With the committed backing of Ralliart, Katsuhiko Taguchi will participate in the 2008 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) series as part of Team MRF Tyre. The 2008 APRC will be contested on 7 rounds. Out of that 7 Taguchi is scheduled to challenge 6, opting out of the final round, the China Rally. He will take on these 6 rounds in a Gr-N specification Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Team MRF Tyre is India's largest tyre maker. MRF Limited will act as the team's main sponsor. Tyres manufactured by MRF will be used. In addition, PIAA CORPORATION. will support the team as a sub-sponsor as was the case last year. The vehicles will utilize various components made by PIAA CORPORATION such as valves, fog lights, and windshield wiper blades.

The FIA or (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) established the APRC back in 1988 as one of 4 major regional rally championships. This year marks the 21st season. Mitsubishi drivers won 7 series championships during the entire APRC beating out every other manufacturer. In addition, the 2008 APRC will be contest by registered drivers. According to points accumulated through 6 rounds (registered in advance out of total 7 rounds), the year's results will be contested.

Since Team MRF Tyre clinched the championship with the help of Armin Kremer (Germany) in 2003 and in 2005 with Jussi Valimaki (Finland), MRF has dominated the APRC twice in the past 5 years. For the 2008 APRC, the series (except 7th round) will be contested by 3 experienced crews led by the Katsuhiko Taguchi / Mark Stacey (Australia) team followed by Scott Pedder (Australia) / Glenn Weston (Australia), and Gaurav Gill (India) / Glenn Macneall (Australia). All crews will participate in Gr-N specification Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions.

Katsuhiko Taguchi was born in Okayama on February 7, 1972. There are high expectations for the ace rally driver. In 1999 in managed a double-title on the APRC, taking both the overall championship as well as Gr-N. He was part of Ralliart's Japanese driver development program and as works driver he was permitted to driver a Gr-A spec. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Subsequently he went on to win the Cyprus Rally, the 6th round of the 2001 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and the 3rd round in the 2002 Rally of Britain. In 2004 he began challenging the APRC series in the Gr-N category in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. That same year he seized the China Rally (5th round) and subsequently ranked third in the hotly-contested series. On the 4th round of the 2005 Rally Hokkaido, his home event, he took an impressive overall victory and soon followed with a rousing 2nd overall finish on the 6th round, the Rally Indonesia. But he only managed 5th in the series ranking due to 2 retirements during the course of that year's APRC. But he was back in form in 2006 winning the 2nd round, the Rally New Caledonia. But a series of minor troubles prevented him from accumulating enough wins and landed him 3rd in the series ranking. In 2007, he participated in the WRC on a limited basis and took a spectacular victory in Gr-N on the Rally Japan (14th round). On the APRC, he was not able to reach his goal of Champion despite taking a hard-fought 2nd on the Rally New Caledonia (Rd. 1), the Rally of Canberra (Rd. 3), the Rally Hokkaido (Rd. 4) and the Rally Malaysia (Rd. 5) and finished the season 3rd in the series ranking. For the 2008 APRC season, there are high expectations for Team MRF Tyre to clinch its second champion title. This will also mark Taguchi's fifth pairing with veteran co-driver Mark Stacey.

Veteran Australian driver Scott Pedder will be one of Taguchi's teammates. The 31 year old ace driver is currently with Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia and has participated in the Australia Rally in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He was also crowned champion during the 1999 and 2000 championships. For Taguchi, his presence is both encouraging but at the same time he is also a formidable rival. In addition, the third driver, 26-year old Gaurav Gill of India will be challenging his 2nd season in the APRC. The young talented driver has the enthusiastic support of the main sponsor MRF and there are considerably high expectations for this Indian driver. Although he experienced a major crash on the opening round in 2007, he showed significant skill by keeping pace with his 2 teammates and subsequently finished the event, placing 8th in the series ranking.

		"I am very happy to be chosen again as a member of the Team MRF Tyre. In 2007 I took 2nd place on 4 rounds but eventually lost the 2nd ranking position to my teammate and ended 3rd. Midway through 2007 I have been challenging various driving methods and feel I have mastered them. As a result I was able to win the Gr-N on the WRC's Rally Japan. I hope to refine those driving skills this year and believe that I will get the champion title again as I did in 1999."
		Katsuhiko Taguchi - Main Results 1999 APRC Champion, Group N champion 2000 WRC Rally Australia - 11th overall (Group A) 2004 APRC China Rally - Overall victory 2005 APRC Rally Hokkaido - Overall victory 2006 APRC Rally New Caledonia - Overall victory 2007 WRC Rally Japan Group N victory