Lowndes leads Australasian Safari

Craig Lowndes continues to lead the pack in the auto category, while defending moto champion Ben Grabham pulls out of the event

The Australasian Safari is a gruelling 4000km journey through the West Australian bush, and already it's taken its toll on man and machine. Multiple broken bones (one leg, several knuckles), punctured palm of hand, engine failures, tyre punctures - you name it.

As it stands after leg 3 of the event, Craig Lowndes/John Panozzo (Holden Colorado) are leading the auto division and Steve Riley/John Doble (Mitsubishi Pajero) have continued their stirring battle not far behind, finishing one-two in both stages.

Lowndes’ lead has now stretched out to 21 minutes, but Riley is ready to pounce should the V8 Supercar stalwart and defending Safari champion run into strife over the next few days.

And Riley was the auto champion in 2008-2009, as well as a five-time moto podium finisher, so he’s one competitor who knows how to last the distance.

“I had a great day. The first stage had some nice clean runs with some challenging navigation points,” Lowndes said. “Stage six was the long one and we car games ried enough fuel for the entire stage which meant the car was heavy.

“In the second half of the stage it was better as the car was more balanced. We got lost a couple of times, but nothing major. I enjoyed myself today and really liked the endurance.”

Riley said they pushed themselves and their Pajero hard today.

“It was a long day and my brain is fried! The windscreen cracked a few times from the car getting bashed around,” Riley said.  “Dakar was good practice for today – you have long days and have to concentrate the whole time.”

Four autos did not manage to finish the last stage: Kalgoorlie duo Graeme Muldrew/Keith Earle (Pajero), Geoff Olholm/Brent Twaddle (Pajero), Rob Herridge/Tim Batten (Subaru Forester XT); and Thai driver Rachan Trairat with co-driver Harry Suzuki (Izuzu D-Max).

Lowndes completed stage five in a time of two hours, 19 minutes and 50 seconds (2.19:50), compared to 2.07:02 for the moto machine of Grabham, while stage six produced a similar result – 3.28:42 for Lowndes and 3.09:35 for Diener.

Colin Lawson remains the quad leader, well in front of fellow Can-Am Renegade rider Adrian Hersmen and Heath Young (KTM XC Rallye) -- the only three participants remaining after a tough day at the office.

“They were perfect quad tracks today, I had a ball,” said Lawson. “We had a few little issues with a flat tyre and problems with the sway bar that made the bike feel like a canoe.”

Defending champion Paul Smith (Honda TRX700XX) broke a leg on the last stage.

The Safari will be based at Laverton for the next two nights, with tomorrow’s leg the longest of the event at 662km over three competitive stages.

Motorcycle Category
In the moto category, KTM star Ben Grabham is out of this year’s Australasian Safari, felled by a blown engine on his 450SXF.

‘Grabbo’ made it through this morning’s opening 243km stage – the fifth of the Safari –  before his machine called it quits in a non-competitive transport section, destroying all hope of a repeat victory for the New South Welshman.

“It’s a huge disappointment, but I’ll now reload and head back east tonight to prepare for the final round of the off-road (Australian Off-Road Championship) in Dungog (NSW) this weekend,” said Grabham, who was running fourth overall when he retired.  “No-one said the Australasian Safari is meant to be an easy event, and my situation is proof of that.”

Todd Smith (Honda CRF450X) continues to lead the seven-day event from teammate and sibling Jacob Smith, followed by Yamaha pairing Shane Diener and Rod Faggotter (both WR450F).

Grabham is now left with only one major desert racing victory to his name in 2011 – the mighty Finke showpiece, held on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. But even that triumph was tempered when he limped over the line with a broken wrist.

Meanwhile, Damien Grabham (Husaberg FE570) just pipped Cyril Despres (KTM 450RR) to win stage five, with Matthew Fish (KTM 505SXF) third ahead of Todd Smith and Jacob Smith.

And stage six – the longest of the Safari at 317.94km -- saw affable South Australian Diener come out on top, 29 seconds ahead of Todd Smith, followed by Faggotter, Jacob Smith and privateer Ben Williams (CRF450X).

No rider has yet been able to win multiple Safari stages, with the power sharing arrangement making for one of the most hotly contested events in the event’s history.

Stage six was brutal for a number of the top riders, with Jacob Smith sling-shotting himself over the handlebars at high speed; Todd Smith labouring without a rear brake over the last 100km; Diener puncturing the palm of his hand after being caught out by a nasty pothole; Fish riding the last 20km on his rear rim after a tyre mousse meltdown; Damien Grabham’s map reader not playing by the rules; Frenchman Cyril Despres (KTM 450RR) making a couple of costly navigation errors; and Faggotter feeling every track ripple with what he suspects is a cracked knuckle on his left hand.

Despres, probably the biggest international visitor to the Safari since legendary Belgian pocket dynamo Gaston Rahier in 1985, was livid when he returned back to base in Laverton, and the three-time Dakar champion will now be desperate to come out firing on all cylinders tomorrow.

Despres remains in sixth position overall, but he’s now 44 minutes behind Todd Smith, who increased his own lead by eight minutes today.