For eight days, the rugged outback country of Australia has played host to one of the world's great desert races. At the end of the 2001 Australian Safari, last year's defending champions kept their crowns.

Words by Liz Swanton

Photos by Mark Horsburgh

• Photo Gallery
• Intro Article

For many, it was the long grass and the white ant nests hidden among it, that would spell doom. For others, the swollen river crossings. For some, mechanical problems brought on by pushing so hard for so long.

The Australian Safari has never been an easy drive. For most of the 16 years of its existence, it has been run in dry, dusty conditions, with competitors tackling rocks, creek beds and red dust with the odd small creek crossing thrown in.

This year, unseasonably heavy rain in the outback added some surprises - the creeks were running deeper and faster, and many of the tracks were heavily overgrown with fresh grass, which camouflaged dangers such as knife-edged rock pieces and hard-as-cement termite nests.

Sixty-five competitors lined up for the start, divided into a wide range of categories and classes. The Auto division covered modified (unlimited) and showroom 4WD family wagons, as well as a new division (and separate course) for rally cars. The Moto division was divided into World Cup and International Moto, the separation necessary because this year's event doubled as Round Four of the Federation Internationale Motocycliste (FIM) Cross Country Rallies World Cup.

The Safari would cover a total of 2750 miles, from Alice Springs in the centre of Australia, out to the landmark rock formation of Uluru (Ayers Rock) which is sacred to the Australian Aborigines. The field would then turn north, heading through some spectacular and remote country to the northern port city of Darwin on the Gulf of Carpentaria, famous for its delicious shrimps and deadly crocodiles.

Of the total distance, 1620 miles was divided into 24 competitive stages to be raced against the clock. Quickest time over the whole eight days would take the coveted crowns.

• Prologue - Saturday, August 18

This year's event began with a Prologue to determine starting order. All cars and bikes were timed individually over a 3.5-mile course just outside Alice Springs that also formed part of this year's Finke Desert Race.

Cheered on by a large crowd of spectators who were determined to enjoy the balmy afternoon and the excitement of the racing, 1999 winner and Alice Springs local Stephen Greenfield (4) was fastest of the riders, osting a time of 4m-20s on his Honda XR650 for the right to start at dawn on Sunday morning.

Seven seconds behind him was Andrew Caldecott (1), last year's winner, on a KTM 660 Rallye, but the surprise result was former 500cc grand prix rider Daryl Beattie (10) who was fourth fastest over the section in his off-road racing debut. Beattie had lined up for the event as part of a three-man team backed by Honda Australia. Greenfield was part of the factory line-up.

America's Casey McCoy (2), who was second in last year's event, was equal fifth (Honda XR650) with Australia's Tony Tervoert (3 - Husqvarna TE6), who had come in behind him in 2000.

With the cars, the result was as expected. Three-time Auto division winner and defending champion Bruce Garland was fastest in his all-new unlimited-class Isuzu Trooper (50), posting a time of 4m-18s.

For 2001, Garland was spearheading a brand-new factory-backed two-car team. The Holden Rally Team (Holden is the Australian General Motors/Opel/Isuzu affiliate) also included Australian touring car legend Peter Brock. Brock finished the Prologue eighth fastest in his production-based (showroom category) Trooper, tagged as always with the number '05'.

Bruce Muir (60) was second fastest and Reg Owen (56) third fastest, both driving Nissan Patrol 4WD wagons.

Day One - August 19: Alice Springs to Ayers Rock - 480 miles total; 344 miles competitive divided into three stages.

It was an early start for the long first leg of the event - and an early finish for former 500cc hamp, Daryl Beattie (10) after a crash which dislocated his collarbone and damaged a previously injured shoulder.

Beattie had been in fourth position when he went into a dry creek bed and was flung off his factory-backed Honda XR650 about half-way through the day.

"I went into a dry creek bed too hot and looked down at the map reader a little too long. The front washed out and I was thrown off, falling on my shoulder. I'm really disappointed that I have to pull out because I was enjoying the challenge."

