Hino Team Sugawara take on the dunes in the 2025 Dakar Rally
Hino Team Sugawara take on the dunes in the 2025 Dakar Rally
It has a reputation for being the most dangerous and gruelling race on the planet, and it’s on again. The Dakar Rally takes on the relentless terrain of Saudi Arabia as Hino look to build on a dozen wins, with their 34th consecutive finish in the ultimate endurance challenge.
Throwing man and machine against extreme conditions, the race came about by doing exactly that to a young Frenchman almost 50 years ago.
A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind.
It all began in 1977 when Thierry Sabine lost his way on a motorbike in the far reaches of the Libyan desert. Saved from the sands, he returned to France where his desert hell soon became the catalyst for the world’s most revered rally.
2 years later, the Paris-Dakar Rally was born. 182 competitors turned up for the first ever race – a gut-wrenching 10,000km through Algeria, Niger, Mali, the Upper Volta and Senegal. Only 74 would make it to Dakar.
As the founder, Thierry coined a motto for his inspiration, “A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind.”
Three routes. One Dakar.
It might have begun as the Paris to Dakar, but it soon evolved to take on different continents, far more merciless and challenging conditions, and near impossible terrains.
1977 - 2008 Paris to Dakar
For the first 30 years, the race would begin in Europe and make its way across Africa. It was during this first chapter of Dakar that tragedy struck. In 1986, the founder Thierry Sabine was killed in a helicopter accident. His father took over and kept the legend alive. In 1992, the race then took a break from Dakar. The route changed, taking the rally from the north of Africa to the south, finishing in Cape Town.
2009 - 2019 South America
Dakar was cancelled in 2008 due to fears of terrorism. The race was then shifted to the breathtaking landscapes of Argentina and Chile, crisscrossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with Peru and Bolivia later playing a part.
2020 - Present Saudi Arabia
The race moves to the Middle East and the challenge of the relentless dunes and brutal mountainous regions of Saudi Arabia.
A legend is born. And continues to this day…
In 1991, Hino took the starting line in its first ever Dakar. It was the first Japanese truck manufacturer to take on the world’s most gruelling race, and Hino is proud to have finished in every Dakar, ever since.
A year later, the winning collaboration between Hino and Yoshimasa Sugawara began. With success from the start, Yoshimasa soon became known as The Iron Man of Dakar’, building a team that would bring his son Teruhito into the fold not long after.
In 1997, Hino took the top three spots in the overall truck category. From 1996 to 2002, Hino took the first-place honours in the 10-Litre Class. With the class being abolished then reinstated in 2005, Hino once again took the title and reigned in the class from 2010 to 2021.
Last year, Hino entered Dakar with a truck known as the ‘Little Monster, which was developed from the Japanese HINO600 Series. As a medium-duty powerhouse, it’s unmatched for mobility, going up against more powerful heavy-duty vehicles.
Hino Team Sugawara takes on 2025
Dakar 2025 will be one of the toughest yet. It’s literally do-or-die as competitors across all classes take on the harrowing 48-hour Chrono Stage and the formidable Rub' al Khali, known as the ‘Empty Quarter’ - the world’s largest continuous desert at 650,000 sqm.
Everyone at Hino across the globe, their colleagues, families and friends, are all behind Hino Team Sugawara, wishing them all the best in conquering their 34th Dakar.
Follow their Facebook page to keep up with their progress and help us cheer them on from Australia.