Isuzu Motorsports claim 5th, 7th and 17th outright | Safari Day 8

Two class wins and a second-in-class for the factory Isuzu Australasian Safari team.

Isuzu Motorsports has claimed two class victories and a second in class victory as all three factory entries completed the 2014 Australasian Safari yesterday.

After more than 3000km and eight days of desert competition between Perth and Kilbarri in Western Australia, the Isuzu MU-X wagon of Adrian Di Lallo and co-driver Rodger Pedersen won the production class and crossed the line fifth overall. 

Second on the production class podium was claimed by the Isuzu D-MAX ute of OLan Sornsirirat and Veerachai Thorangkoon, finishing seventh overall after moving one place up the order from their day 7 result. 

The Dakar-spec D-Max ute of desert rally veterans and five-time Safari winners Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki also finished first in class, but 17th overall, after dropping from fourth overall with electrical gremlins on the fourth day of competition.

Overall victory was claimed by David McShane and William Haynes in their Toyota Tacoma stadium racer, after the previous race-leading Holden VF of Steve Riley and John Doble found themselves stuck in a ditch in the muddy conditions. Second on the podium was claimed by the Nissan Patrol of Greg Scanlon and Liam Nunns.

The muddy 157km Murchison Mega Finale gave teams some of the toughest conditions of the event, with the MU-X of Di Lallo/Pederson forced to tackle most of the stage with only two driven wheels. 

“Two kilometres into the stage we lost four-wheel-drive and it was pouring with rain and muddy. Bucketing down and really hard going. We brushed a tree and got lost – so did most others actually – and we lost a lot of time trying to find the right way, but we made it,” Pederson said.

“Today was unbelievable with the rain bucketing down. A whole lot of us got lost and then Steve Riley [who had been leading the event] got stuck in a ditch and a bunch of us helped pull him out. We got soaking wet and covered in mud, but we still had a good time. That’s what Safari is all about,” Isuzu Motorsports boss Bruce Garland concluded.