On Sunday the 4 September, 2022, there was a fatal incident at the Rainbow Desert Enduro Off Road Race involving a side by side competition vehicle (the Incident).

The vehicle involved in the Incident is a 2021 CanAm Maverick X3 XRS Side by Side vehicle - (the Vehicle).

Motorsport Australia can confirm that the Incident involved the Vehicle crashing and becoming engulfed with fire and it is currently investigating the condition of the Vehicle, the fuel system and fuel tanks in use and the cause/s of the Incident and the fire. 

As an interim measure, from Monday 12 September, 2022, Motorsport Australia requires ALL off road vehicles competing under Motorsport Australia sanction to carry additional hand held fire extinguishers, such that all off road vehicles must now carry an additional 2kg (minimum) of extinguisher/s to those already mandated in accordance with Motorsport Australia Manual; Technical Appendix – Schedule H Fire Extinguishers¹. This brings the total required capacity of fire extinguisher/s onboard to 4kg.

The additional 2kg² extinguisher/s must be mounted in accordance with Schedule H, however the additional extinguisher/s will not be required to be mounted within reach of the driver (or crew) and may be mounted external to the cockpit. 

Competitors and owners should be aware of this information and consider carefully whether it is appropriate to compete in any side by side or off road vehicle pending finalisation of our investigations.

Motorsport Australia
7 September, 2022

¹ Schedule H is being amended to reflect the changes in this Notice and owners and competitors are encouraged to visit motorsport.org.au to view the amended regulation

² The minimum capacity of 2kg may be made up by the fitment of 2 x 1kg extinguishers.

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If you participated, spectated, volunteered, or are generally distressed from the events that occurred at Rainbow, Motorsport Australia can refer you to remote counselling service. Please call the Motorsport Australia Hotline on Monday to Friday between 9am–5pm AEST, and our Member Services team will be able to provide you with details on how to reach out for assistance.

You may also wish to refer to other advice providers such as Lifeline on 13 11 14, or seek advice from a Doctor or General Practitioner about seeking help for your mental health.