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Holden's Jackaroo is going on Safari with the announcement and unveiling
of the new Holden Rally Team in Sydney.
Off-road champ Bruce Garland and motor racing icon Peter Brock will
drive in the factory-backed Holden Rally Team, with the pair lining
up in two Jackaroos to compete in next month's Australian Safari.
The Australian Safari International Cross Country Rally is one of
the world's toughest off-road endurance tests and consists of a gruelling
4,300 km course over eight days throughout the Northern Territory.
Garland will compete for outright Auto Division honours driving a
specially modified Jackaroo in the Unlimited 4-wheel drive category,
while Brock will compete with a standard Jackaroo V6 in the Showroom
4x4 category.
The Holden Rally Team livery features a variation of the striking
"Holden Racing Red" theme seen on the current Holden Racing Team V8
Supercars which will ensure the Holden Jackaroos stand out in the
tough desert conditions.
Holden's Executive Director of Sales and Marketing, Ross McKenzie,
believes the new Holden Rally Team's participation in the Australian
Safari gives Holden the opportunity to showcase the Jackaroo four
wheel drive under the most rigorous conditions Australia offers.
"Holden is inherently Australian and there is a natural synergy in
the Jackaroo competing in one of the world's toughest off-road endurance
races. After all, motor racing is the heart of Holden and with the
formation of the Holden Rally Team we are aiming to emulate our success
on the race track with success in the dirt," Ross McKenzie said.
"Jackaroo has a reputation for capability, having won the Australian
Safari three times before. Our manufacturer involvement at this level
underpins the confidence we have in Jackaroo as the vehicles are put
through the extremes of the Australian outback over thousands of kilometres,"
Ross McKenzie added.
Garland, 42, is a three-time and defending champion of the Safari,
having taken wins in 1996, 1999 and 2000 in a Jackaroo with co-driver
Harry Suzuki. Ranked in the top 30 FIA professional rally drivers,
Garland is Australia's most experienced off-road competitor and has
raced successfully in many of the world's toughest off-road endurance
rallies, as well as being involved in vehicle preparation for some
of the sport's best teams.
Garland predicts a tough race ahead in defending his title, but believes
the Holden Rally Team is well placed for that defence.
" I expect it will be pretty fierce out there this year." Garland
said. "However, the strength of the Holden Rally Team is in its infrastructure
and people - areas we've concentrated on recently.
Brock's exploits for Holden on the race-track are legendary, although
his off-road successes are also impressive. While his greatest off-road
result came when he led home the famous 1-2-3 Holden Commodore victory
in the 1979 Repco Round Australia Trial, Brock backed that with a
win in class and second overall driving a Holden Jackaroo in the 1998
Playstation Round Australia Rally.
"This year I think the stability of the Holden-backed crew will be
a key - it brings a greater element of 'team' into play. The talents
of the whole team will have a big bearing when you're relentlessly
racing in these conditions for so long," Brock remarked.
The Australian Safari begins with a prologue on the outskirts of
Alice Springs on 18 August and the international cross-country rally
runs from 19-26 August.
Holden Rally Team supporters will be able to follow the team's progress
on the Holden web site, www.holden.com.au, with daily comment and
review from Bruce Garland and Peter Brock. The site will also feature
Holden Rally Team photography and a video gallery.
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