Australasian Safari
Encyclopedia
The Australasian Safari is an off-road motor sport racing event held in Australia. Like the Dakar Rally, the vehicle classes involved are motorcycles and cars
, however there is no truck class. From 2008, a quad
class was introduced. The event was first run in 1985 and has been held under the International Sporting Code of FIM and the General Competition Rules of Motorcycling Australia
since 1999.
The event is usually held around the end of August, in the Australian winter, and covers approximately 5500 kilometers, mostly through the Outback
in just over a week..
The event was originally known as the Wynns Safari and was first run in 1985. 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.
The event changed its name in 1989 to the Australian Safari and to the Australasian Safari in 2008.
Western Australia will again play host to this exciting event, frequently referred to as Australia’s version of ‘Paris to Dakar’, for the fourth time in 2010 showcasing the incredibly diverse landscape the state has to offer. Providing Australasian Safari competitors and entrants with an unrivaled backdrop this off-road rally course will rank amongst the most spectacular in the world.
As part of the Australasian Safari adventure competitors will traverse outback roads and tracks via a route that takes in a great variety of geographical challenges. The inclusion of varying vehicles types, participating in either a competitive or touring element, allows for a spectacle like no other in Western Australia’s amazing Outback.
After a very successful 2010 event the Organising Committee and Road Crews are already planning the 2011 adventure. Our aim stays the same “to provide the best, safest and most challenging long distance off-road race in the Asia Pacific region”.
The Australasian Safari is now promoted by Justin Hunt Management.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, however there is no truck class. From 2008, a quad
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
class was introduced. The event was first run in 1985 and has been held under the International Sporting Code of FIM and the General Competition Rules of Motorcycling Australia
Motorcycling Australia
Motorcycling Australia is the governing body for motorcycle racing in Australia, covering road racing, motocross, trials, supercross, dirt track, supermoto and speedway...
since 1999.
The event is usually held around the end of August, in the Australian winter, and covers approximately 5500 kilometers, mostly through the Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
in just over a week..
The event was originally known as the Wynns Safari and was first run in 1985. 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
Tanami Desert
The Tanami Desert is a desert in northern Australia situated in the Northern Territory. It has a rocky terrain with small hills. The Tanami was the Northern Territory's final frontier and was not fully explored until well into the twentieth century...
, through the Kimberley region into Darwin, across the Gulf Country of far northwest Queensland and an eventual finish in Sydney.
The event changed its name in 1989 to the Australian Safari and to the Australasian Safari in 2008.
Western Australia will again play host to this exciting event, frequently referred to as Australia’s version of ‘Paris to Dakar’, for the fourth time in 2010 showcasing the incredibly diverse landscape the state has to offer. Providing Australasian Safari competitors and entrants with an unrivaled backdrop this off-road rally course will rank amongst the most spectacular in the world.
As part of the Australasian Safari adventure competitors will traverse outback roads and tracks via a route that takes in a great variety of geographical challenges. The inclusion of varying vehicles types, participating in either a competitive or touring element, allows for a spectacle like no other in Western Australia’s amazing Outback.
After a very successful 2010 event the Organising Committee and Road Crews are already planning the 2011 adventure. Our aim stays the same “to provide the best, safest and most challenging long distance off-road race in the Asia Pacific region”.
The Australasian Safari is now promoted by Justin Hunt Management.
Results
| Year | Auto - Winner | Moto - Winner | Quad - Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo | Andy Caldecott Andy Caldecott Andy Caldecott was an off road motorcycle racer born in Keith, South Australia. He won the Australian Safari Rally four times consecutively and was a competitor in the Dakar Rally in 2004 , 2005 , and 2006.... KTM 660 |
- | |
| 2001 | Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo | Andy Caldecott KTM 660 | - | |
| 2002 | Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo | Andy Caldecott KTM 660 | - | |
| 2003 | Hederics Nissan Patrol Nissan Patrol The Nissan Patrol is a four-wheel drive vehicle manufactured by Nissan in Japan since 1951. In Japan since 1980, it has been known as the Nissan Safari. The Patrol is available in Australasia, Central and South America, South Africa, parts of Southeast Asia and Western Europe as well as Iran and... |
Andy Caldecott KTM 660 | - | |
| 2004 | Hederics Holden Rodeo Holden Rodeo The Holden Rodeo is a utility vehicle that was sold in Australasia by Holden, a General Motors subsidiary... |
J Cunningham Honda XR 650 | - | |
| 2005 | Cancelled | - | ||
| 2006 | Cancelled | - | ||
| 2007 | Hederics/Williams Holden Rodeo Holden Rodeo The Holden Rodeo is a utility vehicle that was sold in Australasia by Holden, a General Motors subsidiary... |
Grabham Honda CRF 450X | - | |
| 2008 | Riley/Doble Mitsubishi Pajero Mitsubishi Pajero The Mitsubishi Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It was named after Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas Cat which is native to the Patagonia plateau region of southern Argentina. However, since pajero is an offensive term for "wanker" in Spanish, alternative names have... |
Grabham Honda CRF 450X | Maragozidis Polaris Outlaw IRS | |
| 2009 | Riley/Doble Mitsubishi Pajero Mitsubishi Pajero The Mitsubishi Pajero is a sport utility vehicle manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. It was named after Leopardus pajeros, the Pampas Cat which is native to the Patagonia plateau region of southern Argentina. However, since pajero is an offensive term for "wanker" in Spanish, alternative names have... |
Jacob Smith Honda CRF 450X | Josef Machacek Yamaha Raptor | |
| 2010 | Craig Lowndes Craig Lowndes Craig Lowndes is a multi-championship winning Australian racing driver. He is a three-time V8 Supercar champion and five-time winner of Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000... /Kees Weel Holden Rodeo Holden Rodeo The Holden Rodeo is a utility vehicle that was sold in Australasia by Holden, a General Motors subsidiary... |
Ben Grabham KTM KTM KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen... 530 EXC |
Paul Smith Honda Honda is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than... TRX700XX |
|
See also
- Baja 1000Baja 1000SCORE Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexico's Baja California Peninsula in November. The Baja 1000 is part of the SCORE Championship Desert Racing Series that include the Baja 500, San Felipe 250 and the new San Felipe Challenge of Champions in place of the Primm 300 which had...
- Budapest-BamakoBudapest-BamakoThe Budapest-Bamako or Great African Run is now the largest amateur rally in the world, the largest rally across the Sahara and an important charity car race in Africa. The Budapest-Bamako is a low-budget version of the Dakar Rally and goes from Budapest, Hungary to Bamako, Mali through the Sahara...
- Dakar RallyDakar RallyThe Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
- Finke Desert RaceFinke Desert RaceThe Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is an off road, multi-terrain two-day race in Northern Territory, Australia through desert country from Alice Springs to Aputula Community. The race crosses the Finke River, believed to be the oldest river in the world...
- Offroad racing
- Plymouth-Banjul Challenge