Although now in his seventies, Kenjiro Shinozuka has remained involved in racing by entering events like the Africa Eco Race, which begins in Europe and finishes in Dakar, Senegal, like the legendary Paris–Dakar Rally of yore. Unfortunately, this will not be the case in 2024 as the sudden loss of one of his primary sponsors has forced him to abandon a return.
Shinozuka was the first non-European competitor to win the Dakar Rally when he topped the Cars overall in 1997. Racing a Pajero as a factory driver for Mitsubishi, he held off future two-time champion Jean-Louis Schlesser until the halfway point when Schlesser retired, enabling Shinozuka to lead a Mitsubishi top four sweep with eventual 1998 winner Jean-Pierre Fontenay, 1993 victor Bruno Saby, and future twice winner and fellow Japanese driver Hiroshi Masuoka in tow.
The victory came in Shinozuka’s twelfth Dakar after scoring four podium finishes since 1986. He continued to race for Mitsubishi through 2002 before joining Nissan. His Nissan début in 2003 ended with a life-threatening crash, though he was able to recover and return in time for 2004. His final Dakar was in 2006.
Besides the Dakar, he built much of his name in rallying with Mitsubishi. He won the World Rally Championship’s Rallye Côte d’Ivoire in 1991 and 1992, the latter the final year that it was under the WRC banner. While the rally continues today, he remains its only winner from Asia.
Although he retired from the Dakar after 2006, he made his return to the route by entering the Africa Eco Race in 2019; the AER was created a decade to fulfill the Europe to Africa course after the Dakar was moved to South America. Strugo won the race while Shinozuka finished thirty-fourth overall in an Isuzu VehiCROSS.
Shinozuka had hoped to return in 2022 but “various circumstances” prompted him to delay his plans by a year, only for the race to be pushed to January 2024 due to flooding in Dakar. Despite being forced to back out, he hopes to continue supporting the region by selling his old firesuits and merchandise like themed teddy bears and die-cast cars of his rally raid vehicles to raise funds for the Kenjiro Shinozuka Elementary School in Senegal. The school was opened in 2002 using prize money he earned from racing.
“For the children’s education, we still need a lot of funds for teaching materials, stationery, facility investment, etc. I hope to receive cooperation from everyone,” wrote Shinozuka. “I have added some cherished items such as racing suits, although they are small. I have also added items such as mini stickers and kids’ mini cars, which are relatively inexpensive. It is a painful decision, but for the future of the children and for my own dreams, please continue to lend a hand, everyone.”
The 2024 Africa Eco Race begins on Saturday.