100 competitors and a 400-plus support crew crowd are setting off on the official prologue stage of the 2013 Australasian Safari at Wanneroo in Western Australia today.

Competitors from the US, UK, South Africa, France, Romania, Czech Republic and Thailand, and Australia will gather at Jurien Bay to complete the opening time trial of the eight-day event to test their machinery and determine the starting order for all moto, 4×4 and quad entries.

Today’s initial prologue starts on the turquoise coast’s sandy beaches but from hereon in riders will tackle a variety of tough terrain as they head inland to the bush and barren landscape of the state’s Mid-West and Gascoyne regions.

The 3200 kilometre marathon will come to a close next Friday on the Geraldton foreshore where the overall and category winners will be crowned.

Headling the charge in the moto class are GHR Honda brothers Jake and Todd Smith. Both riders are seasoned off-road talents and know the Australsian Safari event well.

Dakar Rally competitors and Matt Fish and Rod Faggotter will run with the Smith brothers, benefiting from the experience on the world stage.

West Australian Warren Strange, who finished the event in second in 2012, is also expected to challenge for the top placings.

There will be plenty of focus on international entrant Alistair McRae, who has traded his regular ride in a rally car for a place in the highly-regarded event aboard a KTM.

The event’s first-ever sidecar competitors, Max and Sum Hutchesson, will add an element of variety to the two wheel lineup.

Nine moto competitors will also battle it out in the Dakar Challenge, with the winner to receive an entry into the 2014 running of the world’s toughest endurance race. This category is only open to those who have not contested the Dakar Rally in previous years.