Last year's winner Andrew Caldecott (1 - KTM 660 Rallye) was fastest of the World Cup class bikes (5h-11m-17s), just under seven minutes clear of the 1999 winner, Stephen Greenfield (4 - Honda XR650). Casey McCoy (2 - Honda XR650) was in third, hotly pursued by Tony Tervoert (3 - Husqvarna TE6), reliving the battle of last year.

In the auto division, it proved to be a slow start for defending champion Bruce Garland (50). He and long-time navigator Harry Suzuki finished the day in fifth place after blowing a tyre at 100mph and colliding with one of the bike riders (who was not injured) in a dry creek.

"It was not one of my better days. Not only did the left rear tyre blow, but the tube came out and wrapped itself around the suspension so we had to cut it off."

Garland was pipped for first-day honours by Des Harrington in a Nissan Patrol utility (53), who completed the stage in 5h-14m-45s, a lead of 1m-7s over second place-getter, former Australian speedway champion Ross Nicastri (52 - Nissan Patrol). Terry Denham was third in a Mitsubishi Montero (51).

Harrington, who was fourth home last year, was absolutely delighted.

"This is the first time I've ever led the Safari and the main reason is the extra horsepower we're carrying. The new engine is a custom-built 5.7-litre job which generates about 450hp. It should give us really good speed when we get into the fast stuff later on."

Beattie was stabilised in hospital at Alice Springs before flying home to Queensland (Australia's most north-easterly state). He had injured the same shoulder in two crashes during his 500cc Grand Prix career and would undergo a full shoulder reconstruction later in the week to repair the new injuries. Despite the problem, he vowed to return to compete in the 2002 Safari.

Day Two - August 20: Ayers Rock (Uluru) to Kings Creek - 234 miles; 163 miles competitive (two stages)

However Des Harrington's time at the top was to be short-lived. He dropped back to sixth place after incurring a time penalty for exceeding the allocated midday service time while replacing a differential.

His bad luck was to be good news for Ross Nicastri who had crashed on the same stage last year when he was leading the event. The effervescent Nicastri couldn't hide his delight.

"We rolled here last year after hitting a bore [water well] and we were flat-out trying to fix it. This time around I made sure I didn't hit anything - in fact, I was probably being a bit too cautious, but it's paid dividends today."

Just behind Nicastri was Terry Denham (Mitsubishi Montero), while Garland managed to pick up two places over the day, passing one vehicle on the road and taking advantage of Harrington's problems.

In the Moto division, 2000 winner Andrew Caldecott finished the second day with an extended lead (11m-37s) over 1999 winner Stephen Greenfield, and America's Casey McCoy. Caldecott said all was going to plan.

"I wanted to put a gap on the others in the first few days and it's good to have done that because I don't have to deal with as much dust. Greenie has been pushing me so I've probably had to ride harder than I wanted to.

"I lost some time early on, but then I had a good run and I didn't have a puncture, which was great given how rocky it was out there."

Greenfield fell during the stage while he was trying to catch his rival but was unhurt, however German rider Thomas Hoepfner was not so lucky. He was knocked unconscious when he crashed his KTM but was back in the saddle after a short break.

Australia's Tony Tervoert (third last year) continued to hold fourth place but Dubai-based British rider Steve Blackney (11), who is a multiple Middle East open motocross champion, dropped from sixth to eighth with a tyre problem.

The former World Cup competitor finished seventh in last year's Safari, riding with painkillers after shattering a finger in four places during a crash on the opening day.

Day Three - August 21: Kings Creek to Tilmouth Well - 424 miles; 252 miles competitive; three stages

Like Harrington, Nicastri was to find his time at the top all too short. By the end of the third day he had dropped back to second place. Problems with a river crossing, then a puncture and the loss of front-wheel-drive in the final 60 miles of the section, brought him into final control 1m-17s behind defending champion Bruce Garland who was finding his new Trooper improving by the day.

