularly tough, with a fast, rocky section featuring hazardous jumps flowing into the more deserted areas of southern Morocco and the first dunes of the rally. The competitors will cross the infamous Chebbi Erg at Merzouga - a vast sea of rippled sand containing the highest dunes in Morocco, before sweeping into the southern valleys, winding around large, dry riverbeds.

Times on SS 4
1	H.MASUOKA P.MAIMON	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	43.42.0
2	G.DE MEVIUS A.GUEHENNEC	NISSAN PICK UP	44.13.0	+31.0
3	J.KLEINSCHMIDT A.SCHULZ	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	44.14.0	+32.0
4	S.PETERHANSEL J.P.COTTRET	NISSAN PICK UP	44.22.0	+40.0
5	K.SHINOZUKA T.DELLI-ZOTTI	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	45.09.0	+1.27.0
6	J-L.SCHLESSER H.MAGNE	RENAULT KANGOO DCI	45.30.0	+1.48.0
7	J-P.FONTENAY G.PICARD	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	46.15.0	+2.33.0
8	J-M.SERVIA E.OLLER CARBO	RENAULT KANGOO	46.33.0	+2.51.0
9	S.AL-HAJRI M.STEVENSON	MITSUBISHI L 200	47.51.0	+4.09.0
10	C.SOUSA V.JESUS	MITSUBISHI L 200	47.58.0	+4.16.0
11	F.GIL R.TORNABELL	SEAT DAKAR	48.52.0	+5.10.0
12	K.KOLBERG P.LARROQUE	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	49.24.0	+5.42.0
13	N.BARKAT E.BARKAT	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	49.31.0	+5.49.0
14	L.ALPHAND A.DEBRON	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	49.59.0	+6.17.0
15	B.SABY J.BOUSSIER	FORD RANGER	50.18.0	+6.36.0
16	T.DELAVERGNE J.DUBOIS	NISSAN TERRANO	51.28.0	+7.46.0
17	N.MISSLIN J-M.POLATO	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	51.39.0	+7.57.0
18	M.PLAZA PEREZ I.SALVADOR IBANEZ	NISSAN NAVARA	52.19.0	+8.37.0
19	J-F.GUINOT M.KROISS	NISSAN TERRANO	52.26.0	+8.44.0
20	J-J.RATET J-P.GARCIN	TOYOTA	53.36.0	+9.54.0
21	F.PICCO C.DAL ZOTTO	TOYOTA HDJ 80	54.01.0	+10.19.0
22	T.ANDRETTA M.SIMONI	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	54.09.0	+10.27.0
23	J-P.STRUGO B.CATTARELLI	MERCEDES ML 430	54.10.0	+10.28.0
24	T.ASAGA D.ARAKAWA	TOYOTA	54.21.0	+10.39.0
25	G.LORA LAMIA R.DI PERSIO	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	54.41.0	+10.59.0
26	B.LHOTELLERIE B.LEHERON	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	55.14.0	+11.32.0
27	J-L.MONTERDE A.PIO	NISSAN PATROL	56.08.0	+12.26.0
28	Y.LOUBET P.BOCANDE	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	56.11.0	+12.29.0
97	M.PRIETO J.VIDARTE	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.19.28.0	+35.46.0
102	S.HENRARD J-M.LURQUIN	RENAULT KANGOO DCI	2.04.21.0	+1.20.39.0

Overall after SS 4
1	G.DE MEVIUS A.GUEHENNEC	NISSAN PICK UP	1.23.55.0
2	H.MASUOKA P.MAIMON	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.24.28.0	+33.0
3	S.PETERHANSEL J.P.COTTRET	NISSAN PICK UP	1.25.01.0	+1.06.0
4	J.KLEINSCHMIDT A.SCHULZ	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.25.12.0	+1.17.0
5	K.SHINOZUKA T.DELLI-ZOTTI	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.26.41.0	+2.46.0
6	J-P.FONTENAY G.PICARD	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.27.14.0	+3.19.0
7	C.SOUSA V.JESUS	MITSUBISHI L 200	1.28.39.0	+4.44.0
8	F.GIL R.TORNABELL	SEAT DAKAR	1.28.48.0	+4.53.0
9	J-M.SERVIA E.OLLER CARBO	RENAULT KANGOO	1.29.15.0	+5.20.0
10	S.AL-HAJRI M.STEVENSON	MITSUBISHI L 200	1.31.07.0	+7.12.0
11	J-L.SCHLESSER H.MAGNE	RENAULT KANGOO DCI	1.31.36.0	+7.41.0
12	L.ALPHAND A.DEBRON	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.33.58.0	+10.03.0
13	N.BARKAT E.BARKAT	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.34.12.0	+10.17.0
14	K.KOLBERG P.LARROQUE	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.35.47.0	+11.52.0
15	M.PLAZA PEREZ I.SALVADOR IBANEZ	NISSAN NAVARA	1.35.51.0	+11.56.0
16	T.DELAVERGNE J.DUBOIS	NISSAN TERRANO	1.36.59.0	+13.04.0
17	J-F.GUINOT M.KROISS	NISSAN TERRANO	1.37.16.0	+13.21.0
18	F.PICCO C.DAL ZOTTO	TOYOTA HDJ 80	1.37.37.0	+13.42.0
19	N.MISSLIN J-M.POLATO	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.38.24.0	+14.29.0
20	J-J.RATET J-P.GARCIN	TOYOTA	1.39.48.0	+15.53.0
21	B.LHOTELLERIE B.LEHERON	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.40.49.0	+16.54.0
22	T.ANDRETTA M.SIMONI	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	1.41.02.0	+17.07.0
23	J-P.STRUGO B.CATTARELLI	MERCEDES ML 430	1.41.07.0	+17.12.0
24	J-L.MONTERDE A.PIO	NISSAN PATROL	1.42.10.0	+18.15.0
25	T.ASAGA D.ARAKAWA	TOYOTA	1.42.24.0	+18.29.0
26	E.SMULEVICI J.KOHUT	NISSAN NAVARA	1.42.29.0	+18.34.0
27	C.ARNOUX J-L.LAPEYRE	BUGGY PROTO	1.42.30.0	+18.35.0
28	B.SABY J.BOUSSIER	FORD RANGER	1.42.41.0	+18.46.0
79	M.PRIETO J.VIDARTE	MITSUBISHI PAJERO/MONTERO	2.04.32.0	+40.37.0
99	S.HENRARD J-M.LURQUIN	RENAULT KANGOO DCI	2.56.04.0	+1.32.09.0