In the shadows of Mount Panorama, the mountain 💎that made him famous, Australian motor racing legend Peter Brock has had꧒ his final practice run prior to Saturday's start to the 2003 Australian Safari.

The nine-time Bathurst winner declared himself and his four-wheel-drive Holden Rally Team Motorola Rodeo ready to tackleꦫ the event, described as Australia's most gruelling race.

"This new Rodeo is a bit of a monster truck and I believe we🦄 are well enough prepared to han🎉dle anything the Safari can dish up to us," Brock said.

Beginning in Bathurst on S𝕴aturday morning, Safari 🐲competitors will visit some of the harshest and most remote locations in Australia and cover over 4,600km during the course of the eight-day event.

"It's eight days of the most demanding and challenging conditions, and it is an event where y🐎ou are more racing the terrain rather than your competito🎀rs," Brock said. "Just to finish the event is a major achievement in itself."

Along with the Auto division, the Safari also comprises the fourth round of the FIM Cro🦹ss-Country Rallies World Championship for motorcycles, with three-time Safari winner Andy Caldecott aiming for a fourth straight victory aboard his works KTM 660 Rallye bike.

A win in the Safari could move ꦑCaldecott into the World Championship lead with j🅷ust three events remaining.

"The Safari is one of the world's great races and a fourth win would be terrific, but there's a long way to go and a lot of ground to cover before I can start counting anything," Cald𝓡ecott said. "The competition is strong and there are works entries from KTM, Honda and Yamaha, so nothing is a given. We'll just take it one day at a time and hope for the best."

The Safari will make overnight stops in Narromine, Bou🐽rke, White Cliffs, Brok🤡en Hill, Balranald, Condobolin and Mudgee before finishing back in Bathurst on Saturday, August 30.