Rally: death of Japanese Kenjiro Shinozuka, former winner of the Paris-Dakar
Kenjiro Shinozuka, the first Japanese driver to win the Paris-Dakar in 1997, died Monday at the age of 75 from pancreatic cancer, reported Japanese media including the Jiji Press agency.
Japanese driver Kenjiro Shinozuka at the finish of the 2002 edition of the Paris-Dakar, January 13, 2002 © SEYLLOU DIALLO / AFP/Archives
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Shinozuka took part in its first Paris-Dakar in 1986 - the year of the tragic death of its founder Thierry Sabine -, when the Mitsubishi firm launched into the famous rally-raid.
He finished third the following year and second in 88, in full domination of the Peugeot 205s. His coronation finally came nine years later, in 97, with his French co-driver Henri Magne, at the wheel of a Pajero 4x4.
Originally from Tokyo, Kenjiro Shinozuka began his career with the Japanese firm as a mechanic.
At the same time, he began a career as a driver in the Japanese rally championship.
A lover of Africa, the Japanese participated in the Dakar until 2007 despite a serious accident in 2003 which left him in a coma, still finishing on the podium twice (1998 and 2002).
He also distinguished himself on the Ivory Coast rally, with two victories in 1991 and 1992. After 2008, he participated in solar car races at Tokai University in Tokyo.
The Dakar family is incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Kenjiro Shinozuka.
At the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero, Kenjiro had become the first Japanese to win the Paris-Dakar in 1997. He was a 21-time Dakar stage winner and the first non-European to win the event.
The… pic.twitter.com/bcnlMuKyke
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) March 18, 2024
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