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Jan 11, 2023 – Chen Hehuang & Chen Yiwen shine again at Asia Cross Country Rally
2025-07-282022 Asia Cross Country Rally Report – Chen Hehuang & Chen Yiwen Achieve Another Great Result
Source: CARNEWS Tuning｜CARNEWS, published on Jan 11, 2023
https://www.carnews.com/tuning/news_/330910
https://www.carnews.com/tuning/news_/330910
Held annually in Thailand, the Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) challenges drivers and vehicles with jungle, rivers, swamps, and steep slopes, attracting competitors from Japan, Korea, and across Southeast Asia.
In 2022, i‑Taiwan Team leader Chen Hehuang joined with his daughter Chen Yiwen and veteran driver Shen Jiaying to take on the 27th AXCR.
The rally spanned five days, covering 1,521.6 km across Thailand and Cambodia. The toughest day, Stage 4, demanded 432.51 km through remote terrain—mud, steep hills, rocks, rivers, and sugarcane fields—testing every driver’s skill and endurance.
Vehicles needed top‑tier off‑road capability to tackle sticky red soil and deep mud (up to 70 cm). Many relied on winches or fellow racers to escape, adding to the rally’s intensity and spectacle.
Result: Chen Hehuang and Chen Yiwen once again delivered outstanding performance, showcasing Taiwan’s off‑road prowess on the international stage.
The official course of the 27th Asia Cross Country Rally in 2022 was held over five days, spanning routes across Thailand and Cambodia.
The total distance covered over the five days reached 1,521.6 km, posing a significant test of endurance for the drivers.
The total distance covered over the five days reached 1,521.6 km, posing a significant test of endurance for the drivers.
Although affected by the COVID‑19 pandemic, the total number of participating vehicles this year was lower than in previous years.
However, there were still 18 motorcycles and 33 cars, making 51 vehicles in total competing in the rally.
However, there were still 18 motorcycles and 33 cars, making 51 vehicles in total competing in the rally.
In addition to the features mentioned above, another major challenge of the Asia Cross Country Rally is that no pre‑running of the course is allowed.
Each day’s SS stage covers 100–200 km or more, taking 4–5 hours to complete. The longest SS stage appears on Day 1, stretching 201.05 km, which must be finished within 6 hours, not including the travel time on RS sections.
If drivers had to scout every route beforehand, they would have no time to rest, and their vehicles would hardly withstand such intense use.
This long distance truly tests both driver endurance and vehicle durability.
Each day’s SS stage covers 100–200 km or more, taking 4–5 hours to complete. The longest SS stage appears on Day 1, stretching 201.05 km, which must be finished within 6 hours, not including the travel time on RS sections.
If drivers had to scout every route beforehand, they would have no time to rest, and their vehicles would hardly withstand such intense use.
This long distance truly tests both driver endurance and vehicle durability.
The AXCR (Asia Cross Country Rally) is a highly prestigious jungle rally, so many local Thai manufacturers form teams to compete, including TRD, GR, Ralliart, ISUZU, and Ford, with internationally renowned professional drivers behind the wheel—showing just how high the standard of this event truly is.
Therefore, drivers can only rely on the roadbook to complete the race.
However, the terrain can change overnight—such as after heavy rain—creating unexpected conditions not marked in the roadbook.
Under these circumstances, the teamwork and quick reactions between driver and co‑driver become critical. It’s not just about speeding through; if a vehicle breaks down deep in the stage, towing it out for repairs is a major challenge.
The support crew might need to travel hundreds of kilometers into the course, often on paths inaccessible to ordinary support vehicles.
And that’s when things go smoothly—poor cell reception in the mountains is common, leaving teams completely cut off, with no one to call for help.
However, the terrain can change overnight—such as after heavy rain—creating unexpected conditions not marked in the roadbook.
Under these circumstances, the teamwork and quick reactions between driver and co‑driver become critical. It’s not just about speeding through; if a vehicle breaks down deep in the stage, towing it out for repairs is a major challenge.
The support crew might need to travel hundreds of kilometers into the course, often on paths inaccessible to ordinary support vehicles.
And that’s when things go smoothly—poor cell reception in the mountains is common, leaving teams completely cut off, with no one to call for help.
Due to the abundance of jungles and marshlands across Thailand and Cambodia—and in order to minimize the impact on local traffic—the rally routes are mostly set on remote mountain trails.
These courses often feature challenging terrains such as mud, steep slopes, loose gravel, rivers, deep ditches, and even sugarcane fields.
These courses often feature challenging terrains such as mud, steep slopes, loose gravel, rivers, deep ditches, and even sugarcane fields.
This year, Chen He‑Huang switched to a modified FUSO Canter commercial truck for the race.
Key upgrades included reinforcing the chassis structure and installing a roll cage.
The engine and transmission were repositioned further back to balance front‑rear weight distribution, and the drivetrain was heavily reworked to improve the locking performance of the front, center, and rear differentials.
Key upgrades included reinforcing the chassis structure and installing a roll cage.
