Tweet

Vehicle Inspection Day: Cairo
Total distance: 0 kilometers

The vehicle inspection turned out to be a long wait since the cars lined up ahead had a lot of problems. Yet Mitsuhashi’s vehicle inspection ended successfully. Jun Mitsuhashi was the center of a lot of attention because of good results last year in winning the commercial car class and placing 3RD overall. He is aiming for even better results this year but regardless of race class results there are many fast cars competing this year and getting a higher overall place may prove very difficult. He says, “You could say that tomorrow will be my first rally in a year and I wanted to tread carefully, yet with all of these fast cars to compete with, aiming for a higher place in the results looks really tough. I will have to move carefully yet keep pushing ahead.”

Tomorrow’s race starting with the Giza pyramids in the background will cover a movement zone of 90 kilometers followed by a SS (special stage) of about 360 kilometers. The first half of the course is a gravel road mixed with sand, along with high speed zone featuring a great many gaps and jumps. After passing a point marked by a single acacia tree suddenly appearing in the desert which is a well-known landmark for Egypt desert fans, the course becomes sand dunes. It then transforms into a sand road, a rocky section, and finally just a sand trail in what amount to a course with a lot of variety and surprises.
Due to the briefing (race meeting) scheduled for 8PM, dinner at 9PM was also quite late and after eating Mitsuhashi returned to his room right away to get some sleep. He is in top condition, and the car is in perfect shape yet though he feels relaxed, as one might expect, there is a lot of tension in the air. Well, the race finally starts tomorrow so give him all your support!

Rodriguez, a top rider from Portugal competing in the motorcycle class, talks to Mitsuhashi.

Mitsuhashi giving a live update on USTREAM at the vehicle inspection site

Feeling relaxed while lined up for the vehicle inspection

Riders who passed the document inspection have a wristband attached

Tweet