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| For immediate publication |
| 2004.08.06 |
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2005 Dakar Rally
"Young Driver Training Program" Begins
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Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Nissan) and Nissan Motorsports International Co., Ltd. (Nismo) have started their Young Driver Training Program for the 2005 Dakar Rally, continuing from this year's event.
At auditions held in spring 2003 to find young Japanese drivers to train for the Dakar Rally, Nissan selected Yoshio Ikemachi and Jun Mitsuhashi. In autumn of the same year the "Rookie Training Program" was launched for them to take part in the 2004 Dakar Rally. The two drivers underwent overseas driving and mechanical training, Ikemachi with the Nissan Rally Raid Team then-stationed in the UK and Mitsuhashi with the Nissan France Dessoude Team. Both entered the 2004 Dakar Rally in T1 class cars (Unmodified Production Car class). Mitsuhashi drove well and at one point was in second place in his class before having to retire. Meanwhile Ikemachi proved his mettle with a superb performance on his way to becoming the first ever Japanese to win the T1 class. He also received the Fair Play Award for good sporting behavior after giving one of his rivals a tow during the race.
After various training in Japan, the two drivers recently took part in the first step of this year's training program, entering the T2 class of the Baja Espana in Spain from July 22 to 24 in a Nissan Pathfinder. Ikemachi and Mitsuhashi took turns as driver and co-driver, finishing a creditable 12th in a tough race in which only 34% of the entrants (33 out of 97 cars) finished.
After the Baja Espana, the two drivers moved on to Morocco in late July where, under instructor Jerome Riviere, they practiced driving in desert conditions for a week.
From September their training will continue in various locations in Japan, Europe and Africa. Their main training timetable is shown below. All practical aspects of the training are being organized by Nismo.
"Young Driver Training Program" schedule
| Sept 1 - 10 |
Mechanical training at Nissan France Dessoude Team |
| Sept 11 - 13 |
Paris 24-Hour Rally - scheduled to enter |
| Sept 18 |
Nissan Racing School at Mine Circuit, Yamaguchi Prefecture
(Jun Mitsuhashi only) |
| Oct 2 |
March Cup Race at Mine Circuit |
| Oct 25 - Nov 3 |
Shamrock Rally in Morocco |
| Nov 4 - 18 |
Intensive training in Morocco |
| Dec 12 - Jan 15 |
Mechanical training at Dessoude, France |
| Dec 28 |
2005 Dakar Rally - scheduled to enter T2 class |
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| Yoshio Ikemachi |
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Jun Mitsuhashi |
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