Maximum Take on the Australasian Safari
Date: 23-Aug-2011
Maximum Motorsport has just formally announced its entry into the Australasian Safari at the end of September.
Not only will the Safari be a new event for the Perth-based rally team, it will also debut a current model Subaru Forester XT prepared specifically for the event. Maximum Motorsport's Dean Herridge said there were a lot for 'firsts' for them with this event.
"For the last few years we've been focusing on tarmac rallying, but the Safari is about as far removed from Targa Tasmania as you can get!” Dean said.
“As a team we have a lot of experience in gravel rallying through all the years we competed in the ARC. We've tried our hand at circuit racing with the Bathurst 12 Hour, and we've enjoyed great success in tarmac rallying, culminating with victory in this year’s Australian Targa Championship.
“This project sees us moving to the opposite end of the rallying spectrum with the Safari".
The Safari is an off-road endurance event, which takes competitors from Perth into the Western Australian outback for seven days of competitive stages.
"We're in the middle of preparing a Subaru Forester XT especially for this event. It's the first time we've used the Forester as the basis for a rally car. We'll be running in the Safari Production category, so there are very limited modifications permitted. But we think the Forester will not only be nimble, but also tough enough for the kind of terrain we'll encounter."
Piloting the Maximum Motorsport Forester will be two-time Australian Rally Champion Rob Herridge. The rally veteran said he wasn’t sure if he had drawn drew the short stick or the long one!
"The one thing I do know is that it's going to be a very hard event. Hard on the equipment, hard on myself and Tim Batten, who will co-drive for me. And hard on our team, who'll have to keep up as we race for more than 3700km through the bush," Rob said.
"The Safari is this region’s answer to the Dakar Rally, and I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be a great event."
