| Category | Off Road Rally |
|---|---|
| Country or region | Western Australia |
| Inaugural season | 1985 |
| Drivers' champion | Riley-Doble (Autos) Jacob Smith (Motos) Josef Machacek (ATV/Quads) |
| Official website | Australasian Safari |
| Current season | |
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[1][2].
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.[3].
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.
Contents |
| Year | Auto - Winner | Moto - Winner | Quad - Winner | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo | Andy Caldecott KTM 660 | - | [4] |
| 2001 | Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo | Andy Caldecott KTM 660 | - | [4] |
| 2002 | Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo | Andy Caldecott KTM 660 | - | [4] |
| 2003 | Hederics Nissan Patrol | Andy Caldecott KTM 660 | - | [4] |
| 2004 | Hederics Holden Rodeo | J Cunningham Honda XR 650 | - | |
| 2005 | Cancelled | - | [5] | |
| 2006 | Cancelled | - | ||
| 2007 | Hederics/Williams Holden Rodeo | Grabham Honda CRF 450X | - | [6] |
| 2008 | Riley/Doble Mitsubishi Pajero | Grabham Honda CRF 450X | Maragozidis Polaris Outlaw IRS | [7] |
| 2009 | Riley/Doble Mitsubishi Pajero | Jacob Smith Honda CRF 450X | Josef Machacek Yamaha Raptor | [8] |
| 2010 | Craig Lowndes/Kees Weel Holden Rodeo | Ben Grabham KTM 530 EXC | Paul Smith Honda TRX700XX | [9] |