Oldham and Smith burst from the blocks

Mitsubishi’s Geoff Oldham and KTM’s Todd Smith have made brilliant starts to the 2010 Australasian Safari in Western Australia, blitzing the auto and moto fields in today’s prologue.

Oldham and navigator John Doble, driving a Pajero, completed the prologue in a slick time of 20 minutes and 20 seconds (20:20), well ahead of Tony Quinn/Toni Feaver (Pajero, 20:36) and Neil Dunn/William Dunn (Nissan GU, 20:48).

Doble won last year’s Safari, but Steve Riley was the driver on that occasion.

V8 Supercar champion Craig Lowndes (Holden Colorado, 20:52), making his Safari debut, was fourth in the 19.34km prologue, held just outside the small town of Southern Cross through a mix of tight and twisty shrub country, rutted tracks, washaways and open gravel roads.

Safari stalwart Bruce Garland made a solid start in his Izuzu DMAX, combining with partner Harry Suzuki to finish the prologue in fifth (21:09).

All 24 auto teams made it through the prologue unscathed, ahead of tomorrow’s epic opening leg – the longest of this year’s Safari.

The route will take riders and drivers from Southern Cross to Leonora, three hours’ drive north of Kalgoorlie. That’s a total of 579.34km, of which 356.79km will be made up of competitive stages.

In total, riders will have completed over 3600km when the event concludes in the coastal town of Esperance.

In the moto prologue, New South Welshman Smith, aiming to go one better than his second place in last year’s Safari, threw down the gauntlet to his opposition with an in an mouth-watering time of 18 minutes and nine seconds (18:09) on his 530EXC.

That put him well ahead of Honda’s AJ Roberts (CRF450X, 18:28) and two-time champion Ben Grabham (530EXC, 18:32).

Defending No. 1 Todd Smith (CRF450X), Todd’s sibling, sits in fifth after his 18:49 effort.

Local rider Scott Strange (CRF450X, 18:45) was an excellent fourth, with positions 5-8 completed by defending champion Todd Smith (CRF450X, 18:49), Yamaha’s Rod Faggoter (WR450F, 18:50), Mathew Fish (530EXC, 18:53) and South Aussie Shane Diener (KTM 690 Enduro, 18:55).

Fifty-five moto riders are doing battle this year, and with no problems to report thus far will all front the starter for tomorrow’s hostilities.

In the quad divsion, hot favourite Paul Smith (Honda TRX700XX) started brightly, and is already a 23-second leader over Queenslander Colin Lawson (Can-Am Renegade 800). John Maragozidis (Intercepor 850) is third.

A convoy of competitors and about 400 support crew, officials, media, family and friends travelled the 370km from Perth to Southern Cross for the prologue.

Check out the official Australasian Safari site for more information on the event, and click on the following link to view the provisional results and current standings after stage six.