Masuoka with the trophy on the hood of his Pajero Evolution. (Jiji)

At the 2003 Paris-Dakar Rally, regarded as the world's most demanding auto race, Hiroshi Masuoka, driving a Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution, became the first Japanese ever to win the race's overall championship two years in a row and only the fourth person ever to accomplish this feat in the event's history. It was also the third consecutive Paris-Dakar victory for Japanese automaker Mitsubishi. The 42-year-old veteran driver's historic achievement was celebrated by ecstatic racing fans back home in Japan.

Desert Challenge
The setting for this rally, officially called the 2003 Telefonica-Dakar, is the expansive Sahara desert of North Africa. Drivers in the race's 17 stages traverse a marathon of uneven sand dunes and rocky terrain over several days in a race that requires exceptional driving skill and endurance, not to mention a sturdy vehicle. Completing the Paris-Dakar Rally demands human toil and high-tech hardware in equal measure, making it an arduous race unlike any other.

As its popular name suggests, the race originally ran from the French capital Paris to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, West Africa, though the route has actually changed from year to year. On January 1, 2003, the twenty-fifth running of the race got underway as 343 vehicles set off from Marseille on the southern coast of France. After covering approximately 8,600 kilometers of terrain, the first vehicles crossed the finish line on January 19 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Although the race is still known as the Paris-Dakar Rally, this year was the first time that the route passed through neither Paris nor Dakar.

Come-from-Behind Victory
The rally is divided into three categories: cars, trucks, and motorbikes. Competing in the car category, Masuoka was involved in the battle for first place in the early stages. Toward the middle of the race, however, he was overtaken by Mitsubishi teammate Stephane Peterhansel of France, who began to stretch his lead. But in the sixteenth stage, on the penultimate day of the race, Peterhansel's vehicle developed mechanical trouble, allowing Masuoka to take the lead and cruise to the finish line for victory.

"I'm glad I didn't give up and kept racing to the finish. You never know what can happen in a rally," said Masuoka. He should know: He first began participating in the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1987, finally achieving his first victory in his fifteenth attempt in 2002. "Stephane's car troubles certainly helped, but pulling out this win felt to me like a come-from-behind, bottom-of-the-ninth-inning grand slam," commented a jubilant Masuoka.

Ironman Takes Fifth
During the race 54-year-old Kenjiro Shinozuka, a former teammate of Masuoka's who in 1997 become the first Japanese Paris-Dakar winner while driving with Mitsubishi, suffered a serious accident while driving his Nissan Pickup across the sand dunes and was forced to retire from the race due to injury. The other Japanese competitor was Yoshimasa Sugawara, who finished fifth in the truck category in his Hino Ranger. For the 61-year-old Sugawara, 2003 marked the twenty-first consecutive time he has participated in the rally. "That's a darn good result, I'd say," remarked the proud rally ironman.

Upon his triumphant return to Japan, Masuoka said: "I want to work on strengthening myself mentally and go for a third straight victory." Supporters of Masuoka and the other Japanese drivers can hardly wait for them to take on the desert again in next year's race.