2012 Australasian Safari taking shape

Preparations for this year's instalment of the outback epic are gathering steam, with the course set to take a different direction than previous years

The countdown is now on for the 2012 Australasian Safari, which will be held in Western Australia from September 21-29.

The Safari aims to stay in the mid west coast area, covering the Murchison and Gascoyne regions of WA, but the course will take on a different direction with a number of new towns introduced into the mix.

An addition to the event is the Safari Challenge, which will allow road-registered 4WDs to enter the competition elements of the Safari - and is expected to attract plenty of attention from punters.

Also new for 2012 will be the inclusion of UTVs and side-by-side vehicles (think modern dune buggies) similar to the Polaris and Can-Ams which will be competing as a support class in the 2012 Australian Rally Championship.

The other competition categories will be auto, moto, quad and production.

More Safari details can be found in the pre-event guide, available for download from AustralasianSafari.com.au. Expressions of interest are also now open, with less then two months to go for discounted entries.