Mitsubishi Motors and Ralliart will enter four Mitsubishi Pajeros/Monteros in the forthcoming 2002 Dakar Rally, which runs over 17 days. The classic event will start on December 28 (Friday) and finish on January 13, 2002 (Sunday). The course will run over 9,436 km through five countries with stages in France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal. The team’s objective is a seventh overall victory for Mitsubishi. The vehicles will be entered in the newly-created Super Production Class.

Jutta Kleinschmidt became the first woman driver to win overall in 2001, driving a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero she came second in the Drivers Championship in this year’s FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, contributing greatly to Mitsubishi’s fourth consecutive Manufacturers Championships. Jean-Pierre Fontenay was first overall in the 1998 event. In the 2001 Dakar he opted to support his teammate Hiroshi Masuoka who contested the lead for several days. He nevertheless finished sixth overall. Kenjiro Shinozuka took overall victory in 1997 to become the first Japanese driver to win this grueling event. For the 2002 rally, he will be driving with a new partner, Thierry Delli-Zotti (France) this time in the new Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. The two teamed up in the 2001 UAE Desert Challenge as a trial run. The impeccable preparation of the two veterans is certain to shine through once the event starts. Masuoka previously led the Paris-Dakar Rally back in January 2001 but unfortunately finished second overall. His determined driving was however highly praised by the journalists and "Samurai Masuoka" was taken up by the media in various nations. Also, Dominique Serieys who was co-driver for Shinozuka in the 2000 event will now lead the Mitsubishi team as team manager.

Jutta Kleinschmidt

Born in 1962. From 1987, when she first entered the Pharaohs Rally, she competed in the motorcycle division in many cross-country rallies and scored a number of class victories. She started competing on four wheels in 1993 when she was Jean-Louis Schlesser’s co-driver in the UAE Desert Challenge. The 1994 season saw her debut as a driver in the Tunisia Rally. From that event until the 1996 season she entered many more events on both two and four wheels and achieved a lot of good results. In 1997 she started to compete exclusively on four wheels. She entered the Dakar-Agades-Dakar Rally and her 5th place overall in that event showed the world how overwhelmingly talented this woman was and what she was capable of. Her 3rd outright placing in the 1999 Granada-Dakar proved that she was able to match the best drivers’ pace in every event. In the 2000 World Cross-Country Rally Championship Kleinschmidt took her distinctive red Mitsubishi Pajero to second place outright in the Baja Espana and the Master Rally. She finished the UAE Desert Challenge in 6th position and took 2nd overall in the Drivers’ Championship, right behind Dakar winner and former team-mate Jean-Louis Schlesser. 2001 saw her fulfill her dreams and score an historic victory as she became the first woman to ever win the legendary Dakar Rally. She backed this up incredible feat with another victory in the second round of the World Cup series, the Italian Baja. Good results followed in the Moroccan Rally, Baja Portugal, Master Rally, Por Las Pampas Rally placing second overall in all of them. She came in second in the drivers ranking and contributed greatly to Mitsubishi taking four consecutive manufacturers championship.

Jean-Pierre Fontenay

He made his debut in the Paris-Dakar Rally as a co-driver in 1983. From the 1987 Paris-Dakar he became the "quick service" driver for the Mitsubishi Team. His reputation as a driver increased over the years and in 1993 he used his quietly intent enthusiasm, strategic sense, and technical know-how to the best effect and won 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 of competition in the grueling Dakar Rally, the pinnacle of his career was an overall victory in the 1998 Paris-Granada-Dakar Rally, and this effort was complemented by outright victory in the UAE Desert Challenge of the same year. In 2000, the popular Frenchman finished third on the Paris-Dakar-Cairo Rally and was third again on the Rally of Morocco. He took third place again on the Por Las Pampas Rally, and finished fourth overall in the UAE Desert Challenge after having sportingly stopped to help fellow Mitsubishi driver Jutta Kleinschmidt. 2001 saw him continue his run of top finishes in the Dakar with 6th outright in support of his Mitsubishi team mates.

Kenjiro Shinozuka

An employee of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. He entered his first rally in 1967 and from 1970 was a designated Mitsubishi’s factory driver. Since his debut, he achieved many impressive results behind the wheel of Mitsubishi vehicles such as the Pajero/Montero, Colt, Lancer, Galant, Lancer Evolution series, etc. In the 1991 World Rally Championship (WRC), he became the first Japanese rally driver to win the Ivory Coast Rally. After this victory Shinozuka was officially recognised as an A-seeded driver by the FIA. In 1997 he achieved another premiere for a Japanese driver by beating the odds to take overall victory in the legendary Paris-Dakar Rally. Starting in 1998 and 1999 Granada-Dakar Rally, he has challenged the 8-round World Cup series climbing to 2nd in the Drivers’ ranking. This year, Shinozuka made a remarkable recovery from a spectacular accident on the Dakar 2000, when he rolled his Mitsubishi over a huge sand dune, and returned in September to win the Por Las Pampas Rally in Argentina. He also finished third overall and first in the modified production car category for Mitsubishi in the Marlboro UAE Desert Challenge Rally in November.

