Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash 2005 is the most extreme off-road desert race in Australia winding through mountain ranges, desert plains and dunes, vast river beds and scrub.
It is a two day race covering over 500 kilometres starting on the edge of the desert and finishing at the sea.
With divisions for Motorcycles Western Australia accredited bikes and Confederation of Australian Motor Sport accredited four wheel drives and buggies, 150 participants are expected to contend in this years Dash.
The Dash begins on Thursday the 20th October with a street parade in Carnarvon involving all competitors and a welcome dinner to follow. On Friday at 1pm is the prologue at Coonantha on Bidgemia station, 35 kilometres from the Gascoyne Junction.
The race begins on Saturday at 8am with a 187 kilometre track around Bidgemia at the base of the Kennedy Ranges, finishing at Coonantha, a fully catered, licensed camp site where entertainment will be provided late into the night.
Sunday starts at 8am at Coonantha and ends at the Carnarvon Race Club for presentations with bar facilities, catering and live band ’43 Cambridge’ playing.
The Dash is a huge logistical operation involving a six seater medical chopper, mustering chopper, fixed wing planes, and a high tech communication network spanning the 500 kilometre race.
It has the potential to promote the entire Gascoyne region, businesses and sponsors annually at a state, national and international level, with an estimated dollar figure injection to the economy of $500,000 over the past four years in October each year.
Over $13,000 worth of prizes are up for grabs with first prize being a $4000 pearl from Morgan pearls in Exmouth.
For more information, visit the website at http://www.gasdash.com/