To many Offroad Racers, the Tattersall's Finke Desert Race (June 6-9) is the "Holy Grail" of the Australian Offroad Racing Championship. Every year drawing the big guns of offroad racing to Alice Springs on the Queens Birthday Long Weekend in June, in a quest to become the "King of the Desert".
One of the big attractions is it's unique point to point race format, that pits man and machine against the toughest track Mother nature could muster. Which see's competitors start in Alice Springs, then blast their way down the old Ghan Railway to Finke, before spending a night under the stars and racing back to greet the chequered flag in Alice Springs the next day. It is a track that not only challenges the drivers both the mental and physical fitness, but their machinerys strength also.
Pounding the suspension and transmissions of their Offroad Racing Buggies, Trucks and 4WD's for 230km in each direction, through the infamous whoops and over the red desert sand hills.
In 2008, the entries are once again flooding in to take on the challenge of the Finke. Event director, Antony Yoffa is expecting the auto field to be around the 80 car mark by the close of entries on May 30. While entries for the moto component have already closed with 449 bikes and 51 quads scheduled to start the event. Ensuring the healthy rivalry between the bikes and cars, as to who is the quickest to Finke and back will continue.
Reigning Australian champion and 2007 King of the Desert, Hayden Bentley was one of the early entries. "We can't wait to get back up to Alice Springs for the Finke Desert Race. It's a sensational feeling to be heading back to an event of the Finke's calibre as the national champion. This is the event that made me get back into Offroad Racing and it's the track we have built our Chevy powered Jimco to tackle. The big car is ideally suited to the conditions and with a bit of luck we will be able to back up our 2007 win." said Bentley from Port Pirie.
Bentley's goal of back to back victories won't be easy, with many of the sports pacesetters geared up to unleash their brutal pace on the desert sands. With the field including current 2008 championship leader, Brad Prout in his Chevy powered single seater Jimco, along with several former Australian Champions & Tattersall Finke Desert Race winners, Shannon Rentsch in a Nissan turbo v6 powered Chenowth and Mark Burrows Honda Turbo Jimco.
David Fellows is another former Finke King in hot form, fresh off a win at Round 2 of the AORC in May, the Donald 500, in the TRD Peter Kittle Motorsports Jimco. While Alice Springs local and early race leader in 2007, Chris Coulthard, will be looking to capitalise on the promising pace he has shown behind the wheel of the Hawker Jimco. While the buggies will be the early race favourites, the thundering trucks of Greg Gartner (Ford F-150) and Brad Gallard (Chevy) will be looking to stamp their authority on the race.
The Tattersall's Finke Desert Race commences with scrutineering in Alice Springs on Friday June 6th at Blatherskite Park Showgrounds from 7pm. In previous years over 3000 people have attended the night which provides a great opportunity for the public to check out the race cars and bikes and soak up the atmosphere. Racing commences on Saturday morning, with the prologue that is used to determine the starting order for day 1.
The race to Finke kicks off at 7.30am on Sunday June 8th, with first ten cars away at 1 minute intervals. Followed by the bikes at 11.30am. The quickest cars will average over 100kmh, with time taken to cover the 230km course expected to be around the 2 hour mark. Mondays return leg to Alice Springs will once again commence at 7.30am with the winning car expected in to Alice Springs around 9.30am.
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