Yokohama's victory in the ACXR rally
The crew of a Mitsubishi Triton equipped with Yokohama tires won the overall classification of the Asia Cross Country Rally (ACXR), the largest off-road racing event in Asia, held in Thailand from August 10 to 15, 2026. Previously, Mitsubishi vehicles fitted with Yokohama tires have already demonstrated outstanding results in the ACXR, including victories in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
In 2026, the winners were Katsumi Taguchi and Takahiro Yasui from the Mitsubishi Ralliart team, who claimed first place for the second year in a row. This time, they finished third on the first and second stages, then took the lead on the third special stage, where a series of challenging turns demanded precise navigation, and held their position in a tense battle, avoiding tire punctures and finishing 2 minutes and 25 seconds ahead of their nearest rival. This marks the first ACXR victory for Taguchi and Yasui, and moreover, no fully Japanese crew had previously ever won the rally.
Half of the top ten finishers this year were equipped with Yokohama Geolandar tires, including the Isuzu D-Max from the Isuzu Suphan Trane Titanium Yokohama Nexzter Rally Team, whose crew secured third place. Additionally, Yokohama supported Koto Haneda and Momo Tsukushima, who finished 19th driving a Suzuki Jimny Serra and won the women’s category.
The winning Triton was fitted with Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 tires, designed to deliver high traction in all off-road conditions while offering extended tread life, and previously proven effective and reliable in numerous off-road races around the world.
The AXCR race, first held in 1996, is a Dakar-style rally raid officially sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). This year’s route spanned approximately 2,000 km from Pattaya to Phitsanulok, traversing mountainous terrain, plantations, and jungles.
"In 2026, we once again chose the Yokohama Geolandar M/T G003 tires for our participation in the ACXR rally," said Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Mitsubishi Ralliart. "This time, only Chayapon [Yota]'s vehicle suffered a tire puncture. A deflated tire can significantly impact race performance, and I believe Taguchi and Yasui’s ability to complete the rally without a single puncture in such intense competition greatly contributed to their overall victory, as did the reliability of the Geolandar M/T G003 tires."