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Centretune Motorcycles Dealer Principal Rod Faggotter will look to go one better on an impressive second place finish in 2008 when he lines up to tackle the 2009 Australasian Safari with the factory backing of Yamaha Motor Australia.

The Longreach-based rider will be part of a field of 100 auto, moto and quad competitors lining up for a start on August 1, set to tackle over 3600km of Western Australia’s most gruelling terrain over a 7-day period.

Mounted aboard Yamaha’s all-conquering WR450F, the course will take Faggotter from Northbridge in Perth and head inland, weaving its way across sand and scrub before setting a path for the finish line at Kalgoorlie.

Overcoming the odds and a number of obstacles in 2008, including a brief trip to hospital, he climbed to second outright and maintained his position as the Safari’s typical high rate of attrition struck.

Faggotter said the factory machine from Yamaha and a bank of tyres from Ficeda were a welcome boost and hoped to reward the manufacturer with another solid result.

“I’m really looking forward to the event this year, the organisers have promised a tougher course so it will be important to stay focused for each of the seven days,” said Faggotter.

“Coming home in second last year was a good achievement and I’d like to think we have what it takes to really challenge for a win this year.

“I’ve been doing a lot of preparation, my training has involved mostly long-distance riding and I feel like I’m coming up to speed well.

“The WR450F is fantastic and its good to go racing with the factory support of Yamaha in addition to our own sponsors.”

Faggotter will spend the next few weeks finalising preparations while stepping up his own training routine ahead of the long trip to Western Australia at the end of July.

The event will demonstrate the versatility and reliability of Yamaha’s WR450F, which is capably carving up the sprint tracks of the Australian Off Road Championship as well as holding its own at the front of some of the world’s biggest navigational distance races.