| Australian Safari 2008 |
| Skrivet av Redaktionen | |
| 2008-10-27 | |
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Söndagen den 17 aug Pelle och Olle har landat i Austalien och har hunnit med en hel del redan, bl a. en hejdundrande 50-års fest för Bruce. De har även poserat i sina nya snygga tävlingdräkter bredvid både Ve-Hi Crossen, som Pelle och Olle kör samt den nya D-Maxen, som Bruce och Harry kör. (se foton nedan.) Måndag morgon bär det av mot Kalgoorlie där starten av Australian Safari 2008 går, tid för denna är lördagen den 23aug. GARLAND MOTORSPORT UPDATE Bruce Garland, Pelle Wallentheim and the team have arrived in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia (see attached map) in readiness for the start of the 2008 Australasian Safari, after driving their D-Max race cars across the middle of Australia from Sydney. That’s a distance of around 2810km (1746 miles) as the crow flies, but of course, these boys never do anything via the shortest route! They left Sydney early on Monday morning (August 18) and arrived in Kalgoorlie late last night (August 21). Along the way, the team took advantage of some very steep sand dunes to test the D-Max’ climbing capabilities and both Bruce and Pelle are extremely happy with the result. “They are sensational in the sand dunes,” Bruce says. The crew is also very pleased with the general performance and speed of both of the D-Maxes and the Vehi-Cross which has been completely rebuilt for this event, and are feeling very confident of a strong result. Today, Friday, they are getting set up ready for the event, with scrutineering at 1pm WA time. [Well-known Australian offroad photo-journalist Ric Williams is travelling with the team and we will have photos from the journey and from the lead-in to the event with tomorrow’s report.] The event starts on Sunday morning, with bikes out first (one-minute intervals), followed by the 22 entries in the auto division (two-minute intervals), and then the quads (one-minute intervals). The field will be re-seeded for Day Two following the results from Day One A total of 80 cars, bikes and quad bikes will leave Kalgoorlie for seven days and more than 2700km of competitive stages (4400km in total) on a route that takes them deep into the Western Australian outback. While the exact course remains a secret (a driver’s briefing tonight should reveal some of the mystery), it will take the competitors over desert roads and farm tracks from Kalgoorlie to Perth, via Sandstone, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet and Geraldton. o 36 satellite phones Söndag 24 augPelle och Olle rapporterar hem att de var mycket nöjda med gårdagen och sin 4:e placering totalt, trots en del mekaniska problem.Under SS 2 igår fick de ett hål i växellådan så att olja började läcka ut, detta upptäckte de under service mellan SS 2 och SS 3. Hålet fick tätas provisoriskt och Pelle tog det ”lugnare” under SS 3, han växlade inte mer än nödvändigt för minimera slitaget på växellådan. Efter målgång på SS 3 byte man växellådan och främre differentialen. Dagens sträckor gick enligt Pelle bra, men han var nog väldigt blygsam i sin bedömning. I den preliminära resultatlistan ligger Pelle och Olle tvåa totalt endast fem minuter efter ledaren!!!! Pelle berättar att de inte har haft några missar i sin körning, allt har fungerat bra och de har navigerat rätt hittills. Nu ser Pelle och Olle fram mot onsdagen´s specialsträckor, totalt ca 600 km med endast snabbservice som tankning, m,m.Onsdagen kan bli utslagsgivande med tanke på hur man har kört sitt fordon de två första dagarna och att servicen är begränsad. Chanel Ten, ett av Australiens större TV-bolag, har monterat in en kamera i Vehi-crossen och skall filma morgondagens sträckor från Pelle´s förarperspektiv, spännande! Det också bekräftat att Pelle och Olle nu är allmänt kända som ”The crazy swede´s” down under på grund av deras framfart i den Australiensiska röda jorden.
GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI DAY ONE: SUNDAY, August 24, 2008 It may have been an early start for the Garland Motor Sport/Tubus Racing team on Day One of the 2008 Australasian Safari, but it was well worth the effort. After three competitive stages totaling 298.65km in a loop around the West Australian gold mining city of Kalgoorlie, Pelle Wallentheim and Olle Ohlsson (Isuzu VehiCross) are in fourth outright and Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki (Isuzu D-MAX) are in fifth outright. Both Bruce and Pelle are competing in the A5 category of the event, for unlimited 4WD recreational vehicles and Extreme 4WD vehicles. Pelle’s VehiCross is in Category A5.1 for modified 4WD vehicles up to 3500cc.Bruce’s D-MAX is in Category A5.2, for modified 4WD vehicles over 3500cc. While the D-MAX engine is 2999cc, because it is turbo-charged the rules state that all diesel engines with forced induction will have their capacity multiplied by a factor of 1.5 (by 1.7 if petrol) as per the current CAMS Cross-Country Technical Regulations. At the top of the field is Steve Riley in a Mitsubishi Pajero (A5.2), ahead by nearly 12 minutes despite a number of problems. Reg Owen is running second in a Nissan Patrol (A2.2) with Des Harrington (A5.2) third in his Nissan Patrol, another minute behind. Pelle is less than 15 seconds behind Harrington and Bruce just under eight minutes further back. Reigning champion John Hederics is out of the event after rolling his new Holden Colorado on the first stage. Structural damage to the roll cage forced his retirement. Bruce says both he and Pelle are very happy with their results for Day One with both cars running like clockwork, although he described the 300km leg as tiring. Conditions were tight and twisty and it was hard to stay on track. Tomorrow, Monday, the crews leave Kalgoorlie; tomorrow night’s stop will be at Sandstone (see map sent earlier). There are four competitive stages covering 381.34km. Due to some technical issues in Kalgoorlie, we don’t yet have photos of today’s competitive stages but hope to remedy the situation tomorrow. Garland and Wallentheim are competing in the 2008 Australasian Safari as the first stage of their attack on the 2009 Dakar Rally in Argentina. After WA, the two crews will take two Isuzu D-MAX utes built by Garland Motor Sports to contest the UAE Desert Challenge in late October. Liz Swanton GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI DAY TWO: MONDAY, August 25, 2008 Another ‘long day in the saddle’ for the Garland Motor Sport/Tubus Racing crews, with a total competitive distance of 381km covered on Day Two of the 2008 Australasian Safari. After a 5.30am start from Kalgoorlie (bike riders left first), Bruce Garland/Harry Suzuki (Isuzu D-MAX) and Pelle Wallentheim/Olle Ohlsson (Isuzu VehiCross) had an exhausting day that involved four stages. The route headed north-west towards the overnight halt in Sandstone. Stages included a variety of road conditions that presented station tracks and long runs along fence lines, interspersed with some twisty tracks to keep everyone honest.There was plenty of rough and rocky terrain for competitors to negotiate, especially on the final stage. At nearly 188km, it was extremely rough and rutted. Drivers and riders crossed the Goldfields Highway mid-way through the stage, before finishing near Sandstone. The weather was again fine and dry with temperatures around the 20°C mark, which was ideal for crews, although dust again made visibility a problem for some. During today’s stages, Bruce and Pelle started well, topping the leader board for the first stage, with first and second fastest times respectively. In the next stage, Bruce was third fastest, while in the following stage, it was Pelle who was in third position. At the end of the day [provisional results], Pelle and Olle are second outright in the auto division while Bruce and Harry are fifth outright.Steve Riley in a Mitsubishi Pajero (A5.2) continues to lead (7h.54:06s), then Pelle (7h.59:14s), with Des Harrington (A5.2) third in his Nissan Patrol (8h.02:03s). Bruce’s total time is 8h.15:11s. Tomorrow, the crews tackle a mammoth day with four stages and over 400km of competitive driving (601km total) to do as they head north to Meekatharra. The stages are approximately 79, 87, 87 and 160km long and at the end of the day, competitors will have travelled 1816.16km since the start on Sunday. Both Bruce and Pelle are competing in the A5 category of the event, for unlimited 4WD recreational vehicles and Extreme 4WD vehicles.Pelle’s VehiCross is in Category A5.1 for modified 4WD vehicles up to 3500cc. Bruce’s D-MAX is in Category A5.2, for modified 4WD vehicles over 3500cc. While the D-MAX engine is 2999cc, because it is turbo-charged the rules state that all diesel engines with forced induction will have their capacity multiplied by a factor of 1.5 (by 1.7 if petrol) as per the current CAMS Cross-Country Technical Regulations.Reigning champion John Hederics (A5.2) is out of the event after rolling his new Holden Colorado on the first stage yesterday (Sunday). Unfortunately our technical problems continue and there still are no photos. Please be assured, we are doing all we can to resolve the problem and will send them as soon as possible.
GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI DAY THREE: TUESDAY, August 26, 2008 A ‘big, hard day’ is the way Bruce Garland has summed up Day Three of the 2008 Australasian Safari, saying everyone is having problems. For Bruce and Harry Suzuki (Isuzu D-MAX) of Garland Motor Sport, and Pelle Wallentheim and Olle Ohlsson (Isuzu VehiCross) of Tubus Racing, that meant a number of punctures each, plus some difficulties staying on track. Today was made up of four stages and around 413km of competitive driving (601km total) from Sandstone to Meekatharra (see map sent earlier this week). There were some very rough and rocky sections and some very challenging navigation along the way. As the crews rest in Meekatharra tonight, they have covered a total of 1816.16km since the start on Sunday, with 2484km still to go to the finish line in Perth on Saturday. “One interesting part of the day was this section where we were racing through tunnels of overgrown trees along tracks that no-one had driven for years,” says Bruce. “It sounded like 50 pygmies hitting the side of the car with hammers – and it looked like it too, when we came out the other side!” Bruce says he and Harry have struggled to find their rhythm together, having not competed seriously for a couple of years, but believes they are now back in-sync and is confident things will run more smoothly in the “office” from now on. Both he and Pelle are happy with the way the two Isuzus are performing, with Bruce particularly impressed with the D-MAX, describing it as “sensational”. After the three days, Wallentheim/Ohlsson are in third place, with Garland/Suzuki in fifth (see top results and times below), with Garland posting a first, second and third fastest stage times today. Auto leader, Steve Riley, was in doubt with engine problems before the day started, but got his Mitsubishi Pajero going and won the first two stages. The car is still losing oil after those early problems, but Riley is hopeful of maintaining his lead. Competitors face the Safari’s toughest day tomorrow, with nearly 600km of stages. It starts with a monster 232km stage, which is quickly followed by another stage of over 220km.
AUTO DIVISION (after 9 of 24 stages) AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI UPDATE – DAY FOUR As of midnight, eastern Australian time, we are still waiting for the full results of today’s four stages to be posted. For the moment, after the day’s two very long stages (232km and 224km), Garland/Suzuki are in third place outright and Wallentheim/Ohlsson are in fourth place outright.Riley/Doble have maintained their lead, with Harrington/McCready in second place. Full report to follow when all four stages have been finalised.We are still having trouble with our own photos, so please find attached two, courtesy of the event photography team.
GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI DAY FOUR: WEDNESDAY, August 27, 2008 A ‘Dakar day’ is the best way to describe Day Four of the 2008 Australasian Safari, with four stages totaling around 600km. For Bruce and Harry Suzuki (Isuzu D-MAX) of Garland Motor Sport, and Pelle Wallentheim and Olle Ohlsson (Isuzu VehiCross) of Tubus Racing, it was another day of driving hard but smart – not only because it was such a long haul but also because there was only one hour allowed for servicing on arrival at the overnight stop. “We had to look after the cars because of the limited service time,” says Bruce. “If you wreck it, you don’t have enough time to fix it.” Bruce and Harry took off slowly and built pace across the day, moving gradually up the leaderboard. But their progress was also partly due to some bad luck for their teammates, who went about 15km off track, before getting back on the right road. Today’s leg started with a monster 232km stage, which was quickly followed by another stage of over 220km in length. Again, Bruce has described the D-MAX’s performance as sensational and points out that the diesel is using 80-100 litres less fuel each day than its petrol-engined rivals. Despite some engine problems over the last few days, Steve Riley continues to hold the lead. As of 7.30am eastern Australian time, full results were still not complete on the event site but they are Riley first, Harrington second and Garland third. Wallentheim had been running fourth in the previous stage but has not registered among the small number on the board in the final stage, apparently because of a wrong turn. A full list of current times and placings will be issued as soon as it becomes available – and we’re still checking but we believe the stage win yesterday is the first time a diesel-engined vehicle has won a stage, at least in the recent history of the Safari. Thursday’s programme will see the competitors head south west to Mt Magnet, where overcast conditions and some light rain is expected. Over 471km of stages await, including two stages of over 150km in length. SAFARI UPDATE – TOP FIVE AUTO AT THE END OF WEDNESDAY (PLEASE NOTE EXPLANATION BELOW) WEDNESDAY RESULTS (MINUS SS15) 1. RILEY/DOBLE Mitsubishi Pajero 18:56:53 2. HARRINGTON/MCCREADY Nissan Patrol 