Hiroshi Masuoka

An employee of Ralliart Inc., Hiroshi first started off-road racing in 1979 and accumulated impressive results in domestic Japanese events before debuting in international events. He attempted his first Paris-Dakar in 1987. In 1990 he took an impressive T2 category win (10th overall). His list of impressive finishes in the Dakar continued : he finished 4th overall in 1994 and in 1997/1998 he took two consecutive 4th outright places. He took 6th overall in 1999 and 2000, steadily building an impressive record in this classic event. In November 2000 Masuoka went to the Baja 2000, the most famous and toughest off-road event in America. The off-road event held in Mexico is very different from European rallies. 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 attempt at the Baja. The American challenge provided Masuoka with valuable experience for his attempt to conquer the 2001 Dakar, a feat that he came within two and a half hours of pulling off after 21 days of competition. Mitsubishi driver Hiroshi Masuoka proudly represents Japan in the world of off-road racing. Masuoka previously led the Paris-Dakar Rally back in January 2001 but unfortunately finished second overall.

Dominique Serieys

Born July 4, 1961.

Has been a member of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Team since entering the Atlas Rally in 1992. He showed considerable skill as the long time co-driver for Bruno Saby.

Through 1999 and 2000 he acted as co-driver for top Japanese rally driver Kenjiro Shinozuka.

The date of the Dakar Rally this time falls within the period for renewing the technical regulations for 2002. The organisers have drawn up unique regulations which reflect these future. This has resulted in the T2 Class, a class where the Mitsubishi team has traditionally entered their modified production cars, to be combined with the previous prototype T3 Class into the new Super Production Class. The Mitsubishi Pajeros/Monteros of Kleinschmidt, Fontenay Shinozuka, and Masuoka are entered in this class.

The vehicle entered is based on the Pajero/Montero short wheel-base as with the previous T2, with its monocoque body reinforced with a roll cage. It employs the same type of fully independent suspension used on the production model, modified with the latest specifications and fitted with modifications allowed under the Super Production Class regulations. The engine with modified camshafts has improved low to middle range performance for a faster pick up. The 32mm restrictor remains the same as on previous models with a maximum output of 260 HP and maximum torque of 36 kg-m, which is also unchanged. The vehicle weight, in keeping with the lighter engine, has been reduced as well to approximately 100 kg over the 2001 version. In addition, the rear differential and the transmission oil cooler are mounted more efficiently. This ultimately improves the cooling system and its overall durability. Changes on drive train include new gear ratios and stronger drive shafts. Combined with modifications made to the suspension last year, the vehicle’s ability to cross the terrain has improved. Tyres will be provided by B.F. Goodrich.

The 24th Dakar Rally will take place from December 28 (Friday) to January 13, 2002 (Sunday) with stages in five nations: France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal. The event runs for 17 days, spanning 9,436 km which includes no less than 4,025 km of special stages (the competition stages).

The rally will start from the rural city of Arras in France, approximately 170 km north of Paris on the evening of the 28th (Friday) after two days of inspection on December 26 and 27. The route heads south through France and Spain with three special stages, passing Madrid and crossing the Straight of Gibraltar by ferry and landing at Tangiers in Morocco on the 31st (Monday). Once on the African continent, the route goes from Morocco by way of Mauritania and reaches Senegal on January 13 (Sunday). The now familiar finish ceremonies will take place at Lac Rose, the red, mineral-rich lake outside the capital city of Dakar on the Atlantic coast.

The official name of the rally this year is the Arras-Madrid-Dakar Rally, but the bulk of the competition will, of course, transpire in Africa. Landing in Morocco, the first bivouac will be at Rabat and the competition starts again early in the morning on New Year's Day. The route continues as it goes into the Atlas Mountains, clipping the Western Sahara Desert and into Mauritania as it heads south. The central stage of the rally takes place here as it did the last time in the west Sahara Desert and its sand dunes which pose the biggest challenge for the competitors. With a day of rest at Atar on the 6th (Sunday), the second half of the route heads to southeastern Mauritania and on to Dakar. However this section is known for its camel grass and bushes. This natural vegetation, common to this area, is a frequent cause of suspension troubles. The tense competition will surely continue even as the finish seems ever closer.

The rally is held over 17 days, shorter than in recent years. The organisers state a return to the rally's origins this year has already limited the movement of mechanics by planes to three times and has further limited rest days to a day for 2002. Super Marathon Stages have been established anew of which there are two consisting of two whole days with 1,500 km to be covered. The first will be run over Ouarzazate (Morocco) - Tan-Tan - Zouerat (Mauritania) and the second over Tichit (Mauritania) - Kiffa - Dakar (Senegal). Furthermore, the use of GPS has been banned and stages relying on the use of compasses have returned. These are factors, which call on the driver's and navigator's capabilities and teamwork, which will mean driving fast without being exhausted or striving to keep from damaging the car. The entry is good as well with 166 motorcycles, 111 four-wheel vehicles, 29 trucks for a total of 306 entries. The competition is expected to be tough again this year.