The engine and transmission were repositioned further back to balance front‑rear weight distribution, and the drivetrain was heavily reworked to improve the locking performance of the front, center, and rear differentials.
Chen He‑Huang formed the i‑Taiwan Rally Team
to pass on rally experience and driving techniques.
The 2022 AXCR Taiwanese team, i-Taiwan Rally Team, was led by Dakar rally driver Chen He-Huang, accompanied by his daughter Chen Yi-Wen. Chen He-Huang competed with a specially modified new FUSO Canter commercial truck purchased domestically and upgraded by his Mountain City 4WD team. Key modifications included reinforced chassis rigidity, added roll cage, relocating the engine and transmission for better front-to-rear weight balance, and extensive drivetrain upgrades to improve front, center, and rear differential locking.
To enhance off-road performance, the shock absorber mounts were redesigned for longer travel, allowing better handling of rough, uneven terrain. Additionally, the ECU was reprogrammed to increase engine output and bypass emission controls like urea and DPF systems, focusing the engine purely on power delivery.
Although the FUSO Canter commercial truck’s shock absorber mounts were redesigned for better off-road performance on extremely rough or uneven terrain, it still couldn’t withstand the harsh conditions completely. During the race, a steel plate broke, requiring urgent repairs.
As for the race vehicle used by Chen Yi-Wen and Shen Jia-Ying, it was a right-hand-drive Toyota Hilux purchased by Chen He-Huang in Thailand during his participation in the 2019 AXCR. To familiarize himself with the vehicle’s characteristics and modification details, Chen also acquired a left-hand-drive Toyota Hilux in Taiwan before the official launch, with assistance from Tai Motors. He studied the mechanical and electronic systems of the left-hand-drive model in Taiwan, then brought the data to Thailand for local technicians to assist in modifying the right-hand-drive vehicle.
Modifications included installing an FIA-compliant roll cage, upgrading the four-wheel locking system, chassis and suspension enhancements, and adding rally-specific equipment such as rally meters, fire extinguishers, winches, racing seats, and six-point safety belts. All modifications were overseen and directed by Chen He-Huang. Though the process was challenging, they managed to complete the vehicle modifications to achieve their racing goals.
The race vehicle used by the team of Chen Yi-Wen (left) and Shen Jia-Ying (right) is a right-hand-drive Toyota Hilux purchased by Chen He-Huang in Thailand during his 2019 AXCR participation. The entire vehicle underwent extensive modifications to cope with the race’s harsh terrain.
Although Chen He-Huang has participated in the AXCR multiple times and could easily compete for top overall rankings when pushing hard, this time his main goal was to assist Chen Yi-Wen to finish the race. Therefore, his driving pace was not very fast. He often slowed down to check on Chen Yi-Wen’s vehicle position and condition before moving forward. Despite many challenges during the race—such as the FUSO’s shock absorber mount cracking and the vehicle getting stuck in Cambodian swamps—they successfully finished the race. They won the T4-A class championship and the women’s category championship. Chen He-Huang also expressed special thanks to the few but strong sponsors supporting the i-Taiwan Rally Team, helping raise Taiwan’s visibility and achieving another impressive record for the team at the AXCR.
Chen Yi-Wen’s team also faced challenges during the race. On the final day, due to slow traffic ahead preventing an increase in speed, their vehicle got stuck in a swamp. Fortunately, with assistance from the FUSO Ken-Ta race vehicle, they were eventually able to get free.
The fifth day’s stage crossed the border into Cambodia. Since Taiwan does not have official diplomatic relations with Cambodia, the customs clearance process involved numerous hurdles and required a large deposit before passing through successfully, highlighting the difficulties Taiwanese drivers face when competing abroad.
Almost every driver finishing the race is covered in dirt—perfect for those who love playing in the mud and want to join the competition.
Both i-Taiwan Rally Team vehicles successfully finished the race, winning the T4-A class championship and the Women's class championship respectively. Chen Hehuang especially thanks the few but strong sponsors who supported the team, helping to raise Taiwan’s visibility.
The Society of Safe-Driving was established with the mission to enhance disaster rescue driving skills.
This year, the i-Taiwan Rally Team not only participated in the 2022 Asia Cross Country Rally but also helped establish the non-profit public organization, the Society of Safe-Driving. Through competing in the rally, they hope to share race experiences to assist more people in understanding off-road safe driving techniques, enabling smoother disaster rescue operations.
Founder of the Society of Safe-Driving, Mr. Chen Hehuang, stated: "Taiwan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and the public needs to develop awareness of earthquake disaster risks. Rescue personnel especially need to enhance their rescue skills. After a major earthquake, terrain and road damage are primary causes of rescue delays, so firefighters and rescue workers must further improve their driving skills. Today, I want to contribute a little to Taiwan with my modest abilities. In the future, through the platform of the Society of Safe-Driving, we will pass on driving skills, vehicle expertise, and terrain assessment knowledge to frontline firefighters. We welcome anyone who wants to dedicate themselves to Taiwan to join us and support our country!"
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