18:59:26 3. GARLAND/SUZUKI Isuzu D-MAX 19:25:47 4. WALLENTHEIM/OHLSSON Isuzu VEHI-CROSS 19:27:30 5. OWEN/CAIRNS Nissan Patrol 19:53:17 GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI DAY FIVE: THURSDAY, August 28, 2008 With around 500km left to run in the 2008 Australasian Safari, Bruce Garland knows he has his work cut out if he wants the top step on the podium. Steve Riley continues to hold tight to first place in the auto division despite his Mitsubishi Pajero being nicknamed ‘battle-scarred galactic-car’ because it is such a mess! In second place is Des Harrington in a Nissan Patrol, while Garland and Harry Suzuki are in third place in the all-new Garland Motor Sport Isuzu D-MAX. Their Swedish teammates Pelle Wallentheim and Olle Ohlsson are in fourth in the Tubus Racing Isuzu Vehi-Cross. “We’re really going to have to pull something out of the hat or the other guys need to strike some serious trouble, if we’re to have any chance of winning this thing,” says Garland. “But there’s still around 500km to go and it isn’t over until the fat lady sings – and she hasn’t started yet!” Despite the battle ahead, Garland is pleased with what has been achieved this week, in view of the long-term goal. He’s learned a great deal about how to race a diesel-engined vehicle as opposed to the petrol-engined versions he’s had so much success with in the past, as well as greater understanding of the fuel economy of a diesel engine in racing conditions. He’s also proved that the Garland Motor Sport-built prototype D-MAX is quick, strong and reliable. “This is a four-cylinder car and we’re matching times with two guys who have six-litre Chevvy engines in their cars. If we can mix it with them, then I think our race cars will not be too shabby against what we will be up against, come the international events. “We’ve also had no mechanical dramas compared with what Steve [Riley] and Des [Harrington] have been dealing with, which says a lot about our car. We did have some issues earlier this week – I’ve made some mistakes and Harry has made some mistakes – and that’s what has put us a bit further back than we might otherwise have been, but we’re on top of all of that now and we’ve learned so much, which will be handy when we run both cars in Dubai, and then going on to Dakar.” Garland says the nightly service for the D-MAX has been a simple affair because the ute has been running faultlessly: a general once-over, a tyre check, a change of air filter and some fuel. For Wallentheim and Ohlsson, it was a mixed day today. The guys had a puncture early on the first stage and decided to back off to preserve their second spare tyre. “It was the reverse of a stage we did a couple of days ago when we had a lot of punctures,” Wallentheim says. “It was very tight and twisty with a lot of pieces of wood close to the edge of the track. If you drive too wide, the wood punctures the tyres. So we had one puncture this morning, and we had a long way to go to the next service, so we didn’t want to risk another one, so we backed right off. “But on the second stage we increased our speed again, and that was a good stage for us, and so were the other two stages. We are having lots of fun.” As we talked, the rain was falling. Both Wallentheim and Garland are hoping for wet weather tomorrow because the two Isuzus work better on wet roads. Their concern, however, is that there is talk of a storm tomorrow and if it gets too windy, the helicopter that is part of the safety network will not be allowed to fly, which could halt the running of the event. Competitors left the outback mining town of Meekatharra this morning, travelling around 600km south-west towards Mt Magnet, with four competitive sections totalling 471km. RESULTS – LEG FIVE (after stage 19 of 24)
STATEMENT BY AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI 28 August 2008Leg 6 of the Australasian Safari on Friday 29 August - from Mt Magnet to Geraldton - has been cancelled due to the potential of damage to land and infrastructure created by poor weather conditions.Three private stations had kindly agreed to make their land available to the competitors but due to wet weather conditions experienced on Thursday and forecast for Friday, event officials have made the decision to cancel this leg of the race.The 2008 Australasian Safari has relied on the goodwill of station owners throughout the mid West and Goldfields and does not want to compromise this relationship for the future success of this event. Leg 6 will now be a neutral day for competitors who are now asked to check in at Yalgoo in the morning and arrive at Geraldton in the afternoon, in time for the planned community welcome at 5pm. Results from Leg 5 will be carried over to Leg 7 scheduled on Saturday 30 August fromPerth. GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI DAY SIX: FRIDAY, August 28, 2008 A frustratingly quiet day for the Garland Motor Sports/Tubus Racing team today, with all stages cancelled because of wet weather in the Mt Magnet area where the Australasian Safari competitors spent last night.The crews were due to head out this morning for several hundred kilometres of competition, but about 8pm last night they were told the run through to the coastal town of Geraldton would be simply a transport stage. “It was pretty boring, really,” says Isuzu D-MAX driver, Bruce Garland.