Faggotter Closes On Safari Success but Quinn does manage to claw back some ground after Faggotter makes navigational error
Despite a mixed day on the course during day five, Rodney Faggotter still maintains a comfortable lead in the 2014 Australian Safari as the field prepare for day six.
Faggotter had a tough morning session finishing in seventh place and having 14 minutes taken out of his lead but rebounded well to win the afternoon stage and get the margin over his nearest rival back to 24 minutes.
“I got lost!” Rodney laughs. “I went 20 k’s up the wrong road and by the time I worked it out and then came back, I had lost a lot of time.
“So, I had to get on it during the second stage to try and get some of that time back are restore a good gap over the field.
“Everything is good now and the bike is working and running really well. With Shane out, I’m being spoilt at the moment as the entire Active8 Yamaha team are here for me. I have a lot of support and they are doing an awesome job,” Faggotter ends.
DMC rider Adam Clay was another competitor who wasn’t tripped up by the navigation despite Safari being his first navigational rally. A successful ride today catapulted him into fourth outright. “Yeah I pulled my finger out today. It was a really fast course with endless sand, and was good fun,” said Adam.
“We got to the clay pans in the first stage. Rod Faggotter and everyone else went left, and Quinn Cody and I went right. It was a good call,” said Adam.
“Every night the service boys are getting the bike better and better for me.”
“Tomorrow has a lot of chances to get lost. There’s some limestone in store, so you can’t go off anyone ahead of you.”
Day six has three relatively short stages around the Carnarvon area and another solid performance today should set up a comfortable day for Faggotter as he closes in back to back Safari victories.
Current Standings – After Day 5
- 1st Rodney Faggotter – 19.32.56 (Yamaha WR450F)
- 2nd Cody Quinn – 19.56.13 (CPW 450RR)
- 3rd Ian Blythe – 20.23.12 (CPW 450RR)
- 4th Clay Adam – 21.25.29 (KTM 450 EXC)
- 5th Paul Nappy – 21.33.55 (Honda CRF450X)
