Australasian Safari

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

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

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.[citation needed]

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
1985 Andrew Cowan Mitsubishi Pajero Steve Chapman Honda XR600 -
1986 Andrew Cowan Mitsubishi Pajero Allan Cunnynghame Yamaha XT 600 -
1987 Doug Stewart Mitsubishi Pajero Steve Chapman Honda XR 600 -
1988 Ross Dunkerton Mitsubishi Pajero Michael Goddard Honda NXR 650 -
1989 David Officer Mitsubishi Pajero Steve Chapman Honda XR600 -
1990 Kenjiro Shinozuka Mitsubishi Pajero John Hederics Honda XR600 -
1991 David Officer Mitsubishi Triton John Hederics Honda XR600 -
1992 Reg Owen Nissan Patrol John Hederics Honda XR600 -
1993 Ian Swan Nissan Patrol Michael Goddard Kawasaki KLX 650R -
1994 Jean-Pierre Fontenay Mitsubishi Pajero John Hederics Honda XR600 -
1995 Doug Manwaring Nissan Patrol John Hederics Honda XR600 -
1996 Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo John Hederics Honda XR600 -
1997 Mikhail Naryshkin Mitsubishi Pajero Andy Haydon KTM 640 LC4 -
1998 Cancelled -
1999 Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo Stephen Greenfield Honda XR600 -
2000 Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo Andy Caldecott KTM 660 - [7]
2001 Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo Andy Caldecott KTM 660 - [7]
2002 Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo Andy Caldecott KTM 660 - [7]
2003 John Hederics Nissan Patrol Andy Caldecott KTM 660 - [7]
2004 John Hederics Holden Rodeo J Cunningham Honda XR650 -
2005 Cancelled - [8]
2006 Cancelled -
2007 Hederics/Williams Holden Rodeo Grabham Honda CRF450X - [9]
2008 Riley/Doble Mitsubishi Pajero Grabham Honda CRF450X John Maragozidis Polaris Outlaw IRS [10]
2009 Riley/Doble Mitsubishi Pajero Jacob Smith Honda CRF450X Josef Machacek Yamaha Raptor 700R [11]
2010 Craig Lowndes/Kees Weel Holden Rodeo Ben Grabham KTM 530 EXC Paul Smith Honda TRX 700XX [12]
2011 Riley/Doble Mitsubishi Pajero Todd Smith Honda CRF450X John Maragozidis MMR Interceptor 850 [13]
2012 Hederics/Weel Holden Colorado Jake Smith Honda CRF450X Paul Smith Honda TRX700XX [14]
2013 Trigg/Olholm Toyota Hilux Rodney Faggotter Yamaha WR450F Heath Young KTM 690 Rally [15]
2014 McShane/Hayes Toyota Tacoma Rodney Faggotter Yamaha WR450F John Maragozidis MMR Interceptor 850 [16]

See also

References

  1. ^ MotorSM.com - Australia Safari Archived 2 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ 2007 Australian Safari Entry Form [dead link‍]
  3. ^ Motorcycling Australia - Australian Safari, the ultimate off-road adventure [dead link‍]
  4. ^ Carpenter, Bob; Haldeman, Phil; Snooks, Tom; Munting, Nick; Automotion Australia (Firm); Wynn's Australia (1989), Wynn's Safari the big one, Automotion Australia, retrieved 9 February 2015
  5. ^ Wynn's Safari schedule extended by one day Truck & Bus Transportation April 1985 page 110
  6. ^ Western Australia to pull plug on safari Speedcafe 25 June 2014
  7. ^ a b c d Australian Safari 2000 Division Winners Archived 2 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ 2005 Australian Safari cancelled [dead link‍]
  9. ^ Australian Safari 2007 Results Archived 28 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Australian Safari 2008 Results Archived 12 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Australian Safari 2009 Results Archived 10 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Australian Safari 2010 Final Classifications Archived 22 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Australian Safari 2011 Final Classifications
  14. ^ Australian Safari 2012 Final Classifications
  15. ^ Australian Safari 2013 Final Classifications
  16. ^ Australian Safari 2014 Final Classifications