“We just motored up the highway. And would you believe, after all the country we’ve been through, Des Harrington [who is currently in second place to Bruce’s third] broke a diff, just before we came into service. Just driving up the highway! ”It’s a shame they didn’t let the event go ahead after the rain – the D-MAX is really good in mud and I reckon we could have clawed back some time.” Instead, losing today’s stages means there is little chance of Garland and his co-driver Harry Suzuki and their Swedish teammates Pelle Wallentheim and Olle Ohlsson (currently fourth in their Isuzu VehiCross) advancing too much further up the leaderboard – although neither crew will call it quits before they get to the podium. “We only have one stage tomorrow, which is about 75km, but it includes some serious sanddunes, and the D-MAX is sensational in sanddunes,” says Bruce, who tested his vehicle in sand country on the way from Sydney to WA before the event started. The VehiCross is also good in sand, because of its light weight.If he holds position at third, Bruce will still be quite satisfied with the week’s work. A podium finish on debut of a new car is nothing to sneeze at. More importantly, it bodes well for what the D-MAX will face when it gets to Dakar.“The two cars ahead of us in this event have much more power than we do. They’re both running six-litre Chevvy engines and we’ve been trading times with them all week. "They also have more power than the Dakar cars. Dakar cars have restrictors, so if we can match it with these guys, we should be matching it with the Dakar cars, and that’s all good news. “And it’s so reliable too. We haven’t had to do much more than check the tyres each night, do a quick once over and throw in some fuel. Servicing has been a breeze in our camp.”Bruce says the battle plan for tomorrow is a simple one.“We’re just going to keep on doing what we’ve been doing all week, as far as the driving goes, and stick some more pins into the little voodoo dolls we’ve made of Steve and Des, to see if that helps us beat them!” By the time, the competitors reach the finish line at Forrest Place in the heart of Perth, capital city of WA, they will have travelled about 4300km since the start last Sunday, August 23.
RESULTS – AS OF LEG FIVE (NO RESULTS FOR DAY SIX) 1. Steve Riley/John Doble Mitsubishi Pajero 24h34m18s GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI DAY SEVEN: SATURDAY, August 30, 2008 After seven days and around 4300km, the Garland Motor Sport/Tubus Racing crews have today taken third and fourth outright in the 2008 Australasian Safari. There was only one stage on this final day, where the competitors travelled from the WA coastal town of Geraldton to a podium presentation in the heart of the state capital of Perth. The 75km stage included sanddunes, water crossings, a monster hillclimb and sections of thick scrub.It was rough but not rough enough to interrupt the charge by Steve Riley in his battered Mitsubishi Pajero and Des Harrington in his Nissan Patrol, who finished first and second after leading the field almost since leaving the startline in Kalgoorlie, last Sunday, despite both suffering a multitude of incidents and mechanical issues along the way. Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki had hoped to make up some time on Friday (yesterday) when rain was forecast, because the prototype D-MAX is particularly good in the wet, but the conditions were so bad that the entire day’s stages were cancelled.“It was a shame to lose yesterday,” says Bruce, who came home ahead of Swedish teammates Pelle Wallentheim and Olle Ohlsson in their Isuzu VehiCross. Neither crew had any serious incidents this week, aside from a number of punctures.“The other guys were definitely suffering, or their cars were, and I think we could definitely have made up some ground against them, if we had run the stages, but it was not to be.“It’s great to have made the finish line, but I’m realising how tired I am, not just because of seven days in the saddle, but also because of the six months of hard work that have gone into building the D-MAX.“Still, this week has proved its capabilities as far as what we built it for. It’s been good practice for Dakar. It’s another step closer to Dakar.“We know the car is strong and reliable and really good on fuel. We know it’s quick because we’ve been matching times with Steve and Des and they have six-litre Chevvy petrol engines under their bonnets compared to our four-cylinder diesel. It shows we will be very close to the mark with the Dakar cars, because they have restrictors.