Bruce Garland confirmed for Australasian Safari

Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki to lead three-car Isuzu Motorsports Australasian Safari assault.

Off-road racing legends Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki will return to Western Australia to attempt a sixth victory in the Australasian Safari desert rally later this month. 

The 2014 Safari will be the pairing’s 18th entry in the gruelling endurance event, piloting their race-prepped Isuzu D-Max ute and spearheading a three-car Isuzu Motorsports assault. 

The Sydney-based Garland/Suzuki pairing will compete in the Extreme 4WD (T1) class, and will be joined by a lesser-modified MU-X SUV driven by West Australian Adrian Di Lallo in the production car (T2) class and a production class D-Max ute driven by Thai driver OLan Sornsirirat.

The Isuzu-supported outfit will cover more than 2500km over seven days of endurance racing throughout the Western Australia outback between Perth and Kalbarri.  

Garland is aiming to be the first diesel-powered outright winner in the event’s history – a credible ambition given his first diesel and 11th outright result in the 2009 Dakar rally. 

“I still reckon a diesel can win the Safari even though history has so far proved otherwise,” five-time winner Garland says.

“You need the right car, the right crew and the right tyres and a bit of luck, so if we have all that lined up – and we believe we do – then we shall see what happens. It’s certainly a trophy I would love to add to my collection.”

The Australasian Safari has been traditionally dominated by petrol-powered vehicles, but Garland’s aim is backed by the circa-200kW/700Nm tune of the 3.0-litre turbodiesel in his D-Max racer. 

The production-based version of the same engine in Di Lallo’s MU-X isn’t far behind, producing around around 180kW/600Nm – up from the 130kW/380Nm in factory-trim. 

The 56-year-old Garland’s confidence is also unaffected by age and a range of health issues he’s faced in recent years. 

“The Safari is as much about driving smart as driving hard and that something you only learn from experience. Harry and I have the experience, the car is great and a proven performer”, he said.

Carsguide will bring you all the news from the Isuzu Motorsports entries during the Australasian Safari from September 20-27.