Jussi Valimaki is known for high-speed driving and his all-round knowledge in rallying. A potential WRC(World Rally Championship) driver Jussi was a test driver for the Hyundai WRC team in 2003 until the company withdrew from the world championship.Taguchi, who won the APRC round in China and finished second in the overall championship last year will be a serious contender for the APRC title this year, with professional co-driver Mark Stacey confirming his association with Mitsubishi Ralliart for the 2005 season.

Unlike last year when 6 rounds were organised for the Championship--Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Japan, China and India, this year 8 rounds are scheduled for the Championship, with India not included in the 2005 calendar. The rounds finalised by FIA for this year's Championship are : Australia (April 22-24), New Caledonia (May 22-24), New Zealand (June 17-19), Japan (July 22-24), Malaysia (August 19-21), Indonesia (September 9-11), Thailand (October 21-23), and China (November 16-18). MRF is presently committed to six rounds of the Championship.

The six best performances of a registered APRC driver will count for the Championship. It is compulsory to participate in two rounds of the Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia) and three rounds of the Asian area. FIA has reverted to the three-day format compared to the two-day competition last year.