“And we haven’t had any problems with our car. The guys have had very little to do all week. With both cars, it really has been a case of just giving them a general check when we finish, along with throwing some fuel, tyres and air filters at them on a regular basis. We also changed brake pads a couple of times, but that was it. “The D-MAX looks like it will cope well with Dakar, but there’s still work to be done. We’ve got Pelle’s D-MAX built now and ready to go, so we’ll see what they are capable of when we get to Dubai. Given how well they perform generally, and particularly in the sanddunes, we should put on a pretty good show over there.”The crew will now do final preparations on the two cars before they are put on a boat for Dubai and the next step of the journey to Dakar. But tonight, of course, the Garland Motor Sports//Tubus Racing fun meter will be turned up to high as the crew celebrates the week’s achievement with some serious partying!Both Bruce and Pelle competed in the A5 category of the 2008 Australasian Safari, for unlimited 4WD recreational vehicles and Extreme 4WD vehicles. Pelle’s VehiCross is in Category A5.1 for modified 4WD vehicles up to 3500cc; Bruce’s D-MAX is in Category A5.2, for modified 4WD vehicles over 3500cc. While the D-MAX engine is 2999cc, because it is turbo-charged the rules state that all diesel engines with forced induction will have their capacity multiplied by a factor of 1.5 (by 1.7 if petrol) as per the current CAMS Cross-Country Technical Regulations. The Australian and Swedish crews tackled the Australian event as the first stage of their attack on the 2009 Dakar Rally in Argentina. The next step is the UAE Desert Challenge in late October. RESULTS – AS OF LEG SEVEN (AFTER 24 STAGES) 1. Steve Riley/John Doble Mitsubishi Pajero 25h37m33s 2. Des Harrington/Sue McCready Nissan Patrol 25h55m53s 3 Bruce Garland/Harry Suzuki Isuzu D-MAX 26h08m36s 4. Pelle Wallentheim/Olle Ohlsson Isuzu VehiCross 26h19m05s 5. Peter Glennie/Peter Clark Toyota Landcruiser 27h12m33s GARLAND MOTOR SPORT UPDATE: AUSTRALASIAN SAFARI LOOKING BACK/LOOKING FORWARD (September 2, 2008) After seven days and around 4300km of competition in the 2008 Australasian Safari, the Garland Motor Sport/Tubus Racing team is now preparing for their next event – the UAE Desert Challenge in late October. After finishing third and fourth outright in the Safari, and first in their respective classes, Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki (Isuzu D-MAX) and Pelle Wallentheim and Olle Ohlsson (Isuzu VehiCross) took a day off to recover, before beginning preparations for their trip to Dubai. The team had driven two D-MAXs from Sydney to Perth, the prototype for Garland and Suzuki to compete in, using the Safari as a full shakedown, and the second car as prepared for Wallentheim and Ohlsson’s Desert Challenge and Dakar campaigns. This week, the team is doing a final check on the cars before they are put on a cargo vessel to be shipped from Perth to Dubai.Then, as Pelle and Olle fly home to Sweden, Bruce and the team will drive back to Sydney where they will finish building a third D-MAX. This will be the car Bruce and Harry drive in the Dakar with the prototype as a back-up, and this third vehicle will be shipped direct to Argentina once it is finished. “It just doesn’t stop,” says Bruce, “but it’s all good. We learned a lot from the Safari that we are able to translate into both cars, and into the third one we are building. “We got the speed, handling and reliability sorted on the Safari and we found out how good the D-MAX is in wet weather and in big sanddunes, during the event and while we were travelling over beforehand. “Pelle did a lot of testing of his car on the way over to Perth and he is very happy with it. He loves the car and the gearbox and we both found the D-MAX much better in the sand than we were expecting. We really feel we have the right package for Dakar. ”The UAE Desert Challenge will effectively be stage two of testing for the D-MAX with everything focussed on the car’s readiness for Dakar.“If we don’t break anything in Dubai and if the car copes with 50° heat, then we will know we are ready for Argentina,” Bruce says.Olle says he and Pelle are looking forward to driving the new D-MAX, saying it will take them to a new level.“We had a very good race in the Safari and we’re feeling very pleased with ourselves. That was our second race together. We came third in the Condo 750 and now fourth in the Safari, which is a much bigger event.“We’ve still got a lot to learn but we have learned a huge amount this week. We didn’t damage the car, we were matching the speed of the other more powerful cars. I think we even won two stages! “We’re working well as a team and we are working well with Bruce’s team. It’s all going much better than we expected, especially the success we are having, and so we are very excited about Dubai and, of course, about the Dakar.“The D-MAX is a very good car. Bruce and the team have done an excellent job and we are really looking forward to Dubai so we can learn how to get the best out of this car. RESULTS OF THE SAFARI (AFTER 24 STAGES) 1. Steve Riley/John Doble Mitsubishi Pajero 25h37m33s 3 Bruce Garland/Harry Suzuki Isuzu D-MAX 26h08m36s 4. Pelle Wallentheim/Olle Ohlsson Isuzu VehiCross 26h19m05s Garland/Suzuki: first in Class A5.4; Wallentheim/Ohlsson: first in class A5.1.
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