Rally Dakar 2005

Repsol Drivers. Hiroshi Masuoka
Career Highlights: 1987: 29th overall, Dakar Rally1990: 10th overall, Dakar Rally (1st in T2 category)1992: 20th overall, Paris-Le Cap1994: 4th overall, Dakar Rally1995: 10th overall, Dakar Rally1996: 6th overall, Granada-Dakar Rally1997: 4th overall, Dakar Rally1998: 4th overall, Paris-Granada-Dakar Rally1999: 6th overall, Granada-Dakar Rally2000: 6th overall, Dakar Rally in a Mitsubishi Pajero2001: 2nd overall, Dakar Rally in a Mitsubishi Pajero2002: 1st overall, Dakar Rally in a Mitsubishi Pajero2nd overall Rally of Morocco in a Mitsubishi Pajero2003: 1st overall, Dakar Rally in a Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution1st overall, Baja Italy in a Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution2004: 2nd overall, Dakar Rally in a Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution1st overall, UAE Desert Challenge in a Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution    Hiroshi Masuoka was born in Japan in March 1960 and now lives in Irurna, Saitama, in Japan with his wife Chiaki and son Shoichiro. He first began off-road racing in 1979and attempted the Dakar for the first time in 1987. In 1990 he finished first in the T2 category and then took fourth position four years later. Between 1995 and 2000 he finished inside the top 10 on six occasions, the highlight being a pair of fourth places in 1997 and 1998. He made the podium and runners-up spot the following season in a Mitsubishi Pajero, but his finest hour came in 2002 when he became only the second Japanese driver to win the Dakar Rally with the Mitsubishi Motors team. Hiroshi took a second successive victory in 2003, in addition to a late win in the Baja Italy, and finished runner-up behind team mate Stéphane Peterhansel in 2004. After a quiet year, he returned to action in October to win the UAE Desert Challenge for the first time at his sixth attempt.