KTM ready to defend Australasian Safari title

A three-time winner of the gruelling Safari, Grabham will return with the all-conquering CPW KTM Rally Team with official support from KTM Australia, heading the team's four-man line-up in the Super Production up to 450cc division.

On the comeback trail after sustaining a broken hand in June's Finke Desert Race, Grabham says he'll enter the event with high hopes of success.
"The Safari is a great event and one that I won last year," Grabham said.

"I've been focused on it, and everyone keeps asking about my hand. I don't think it will be a problem in the Safari because it's held in wide open spaces and you're not really moving around on the bike so much.

"It's a race that's more about navigating and getting through the desert, so I think everything will be fine. I'm really looking forward to that and also riding with Cyril Despres during the event."

Grabham led a 1-2-3 result for KTM in the moto dividion at last year's Safari, with KTM mounted-riders also filling five of the top ten positions. Joining Grabham this year in the CPW KTM Rally Team will be Matt Fish (last year's third place getter) in Production 450cc and over, Troy O'Connor in Production up to 450cc, and Heath Young in the Quad ranks aboard KTM's 690 Rally Quad.

Grabham's main opponent over the course of the Australasian Safari will surely be Red Bull KTM Rally Racing's Cyril Despres, a three-time winner of the Dakar Rally.
"Australia is a continent that has always fascinated me," Despres commented.

"I grew up near Paris, but I always dreamed of being in wide open spaces and as I understand it you have a few wide open spaces in Australia! Also I have done over 60 rallies in my career and the Safari is the only major event that I haven't yet done.

"From what I understand you have some very good riders in Australia who are both fast and good navigators so I think there will be plenty of competition. And of course I have never done the race before and while it seems similar to other events I have done, experience is always a useful commodity."

Fans will get a chance to meet both Grabham and Despres at the official KTM Safari Party at 7.00pm this evening, Wednesday, 21 September, at the Breakwater Tavern located at Hillarys Boat Harbour, Hillarys (north of Perth - visit the KTM website for details).

The 2011 Australasian Safari's ceremonial start will also take place at Hillarys Boat Harbour, on Thursday, 22 September, before riders tackle the WA outback and head up the coast to Geraldton and then inland through the remote northern goldfields, via Mt Magnet, Sandstone, Laverton and Leonora before reaching Kalgoorlie on 30 September.

Visit www.ktm.com.au for further information.