Toyota GR Team Thailand Competes in AXCR 2023 with Hilux Rally Car

Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand is competing in the AXCR for the first time!

The region’s biggest and most important rally championship, the Asian Cross Country Rally Championship (AXCR) is finally back for the 2023 edition this month. While reigning champion Team Mitsubishi RalliArt outfielding the next-gen Triton Rally Car to retain its championship crown this year, one new contender has risen up to the challenge, which is none other than the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Team Thailand.

TGR Team Thailand is outfielding two Toyota Hilux rally cars for AXCR 2023

Taking over from last year’s runner-up Toyota Cross Country Team Thailand, the new TGR Team Thailand is outfielding two Toyota Hilux rally cars for the Group T1 category – the same category as the Team Mitsubishi RalliArt’s Triton. Draped in the TGR’s iconic red-black-white racing livery, this rally-spec Hilux is visually more similar to the Aussie-spec Hilux GR Sport compared to the Malaysian one, with the addition of few rally-specific equipment.

Key equipment include the air intake snorkel at the front, proper off-roading wheel shod in mud-terrain (MT) tyres, while its tailgate door is deleted to make room for the spare wheels. As per AXCR’s Group T1 regulations, the Hilux rally car’s powertrain remains the same as we saw on its road-legal counterpart. This means that its 2.8-litre 4-cyl turbodiesel mill still delivers 204 PS and 500 NM, which is now mated to a six-speed manual instead.

Jaras Jaengkamolkulchai and Sinopong Trairat (left) of car #102 & Mana Pornsiricherd and Kittisak Klinchan (right) or car #1111

In-charge of piloting the TGR Team Thailand’s two Hilux rally cars are Jaras Jaengkamolkulchai and Sinopong Trairat for car number #102, as well as Mana Pornsiricherd and Kittisak Klinchan for car number #111.

The AXCR 2023 will be the first complete running of the rally competition since the Covid-19 pandemic, with last season’s edition held on a shortened schedule due to tight travel restrictions. Spanning six legs with a total distance of over 2,000 KM, the AXCR 2023 kick-started on Aug 13 at Pattaya, Thailand, with the sixth and final leg taking place later on Aug 19 at Pakse, Laos.