5th Consecutive Year: Tras’s Natural Fiber Composite Technology Proves Its Potential at AXCR 2026
Updated: 6 days ago
Team “Tras POWER 135 TRD HILUX” successfully completed the 31st “Musashi Asia Cross Country Rally (AXCR) 2026” and achieved its best-ever result: overall 6th place (top finish in the T1D class).
The 2026 event was held in the Kingdom of Thailand from Monday, August 10 to Saturday, August 15. Starting in Pattaya, the route passed through Prachinburi, Nakhon Sawan, and Kamphaeng Phet before finishing in Phitsanulok, covering a total distance of approximately 2,000 km (including competitive stages). Under hot and humid conditions, the rally featured a succession of Asia’s uniquely demanding stages—mountainous terrain, dense jungle, swamps, rocky sections, plantations, and muddy tracks—severely testing the durability of both vehicles and crews.
Team lineup
Team: Tras POWER 135 TRD HILUX
Vehicle: TRD Hilux (T1D class)
Driver: Masanao Nitta
Co-driver: Hirokazu Somemiya
Team support: Toyota Customizing & Development Co., Ltd.
Project leader: Katsutoshi Kashimura
The vehicle featured a body made from natural-fiber composite materials developed with consideration for the global environment. The body panels were molded in-house by Tras using natural-fiber prepreg supplied by Swiss company Bcomp. Compared with conventional carbon-fiber components, this material can reduce CO₂ emissions from production through disposal by approximately 85%, while delivering an excellent balance of light weight and strength. Leveraging Tras’s composite molding technology, the body was engineered to withstand the extreme demands of off-road competition.This year’s vehicle also received significant upgrades, including conversion of the rear suspension to a 4-link configuration, resulting in improved performance both inside and out after successive annual refinements.
During the rally, the team suffered damage to the left front fender after going off-course on the opening day. Thanks to overnight repair work, the natural-fiber body’s toughness, and the team’s strong cohesion, they were able to continue. Subsequent setup changes proved effective, and the team steadily improved its position. Finishing overall 6th, the result reflected the experience accumulated through continuous participation since 2022. Driver Masanao Nitta commented: “The initial contact was regrettable, but it became the catalyst for us to climb the standings steadily. Co-driver Somemiya’s precise instructions were also a major factor.”
Tras continues to use products made from low-environmental-impact materials in real-world motorsport competition. Following last year’s AXCR 2025 finish and special award, this year’s result once again demonstrated the practical viability of natural-fiber composites. In addition, Tras supplied a natural-fiber hood of its own manufacture to the GEOLANDAR CTS RALLY TEAM’s Jimny Sierra, further expanding the reach of its sustainable technology.
Going forward, Tras will continue to advance the development of sustainable materials and validate the technology through motorsport, contributing to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all those involved and to everyone who supported us.
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