TRAVIS ROBINSON FASTEST TO FINKE
Travis Robinson fastest to Finke – Photo: Supplied
Travis Robinson and Trent Anthony have continued their perfect start to the Tatts Finke Desert Race, claiming day one honours being the fastest car to get to Finke.
The Australian Off Road Championship leader was the first car on the road today after winning prologue yesterday, and used his dust-free run to full effect, pulling a clear three minutes lead over Shannon and Ian Rentsch.
Robinson’s brother and team-mate Beau, moved to third outright on the opening leg, just 31 seconds faster than current Australian Off Road Champion Jack Rhodes. Robinson and navigator Shane Hutt also claimed the lead the extreme 2WD class, the first trophy truck taking the challenge to the pro buggies.
Toby Price and Luke Hendry were another team on the move, arriving in Finke fifth outright after starting seventh this morning.
Five-time Finke Desert Race winner and Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame inductee Mark Burrows, with navigator Colin Hodge, suffered an early exit from the event, hitting a tree in the dust just ten kilometres south of Alice Springs.
Last year’s Finke Desert Race winner Glenn Owen and navigator Matthew Ryan have had an early end to the defence of their ‘King of the Desert’ title, coming to a halt south of Bondooma.
The Finke Desert Race, and round two of the Australian Off Road Championship, concludes tomorrow with competition kicking off at 7:15am from Finke. The first cars are expected to arrive back in Alice Springs around 9am.
Finke Desert Race Top Ten
1. 13 TRAVIS ROBINSON/TRENT ANTHONY 01:48:44.6
2. 33 SHANNON RENTSCH/IAN RENTSCH 01:51:58.4 (+ 00:03:13.8)
3. 413 BEAU ROBINSON/SHANE HUTT 01:54:15.7 (+ 00:05:31.1)
4. 1 JACK RHODES/DAVID PULINO 01:54:47.4 (+ 00:06:02.8)
5. 487 TOBY PRICE/LUKE HENDRY 01:56:16.5 (+ 00:07:31.9)
6. 454 BRAD GALLARD/SCOTT MODISTACH/KYLE PFITZNER 01:56:25.8 (+ 00:07:41.2)
7. 88 CHRIS COULTHARD/ROBERT HAWKER 02:03:41.9 (+ 00:14:57.3)
8. 135 ANDREW MOWLES/MATTHEW MORGAN 02:07:49.4 (+ 00:19:04.8)
9. 32 MICHAEL MARSON/CHRIS COLBORNE 02:08:47.6 (+ 00:20:03.0)
10. 418 HAYDEN BENTLEY/VIV JAMES COE 02:09:05.5 (+ 00:20:20.9)
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