Australasian Safari

The Australasian Safari was an off-road motor sport racing event held in Australia between 1985 and 2014.

Australasian Safari
CategoryOff Road Rally
CountryWestern Australia
Inaugural event1985
Folded2014
Official WebsiteAustralasian Safari

History

The Australasian Safari was first run in 1985 and held under the International Sporting Code of FIM and from 1999, the General Competition Rules of Motorcycling Australia.[1][2]

It was usually held around the end of August, in the Australian winter, and covered approximately 5,500 kilometres, mostly through the Outback in just over a week.[3] Like the Dakar Rally, the vehicle classes involved were motorcycles and cars, however there were no truck class. From 2008, a quad class was introduced.

The event grew in size and scope for the first few years. In 1988, Australia's Bicentennial year, the event was tagged "The Big One" and was expanded to cover 10,000 km in 15 days, with a start in Alice Springs and traveling across the Tanami Desert, through the Kimberley region into Darwin, across the Gulf Country of far northwest Queensland and an eventual finish in Sydney. Out of 196 starting vehicles, only 96 finished the race.[4]

Initially known as the Wynn's Safari for commercial reasons, the event was renamed in 1989 to the Australian Safari, and to the Australasian Safari in 2008.[5] From 2007 the event was hosted in Western Australia.

Between 1994 and 1997 the event was included in the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup. It was last held in 2014 after Tourism Western Australia withdrew its funding for the event.[6]

Results

Year Auto - Winner Moto - Winner Quad - Winner Ref
1985Andrew Cowan Mitsubishi PajeroSteve Chapman Honda XR600-
1986Andrew Cowan Mitsubishi PajeroAllan Cunnynghame Yamaha XT 600-
1987Doug Stewart Mitsubishi PajeroSteve Chapman Honda XR 600-
1988Ross Dunkerton Mitsubishi PajeroMichael Goddard Honda NXR 650-
1989David Officer Mitsubishi PajeroSteve Chapman Honda XR600-
1990Kenjiro Shinozuka Mitsubishi PajeroJohn Hederics Honda XR600-
1991David Officer Mitsubishi TritonJohn Hederics Honda XR600-
1992Reg Owen Nissan PatrolJohn Hederics Honda XR600-
1993Ian Swan Nissan PatrolMichael Goddard Kawasaki KLX 650R-
1994Jean-Pierre Fontenay Mitsubishi PajeroJohn Hederics Honda XR600-
1995Doug Manwaring Nissan PatrolJohn Hederics Honda XR600-
1996Bruce Garland Holden JackarooJohn Hederics Honda XR600-
1997Mikhail Naryshkin Mitsubishi PajeroAndy Haydon KTM 640 LC4-
1998Cancelled-
1999Bruce Garland Holden JackarooStephen Greenfield Honda XR600-
2000Bruce Garland Holden JackarooAndy Caldecott KTM 660-[7]
2001Bruce Garland Holden JackarooAndy Caldecott KTM 660-[7]
2002Bruce Garland Holden JackarooAndy Caldecott KTM 660-[7]
2003John Hederics Nissan PatrolAndy Caldecott KTM 660-[7]
2004John Hederics Holden RodeoJ Cunningham Honda XR650-
2005Cancelled-[8]
2006Cancelled-
2007Hederics/Williams Holden RodeoGrabham Honda CRF450X-[9]
2008Riley/Doble Mitsubishi PajeroGrabham Honda CRF450XJohn Maragozidis Polaris Outlaw IRS[10]
2009Riley/Doble Mitsubishi PajeroJacob Smith Honda CRF450XJosef Machacek Yamaha Raptor 700R[11]
2010Craig Lowndes/Kees Weel Holden RodeoBen Grabham KTM 530 EXCPaul Smith Honda TRX 700XX[12]
2011Riley/Doble Mitsubishi PajeroTodd Smith Honda CRF450XJohn Maragozidis MMR Interceptor 850[13]
2012Hederics/Weel Holden ColoradoJake Smith Honda CRF450XPaul Smith Honda TRX700XX[14]
2013Trigg/Olholm Toyota HiluxRodney Faggotter Yamaha WR450FHeath Young KTM 690 Rally[15]
2014McShane/Hayes Toyota TacomaRodney Faggotter Yamaha WR450FJohn Maragozidis MMR Interceptor 850[16]

See also

References

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