Off Road fans can rejoice in 2021 as organisers for the Tatts Finke Desert Race are confident the BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship’s second round will run.
Scheduled to take place during its traditional time slot of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, plenty of work is going into the event to make sure that all bases are covered and it goes off without a hitch.
From an event point of view, very little will change.
There will be around 150 spots for cars, with entries to open early March. The race format remains the same and crews will still experience an unchanged, but iconic course as per previous years.
The only notable change will be that the event is run with specific COVID guidelines and like most organisations hosting a big event, there have been many contingency plans put in place should restrictions be in place.
The team behind the great off road spectacle have already been working overtime in preparing strategies to make sure the event can run this year.
And with so much riding on this year’s event, one of the key figures behind the race in Kelsey Branford remains adamant that there is only one thing that will force any cancellation.
“We are planning for everything. The event itself is how we usually run it and we have many different plans put in place to make sure we are prepared for anything between now and June,” Branford said.
“The last thing we want to do is cancel this event, it’s a last resort, meaning the only thing that will see it cancelled is if the Government closes the borders.
“It’s been a mountain of work, but it’s something we have to do. We are hoping to have a finalised COVID plan published by the end of March so competitors can start setting up their own plans.
“We have been working really hard and taking our time in delivering that plan because we want to make sure we are aligned with Motorsport Australia’s Return to Race document, as well as the Territory government and Aboriginal communities’ requirements.
“Outside of that, it’s pretty much business as usual. We are expecting an onslaught of entries based on how many competitors have already been in touch and we are really positive with how it will go this year.”
Click here for more information on the 2021 Tatts Finke Desert Race.
The Tatts Finke Desert Race will take place in Alice Springs and Finke on 11-14 June 2021.
Photo: Terry Hill Photography
