Fumio Nutahara will be competing in the WRC2 class of the final WRC round, Rally Japan, as part of the ‘NUTAHARA Rally Team supported by KTMS’. He will be competing in a GR Yaris Rally 2, the same car he uses in the All Japan Rally Championship, in a partnership with Shungo Higashi.
In order to compete in the WRC, Nutahara, who finished third in the JN-1 class of the All Japan Rally Championship this season, will not only have to use Pirelli tyres, which are the official control tyres, but also will not be able to use the livery of other tyre manufacturers, so after the All Japan Rally Championship, he will be driving with KTM livery, which was applied in a hurry from ADVAN.
As ‘Mr. ADVAN’, Nutahara has been driving a red and black machine for many years, and even Toshihiro Arai, who also competes in the WRC2 class, said to him, ‘A blue car doesn’t suit you at all! ’, but Nutahara says, ‘This is my first time competing in the WRC in a Toyota car, and it’s also my first time competing in Rally Japan in Aichi and Gifu, so I’m looking forward to it. I’ll do my best together with the KTMS members.’
A total of 18 Rally2 cars will be competing in the WRC2 class. Top-ranked drivers and drivers from Toyota’s WRC Challenge Programme will also be competing, but keep an eye out for this blue car with the number 35 on the side.
