Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race Off-Road Action
Many racing drivers find that nothing gets the blood pumping quite like a good off-road race. The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is the best of the best. It is noted for being the best part of the Australian Offroad Racing Championship. The grueling race tests the mental prowess and physical fitness of the driver, as well as the strength of their machinery. It is little wonder then, that the race draws all the big names of off-road racing to Alice Springs each year.
Many racing drivers find that nothing gets the blood pumping quite like a good off-road race. The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race is the best of the best. It is noted for being the best part of the Australian Offroad Racing Championship. The grueling race tests the mental prowess and physical fitness of the driver, as well as the strength of their machinery. It is little wonder then, that the race draws all the big names of off-road racing to Alice Springs each year.
The Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race takes place on the Queens Birthday Long Weekend in June each year. This year that falls on June 6 to 9. The race has a somewhat unique point-to-point format and starts and ends in Alice Springs. Along the way competitors hurl themselves along the old Ghan Railway to Finke where they spend the night before scurrying back to Alice Springs in pursuit of the checkered flag the following day. Competitors drive a whopping 230 km in each direction. The route has a reputation for being the most difficult off-road track available and the winning driver is invariably crowned ‘King of the Desert’.
More ‘regular’ drivers might find the sound of the race daunting – yet 2008 has seen hundreds of entries flood in once again. The auto field will feature around 80 cars and the entries were closed on May 30. Additionally, a whopping 449 bikes and 51 quads are scheduled to start the event. Just how many manage to make it to the finish line remains to be seen. It seems there should be a lot of healthy competition between the bikes and cars this year, just as there has been in previous years.
Last year’s winner, Australian Hayden Bentley, had his entry for this year’s race in very early with hopes of claiming the victory a second time in a row. However, he is facing tough competition with Brad Prout, Shannon Rentsch and Mark Burrows also getting ready join the field. The 2008 Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race should be action packed to the last minute so make sure that you get in on the action!