"It was hard work out there today. The course was quite technical but I was flat-out through the twisty stuff and round the trees and we've discovered good straight-line speed along the fences.

"I'm a lot happier to be at this end - the first day was a shocker for us. There's still a long way to go and a lot of good people racing, but the car is feeling really good."

In the moto division, Andrew Caldecott extended his lead yet again, despite crashing his KTM three times. He was not injured in any of the falls, and managed to extend the gap over second-placed Stephen Greenfield to 17m-29s.

"I'm disappointed with myself about the crashes," Caldecott said at camp that night, as the Central Australian desert sky changed from blue to inky velvet blackness.

"I landed heavily in all of them but luckily I didn't do any major damage to myself or the bike. The pace is much quicker than last year and I'm really feeling pushed by the guys behind me - we're all on the limit."

Behind Caldecott and Greenfield was Casey McCoy, still holding third, but Tony Tervoert did some major damage to the frame of his Husqvarna during a crash and dropped to 23rd position, held up in the service stop while the machine was repaired.

Day Four - August 22: Tilmouth Well to Wycliffe Well - 346 miles; 253 miles competitive; two stages

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The fourth day of competition saw defending champion Bruce Garland take command of the Safari as his two major rivals, Nicastri and Denham, were struck by mechanical problems.

Garland finished the day with an advantage of 25m-37s over the Mitsubishi Montero of new second-place holder, Stephen Riley (61). Riley, who finished second in the Moto Division of the Safari six times between 1985 and 1999, was running for the first time on four wheels - and impressing everyone including himself.

"We're running a standard engine and gearbox which means we don't have the speed of some of the others, but we have had very good reliability," Riley said.

"I tried for years and years to win this race on a bike and never quite made it. Now we're in a fantastic position and if I could win, it would be unbelievable."

Behind Riley was Ross Nicastri who had been slowed by alternator problems, while Terry Denham's hopes of bettering his second place last year had faded. His Mitsubishi Montero had engine problems and he incurred a massive time penalty for failing to complete a stage, dropping him from third to 11th outright.

"There was nothing between Ross [Nicastri], Terry [Denham] and me at the start of today, but in the way of motorsport things have fallen my way and I have the gap I had been looking for," said Garland.

Despite his lead, Garland had not had a trouble-free day. Recent heavy rain in the Territory has spurred strong grass growth and many of the tracks have become overgrown since the route was last surveyed. Garland and Suzuki had overheating problems after plowing through long grass which got caught around the radiator, and they also had a puncture.

Local Northern Territory driver, Bruce Muir - another Safari regular - grabbed fourth place outright, while Garland's teammate - Australia's favourite motorsport personality, Peter Brock - issued a warning to his rivals by moving into fifth place in his production-based Trooper. Also making a move was American desert racing stalwart, Bob Land, who arrived in the top 10 (ninth) in his Isuzu Trooper (64).

Meanwhile Caldecott continued his plans for a second, successive Safari crown, extending his lead over second placed Stephen Greenfield to 23m-17s.

"After crashing three times yesterday, I was a little cautious at the start of today. Then I realised Greenie was catching me so I got on with it. We both took a couple of wrong turns out there - the tracks are hard to follow because it's become so overgrown."

Casey McCoy had a less than perfect day, dropping back from third to fourth (Andrew Coaker - 8 - grabbed the spot on his KTM) after a heavy crash on the Honda. The incident damaged his brakes and he lost a lot of time on repairs.

"I overshot a corner and hit a tree which destroyed the brake levers. I think I might have broken my toe as well, but I'm more angry at myself than anything else because I've been hanging with the guys in front and now I've lost contact with them," said McCoy.

Last year's third placegetter, Tony Tervoert, had a bad fall and suffered minor back injuries. He was taken to Alice Springs Hospital for X-rays, along with another rider who had broken his arm.

Day Five: Wycliffe Well to Top Springs - 530 miles; 304 miles; four stages

The longest section of the event was to be a real test of endurance, with competitors tackling the job in sweltering heat. At the end of the day it was the defending champions who had continued their dominance.

