Finke Desert Race :
SIX TITLES
FOR
TOBY
T
PRICE
here’s a strange buzz in the air, an orange
hue hangs thick as the many competitors
nervously wait the start of what is regarded
as one of the most exciting and toughest off-
road, enduro races anywhere in the world.
It’s the second weekend in June, a tra-
ditional weekend, one where strangely Australians cele-
brate the birth of Queen Elizabeth II, almost two months
after her real birthday. It’s
the traditional weekend
for a special event, taking
in some of the oldest land-
scapes in the world. It’s a
special event for some of
the oddest-looking racing
machines around, a spe-
cial event for the tradition-
al vehicles of this race; the
motorcycles.
The Finke Desert Race
started in 1976 as a race
between mates on their
bikes, they raced from the
central Australian town of
Alice Springs to the Finke
River, regarded as the old-
est river system anywhere
on earth. To this day the
Finke follows its original
course, following the old
Ghan Railway line service track, through desert oaks, mul-
ga, spinifex and plenty of Australian outback red dirt and
sand.
The richest off-road race in Australia, the Finke now at-
tracts the best, drivers who have won championships, rid-
ers who have won Dakar, yet anyone can enter, if you can
ride on sand, you can race in the Finke.
Five-time Finke winner and Dakar champion, Toby
Price was the early favourite to take two titles, for he is
one of the unique competitors that does the race twice;
two wheels and four. He set the pace aboard his KTM 500
EXC-F early by winning
the prologue, narrowly
from last years runner up,
Ivan Long (Husqvarna FE
450). Both riders complet-
ed the 8.3 kilometre cir-
cuit in less than 5 minutes,
this year’s race was going
to be quick.
Amazingly, the bikes
were only a few seconds
slower than the four-
wheeled competitors as
Shannon and Ian Rentsch
set a time of 4 minutes
44.4 seconds in their Jim-
co Aussie Special Nissan
3500cc. Price was fourth
aboard a Geiser built 6
litre V8 Chevrolet truck.
Brett Hemmings / Red Bull
Day one of serious rac-
ing started with almost
600 motorcycles heading into the desert, ahead of them
lay 230km of some of the toughest racing track. Price was
again in fine form, showing why he is considered one of
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