Australian Safari kicks off this weekend
The 2008 Australasian Safari gets underway this Sunday (August 24) from Kalgoorlie.
Ahead of them awaits seven days and over 2700 kilometre of competitive stages on a route that takes them deep into the Western Australian outback. While the exact course remains a secret, it will take the competitors over desert roads and farm tracks from Kalgoorlie to Perth, via Sandstone, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet and Geraldton.
Promoted by Octagon, and with the support of Eventscorp Western Australia, the Australasian Safari is marketed as “Australia’s answer to the Dakar Rally”.
Day one of the event loops out of Kalgoorlie. Some long stages on day two sees the Safari field overnight in Sandstone (August 25). The event finishes days three (August 26) and four (August 27) with overnight stops in Meekatharra, before stopping at Mt Magnet (August 28) and Geraldton (August 29).
The event then heads south to Perth, where exhausted competitors will celebrate at the podium finish in Forrest Place, in the centre of the city on August 30.
In 2008 there are three divisions – Auto, Moto and Quads – in the Safari, all of which will be hotly contested.
In the Moto division five of the top six finishers in last year’s Safari will battle it out for honours in 2008, including reigning champion, Ben Grabham. Honda, Yamaha, KTM, Suzuki and Husaberg are all represented, and it’s sure to be a full-on race right from the very first day.
Grabham has been the star rider for the past 12 months, and beating him won’t be easy.
“We’ve been testing with last year’s bike, and making some improvements to that as we go along. In 2007 we only finished the bike two weeks before the race, so hopefully we’ll be a little better prepared this year,” he said.
That’s not good news for his rivals, but Jacob Smith, perhaps Grabham’s biggest threat, believes he can go one place better than his second in 2007, having recovered from a broken collarbone and leg.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence from finishing second last year, and I’m definitely entering this year’s Safari with the goal of winning. Our bikes will be a lot better this year, I have the mental toughness to last the distance, and my fitness will be okay, so we’re hopeful of a victory in 2008,” he said.
Matthew Fish, Andrew Coaker and David Schwarz will also be pushing for victory, as will Grabham’s brother, Damian, and Jacob Smith’s brother, Todd.
Three overseas riders will join the seven day battle. Marcel Petrig (Switzerland), Mikael Berglund (Sweden) and Yasuyuki Ohno (Japan) will not only have to battle their own fitness and that of their bikes, but also the dry, hot and dusty West Australian outback.
The biggest media interest in the Australasian Safari is sure to centre around AFL great Tony Lockett. The former St. Kilda and Sydney Swans player, who has kicked more goals than any other AFL player, will take on what is, perhaps, the biggest challenge of his life.
Riding a Honda CRF450X, Lockett had a shakedown at the Finke Desert Race in June, and while he’s not expected to challenge for a podium place, both Lockett and his team are confident that he’ll put in a respectable performance. Reaching the finish in Perth after seven tough days will be his goal.
For the first time, Quad Bikes will have their own division in the Australasian Safari, with the strong Can Am team entering two Renegade X quads for Paul Smith and Darrell Knight.
South African Vicus Vanderventer makes his Safari debut and will be difficult to beat, as will South Australian John Maragozidis on a Polaris Outlaw.
The Quads will follow the same course as the Auto and Moto divisions, and there will be plenty of interest in what sort of speed the four-wheeled machines can maintain over the duration of the event.
