I was retired in stage 9. Cause is that protrude out could not turn a corner, them rollover.
I didn’t try to attack, I still can not understand what happen. But When make a mistake, something like that.I’m driving too fast….
Then I fix the car on their own,I came back to the bivouac in the middle of the night.
However, the team has decided to retire me.
The reason is that they focus on one car the other,No.343.At the moment, I have not heard directly the reason, so I understood.
The next morning, my car was back in excellent condition thanks to the mechanic.However, team decided that quit continue…
Actually, No343 have a serious trouble.Have been in trouble even stage 10, they have not yet settled.In such a situation, they do not want to use a mechanic and parts for my car.

I agree with all aspects of the decision!!!!
Rather, I can for the team is to stop the rally right now.

To everyone who was cheering, I want to say thank you.
Although my rally was over here, I want you to help them No.343 & TLC.

Jun Mitsuhashi

Report #11 “Stage09 Tucuman > Coldoba (continued report)”

January 14(Local date), We had a report from the site and knew the situation of JUN’s car crushed. After JUN cleared the right corner, the car fallen ahead and got upside down in the second half of the second SS. The drop was not high and JUN and Alain was not injured.
However all of the engine oil leaked and they had no spare. They obtained the oil from other cars and started again but they lost much time. Even the power steering fluid was lost after that and the heavy steering made JUN’s arms so tired. He had to run in the dark with the one-eyed head light too. JUN reached the goal after 22:00.

They needed to move more distance to the bivouac but the road was jammed by the audience back to home. JUN arrived to the bivouac at 1:30.

When he woke up in the tent next morning, TLC decided to retire the rally already. JUN’s Dakar Rally 2013 was over in frustration.

Report #11 “Stage09 Tucuman > Coldoba”

January 12(Local date), JUN challenged the longest SS of the rally today but no report came yet from him. According to the ili GPS tracking system, JUN started SS at 50th and upped the rank to 37th one time but downed to 92nd at the check point 3. JUN finished the stage after 22:00.

The breaking news from TLC’s Facebook, the car got the accident and overturned but no one got hurt.

The distance from the finish point of SS to the bivouac is 83km, if the car still had some troubles that distance would be a hard way. We have no arrival announce from anybody till now and the site is midnight(local time). It is easy to imagine they had a serious trouble on the way. Only we can do is wait the news from JUN or TLC.

Dakar Rally 2013 Stage 09 Result:

Liaison: 175km
SS: 593km
Overall standings:

Report #10 “Stage08 Salta > San Miguel De Tucuman”

January 12(Local date), Dakar Rally 2013 officials separated SS of the stage 8 into the 2 parts due to the rain, and the first SS was canceled yesterday. However the rest of SS was canceled at 103km point from the start of SS too.

The heavy rain was the cause of everything. JUN turned back along the way of SS and took a shortcut from CP2 point. It was the same as the whole stage was canceled. The officials accepted only 3 first comers as the 1st to 3rd and the rest was all ranked 4th.

The rain changed even the dried-up river to the muddy stream and the drivers had to find the low water dosage points to cross the river. After JUN and the team crossed the river successfully, FOJ and the top runners gave up the crossing the river at the same point and they went to look for the other point. It was the chance to cut down the gap between the leading pack and TLC as much as possible. JUN and TLC succeeded to buy a time but it wiped out. Because all cars ranked 4th except the 3 cars finished first.

The stage was racked by the weather like TLC towed the friend’s car of the teammate Zibon about 140km to the bivouc. Today’s stage canceled was the damage for TLC but JUN will make a push for the team’s win. Tomorrow is the rest day and JUN looks back the first half of the rally on JUN TV. Check it out !

Dakar Rally 2013 Stage 08 Result:

Liaison: 380km
SS: 470km
Overall standings: 46th

※CP2 point

Report #09 “Stage07 Calama > Salta”

January 10(Local date), the stage 7 was the high altitude course in the Andean Cordilleras. JUN has been over and over the high mountains at the same altitude of Mt.Fuji(3,776 m) of Japan. He crossed the border and entered Argentina later. This stage was canceled by officials once but they held the stage according to schedule that was lucky for TLC. Because they don’t want to lose any stages for the victory. A lots of car crush happened everywhere today, the reason was the stage 7 had many mountain paths to cross the borderline in the high altitude Fortunately JUN was not caught in any accidents.

Hitting off today’s stage, it will be the battle with the dust. The camion went ahead like blocked JUN’s way and he had to follow the truck 70km long with full of stress. However Alain showed his great navigation skill during the low visibility by dust. JUN followed Alain’s instruction to drive the car. Like the eyeballs of JUN, the view came around as Alain said. JUN felt the combination with Alain was the perfect and great again. He worried about Alain’s motivation but he was so glad Alain’s reanimation.

The car had the bunch of electric troubles yesterday but not today. Mountain air was so thin and felt the engine gutless a bit also.

TLC team arrived the bivouac, it was heavy rain. Officials separated tomorrow’s SS into the 2 parts due to the rain, and the one of SS was canceled. It is the damage for TLC.

JUN thanked to the mechanics who kept to maintain the car in the rain. SS become short but JUN will strongly support the car #343 tomorrow.

Dakar Rally 2013 Stage 07 Result:

Liaison: 533km
SS: 218km
Overall standings: 46th

Report #08 “Stage06 Arica > Calama”

January 09(Local date), today was the day of troubles. 2 cars of TLC missed the course adoption same time and lost their way at the beginning of the race. They were interrupted by climbing the sand dunes that they dd not to need. The tire came off several times and finished up the tires they have only 3 also and the cars had to run at the low speed.

Unfortunately the electric trouble happened like yesterday again. At 30 to 40km point from the start, the engine did not rev up but nobody could not find the matter. Finally the engine stopped when SS was finished. JUN and the crew arrived to the bivouac by towing and lost much of time. It was lucky the engine did not stop during SS…..

Tomorrow’s weather cast is snow and the official canceled the race once but they recalled it. Race is on. To catch up the leaders, JUN and the team want to avoid to cut down the stage. They tried to recover the loss up to 20 minutes as they talked by all before the start. The car #343 of TLC had shorten 20 minutes gap between Foj, the top of the stock car category as they talked before the race.
JUN said “We relayed the hope to the win”.
He changed his mind completely from the sad news of yesterday. He was so fine and cheerful.

Dakar Rally 2013 Stage 05 Result:

Liaison: 432km
SS: 291km
Overall standings: 44th

【Message from JUN】

Really sorry.
It was going to cause serious trouble, away from the Production category.
But still I can not believe, but no choice and accept…..
However, the rally is not over yet. I go to finish!

Report #07 “Stage05 Arequipa > Arica”

January 09(Local date), TLC car #343 had the electric trouble in the stage 5 and the car could not start the engine and stopped on the course. JUN found and towed the #343 to the safe place first then separated the batteries and fixed to back the electric power supply. They tried to push-start and succeeded to start the engine.

#343 backed to the road but stopped on the way sometimes. JUN towed the car 5km again and the car could start the engine and run by herself later. JUN relieved to hear that because it takes 100km to the goal at that point. Besides towing on the feshfesh ground in the mountain is too hard to pull the car. They lost much of time but reached the goal safely.

After the race, JUN talked to Alain that they finished their first job as the support car. JUN thought he was over as the driver when he knew the news of the defection from the stock car category before the race start. Now JUN changed his mind and make TLC car #343 win the rally without question. JUN lost his victory this year but he will support the teammate as hard as he can.

Dakar Rally 2013 Stage 05 Result:

Liaison: 284km
SS: 172km
Overall standings: 50th