In the Auto division, Garland finished the day with a 27m-17s lead over Stephen Riley, with Ross Nicastri in third. In the Moto division, it was all Andrew Caldecott, increasing his lead over Stephen Greenfield to 36m-16s. Greenie admitted Caldecott would have to crash or have mechanical problems for him to close the gap, neither of which he was praying for.

"I'm going as hard as I can without crashing but Andy is that little bit quicker every day and the time is starting to add up. All I can do is hang in there, ride as well as I can and try to keep the pressure on him. I'm riding as smoothly as I can."

Andrew Coaker and Casey McCoy retained third and fourth from the previous day while Dubai-based British rider Steve Blackney dropped out of the top 10 (he had been fifth) after crashing his Honda XR650.

Unfortunately for Blackney, the Nissan Patrol ute of Des Harrington was right on his tail and ran over the bike. Blackney was not hurt but his bike was badly damaged.

There was a touch of minor panic in the Auto division when Peter Brock arrived at a service point with damage to his bullbar, bodywork and one wheel. The nine-times winner of Australia's most famous touring car race - the Bathurst 1000 - had hit a tree and a rock in two separate incidents.

Luckily, Brock and his co-driver were unhurt, the damage was easily repaired and they continued on to the end of the section, retaining fourth place. Ironically, his teammate Garland had been responsible for some of the damage.

"I'd actually started the day behind Pete and another guy because we'd lost time yesterday," Garland said.

"I came up behind Pete to overtake him and left him eating a cloud of my dust - and that's when he ran into the tree. I guess it's not politically correct to give your own teammate a fright like that - I'm just pleased there was no serious damage. I would never have lived it down!"

Brock retained fourth position despite the dramas.

Day Six: Top Springs to Douglas Daly - 390 miles; 203 miles, three stages

One of the best stories of the entire event was to unfold over this section. Luckily - for some - it had a happy ending.

Garland and co-driver Harry Suzuki were continuing their dominance of the Auto division, when they were halted by a collision with a termite [white ant] nest. The cement-like structure was hidden in the overgrown grass of the track and it broke the steering rod on the Trooper.

Normally Garland would carry a spare but, for some reason, not this day. He and Suzuki dived under the car and did a hasty repair job with zip ties and race tape. Three times they made the repair in a bid to keep going but finally they ran out of raw materials. They pulled up at the side of the track, convinced they were out of contention as their rivals went past them.

"All the guys who had Troopers stopped to see if they could help, but no-one was carrying a spare. We just thought we were stuffed," Garland said.

"Then along comes this off-duty police officer who has been out spectating with his family and they're driving a Trooper. We asked if we could buy the steering component we needed and he said yes, so we fitted it to our car and took off again."

Garland eventually caught up with his main rivals - two of whom had been stranded by a deep creek crossing. The Trooper made it through the creek unscathed and arrived at the day's final control - still holding the outright lead.

Meanwhile, the Good Samaritan and his stranded vehicle had been brought into camp and the Holden Rally Team crew fixed his Jackaroo before turning their attention to the racecars.

There was even better news for the Holden Rally Team - those stranded at the creek were Stephen Riley and Ross Nicastri, second and third respectively from the day before. Their bad luck, and a trouble-free day, meant Brock had slipped into second place outright, 51m-36s behind Garland. Day One leader, Des Harrington, had also benefitted, slipping quietly into third place.

One of those who had stopped to offer Garland assistance was Bob Land or 'Hollywood Bob' as he is affectionately known to the Australian competitors, after three attempts (including this year) at the Safari. Land's co-driver Paul Connelly is an Isuzu mechanic and the pair has worked closely with Garland and Suzuki over the last three years. Fortunately, their decision to stop to offer help did not hinder them and they moved up a slot, into eighth place.

In the Moto division, Andrew Caldecott continued what he had set out to do, dominating for yet another day. He increased the gap yet again, finishing the day 49m-35s ahead of Greenfield. It was all part of the plan.

