Tragedy mars Oz Safari

Faggotter leads while field is rocked by the death of Moto competitor, Ivan Erceg

Rod Faggotter (#56) held onto his lead to the end of Leg 6 of the 2013 Australasian Safari, as a shell-shocked field continued on after being rocked by the death of fellow competitor, Ivan Erceg, the day before.

Honda-mounted Erceg was involved in an incident early on Leg 5 approximately 50km east of the Minilya Roadhouse near Carnarvon, WA. Despite receiving rapid medical attention, organisers announced he succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene. The remainder of Leg 5 was cancelled for all Safari competitors while the next day the first stage of Leg 6 was cancelled for the Moto competitors. Leg 6 saw the Moto class contest the second stage of some 206km between Hamelin Pool and Kalbarri, while the Auto and SSV classes ran both stages.

The Australasian Safari’s Event Director, Justin Hunt, said Erceg’s death was terrible tragedy. “We extend our sincerest sympathies to Ivan’s family, team members and friends at this time,” he said. “Ivan was one of life’s huge characters and he was loved by the entire Safari family. He was a true competitor who loved his motorbikes and the mateship of competition. He will be sorely missed,” he added.

A full investigation into the incident has commenced. The Bikesales Network extends its condolences to Ivan's family and friends.

At the end of the day, Queensland Yamaha dealer Rod Faggotter (Yamaha WR450F) had managed to retain his lead, and was some 26 minutes ahead of Matt Fish (#29, KTM 500 EXC), who in turn was roughly 14 minutes ahead of Shane Diener (#31, Yamaha WR450F).

Todd Smith, with whom Faggotter was engaged in bitter tussle in the early stages of the Safari, was sidelined with mechanical issues in Leg 4.

Stage 2 of Leg 6 saw competitors tackle the soft sands of the coastline through Murchison Station, on the western side of the Murchison River. Many of the Moto riders donned black armbands as a mark of respect for their fallen comrade, and put in a more measured push to the end of the stage.

At the end of Leg 6 Faggotter said missing the first stage was the right decision. “It just allowed us to regroup,” he said. “Today was a straightforward run and I was cruising and preserving the bike. Although tomorrow might seem like a formality I still have to get to the finish line,” he added.

Fish was also aiming for consistency. “It was a demanding test on the bikes today, but there was little navigation to do so I didn’t have to think too much and I took it easy,” he said.

Diener said the day was far from easy. “After yesterday, it was a very hard day in difficult circumstances,” he said. “I had a little slow crash today and broke the ICO [trip meter] towards the end. I just lost some concentration for a minute. Now I’m just conserving the bike,” he added.

In memory of their friend, Moto competitors Paul Nappy, Vern Strange and Andrew Perry wore Ivan Erceg’s bike number 19. At the end of Leg 4, Ivan was 18 hours into the event so Nappy and Strange continued to check his card in at time controls to give him a ‘win’.

A fierce battle is still raging in the Quad class, where Heath Young (KTM 690 Rally) crept into the lead by just three minutes. He’s followed by John Maragozidis (MMR Interceptor) and Glenn Brown (Honda TRX700XX).

Young said he’s now focussing on a big final day. “There were a few distinctive ruts from the stages run a few days ago so I had to ride to one side of the track today,” he said. “Tonight we will be doing routine maintenance to be ready for tomorrow,” he added.

Leg 7, where the final day of competition will see competitors head to Geraldton, is currently underway. For full results visit www.australasiansafari.com.au.

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Tragedy mars Oz Safari

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