Brazil’s No. 1 off-road racer to join 2010 Australasian Safari

The rough terrain of the Western Australian outback will be confronted by Brazil’s number 1 off-road moto racer, Ze Helio, when he competes for the first time in the 2010 Australasian Safari.

Australasian Safari Event Director Justin Hunt said Ze was the first Brazilian entrant in the 25-year history of the event.

“We’re really excited about having Ze join us for this year’s event.

“He is a motorsport icon in Brazil and will be an exciting addition to what we’re hoping will be a record field in 2010 which will also include riders from Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.”

The 2010 Australasian Safari will start in Perth on 17 September and finish on 25 September and moto, auto and quad bike competitors will be travelling for thousands of kilometres through the remote Western Australian outback.  Final details of the course will be confirmed in coming weeks, but organisers can confirm it will be staged through WA’s Golden Outback – a vast, remote and rugged region rich with wild gold rush heritage.

Ze Helio is a three-time Brazil rally champion and two-time Baja champion, though it is in rallye racing that he specialises and is among the world’s elite.

He started off-road racing at 11 years old, and competed in his first regional championship in 1993 at just 13 years.   He placed sixth outright at his first rallye race, the Rally Dos Sertoes, at 15 years old.

Ze Helio has since been a five-time winner of the Rally Dos Sertoes, in 2009, 2008, 2007, 2003, and 1999.

The Rally Dos Sertoes is the Safari of South America, usually run over 10 days and 5000km across the wilds of northern Brazil. The Sertoes rallye is a round of the Cross-Country Rally World Championship and attracts the top international level full factory rallye race teams on a regular basis.

Ze is also a two-time production class winner of the FIM Por Los Pampas Rally run through Argentina and Chile (2005 and 2006)

In his first attempt at Dakar in 2009, Ze lead the 450cc class for the majority of the rallye regularly running in the top 10 outright. After some bike issues near the end of the race he dropped to third 450cc overall and 12th outright. This was an impressive result for someone who was competing in the gruelling Dakar for the first time.

Ze will be competing in the Australasian Safari on a Husaberg FE570 and will be part of the Husaberg Rallye Racing Australia team.

Following Safari in September, Ze will be focussed on taking on the world’s best in the 2011 Dakar in Argentina and Chile.

Media enquiries:

Janine Pittaway, Bright Communications, 61-418 911 796, (61)8 94333568 or jpittaway@brightcommunications.com.au