"The size of the gap is important because it should cover any time I might lose with a crash or a mechanical problem over the last few days. This was my best day since the start and I've got a good chunk of time up my sleeve if I need it.

"The bike was just awesome today and I felt good riding hard. All I need now is a couple of clean tidy days to the finish and make sure I don't take any unnecessary risks."

Andrew Coaker and Casey McCoy retained their third and fourth positions, respectively.

Day Seven: Douglas Daly to Darwin - 254 miles; 81 miles competitive; three stages

By the penultimate day of the event, the brand-new Holden Rally Team seemed poised to grab a one-two victory, meaning a record fourth title for Garland. But neither driver was prepared to risk jinxing themselves.

"I'm not celebrating yet," Garland said at the end of the day.

"Someone famous once said if you want to finish first, first you have to finish and we haven't done that - yet. The clerk of the course, Bob Carpenter, always puts a sting in the tail on the last day, so I'm not saying anything until I know it's in the bag." Garland held a 54m-28s margin over Brock.

The only driver within striking distance of the 'Red Barons' was Des Harrington, who had finally overcome the differential problems that had slowed him on Day Two, making his way through the field and holding third place for the second day in a row.

Stephen Riley, the former motorbike competitor who had put up such a good showing, was one Auto division rival who would not make it to Darwin. His Mitsubishi Montero suffered engine failure, forcing him to join other former frontrunners Ross Nicastri and Bruce Muir (both in Nissan Patrols) who had been sidelined over the previous 48 hours.

Likewise in the Moto division, it was all about the defending champion. Andrew Caldecott extended his lead yet again, holding a margin of 53m-26s over 1999 winner Stephen Greenfield. Appearing to have a second title under control, Caldecott admitted the final day would not involve any undue risks.

"Tomorrow is all about riding to the finish. If I can do that, it should be enough to win. Most of the hard work has been done, so I should just be able to get out there and enjoy the riding."

Coaker and McCoy still held third and fourth positions.

Day Eight: Darwin to Darwin (Mindil Beach) - 91 miles; 19 miles; four stages

Clerk of course Bob Carpenter had planned the final day to include four stages but he had not taken into account the Northern Territory's keen shooters.

Just as the final section was due to start, it was discovered that the annual duck shooting season had started thatday (Sunday, August 26) and two stages of the section were filled with hundreds of hunters.

Carpenter had no choice but to cancel the stages which effectively ruled out any last minute challenges to the leaders: Andrew Caldecott (Moto) and Bruce Garland (Auto).

The two defending champions went on to claim their second successive victories (making four Safari wins for Garland) in the final short, but spectacular dash along Darwin's Mindil Beach.

Caldecott, riding a KTM 660 Rallye, won the Moto division from 1999 winner Stephen Greenfield (Honda XR 650) with an overall time of 24hrs-18mins-4seconds. London-based Andrew Coaker (KTM 660 Rallye) finished third with America's Casey McCoy (Honda XR 650) infourth.

Garland and long-time co-driver Harry Suzuki shared their fourth Safari victory, finishing with an overall time of 25hrs-50mins-34seconds in their brand-new factory-backed unlimited class Trooper. Second were their Holden Rally teammates Peter Brock and Wayne Webster in a showroom category Trooper while third place went to Des Harrington and Bill Bennett in their Nissan Patrol utility.

The American team of Bob Land and Paul Connelly brought their Trooper home in seventh outright and also took honours in their class.

Caldecott said his second Safari victory had been more difficult than his debut effort last year because of a higher level of competition.

"When I heard they'd cancelled a couple of stages, I didn't mind because it took out some of the variables. I'm feeling relieved now it's over because it's been a mighty hard slog from day one."

Both Garland and Caldecott said they would be back to try to make it three-in-a-row in 2002.

OVERALL POSITIONS - (after Day 8 - Sunday, August 24):

AUTO DIVISION: