Rentsch first to Finke

Shannon and Ian Rentsch set a blistering pace on leg one of the Tatts Finke Desert Race this morning, posting the fastest time from Alice Springs to Finke to claim day one honours.

Rentsch, who was first on the road after taking out yesterday’s prologue, used the clear track to full advantage, building a three minute buffer between himself and second-placed Toby Price.

Price, in the Geiser Bros Trophy Truck, was impressive on his run to Finke after starting fourth on the road this morning.

Price and third-placed Greg Gartner, also in a Geiser Bros Trophy Truck, traded times through the first three checkpoints. Price made his move before the 170 kilometre mark, overtaking Gartner on the track, who dropped over five minutes between Bundooma and Mt Squires after blowing a rear tyre.

Beau Robinson and Shane Hutt looked to be on the pace early after leaving Alice Springs second on the road, matching Rentsch for pace through the first two checkpoints. But the Outer Bounds Racing Trophy Truck failed to make the 140-kilometre Bundooma checkpoint, the cause still to be confirmed.

Five-time Finke winner David Fellows had a strong run on the 226 kilometre leg, moving into fourth and Talbot Cox and Andrew North were fifth to Finke and second of the Pro Buggies.

Jack Rhodes and David Pullino showed no ill effects of their rollover in prologue yesterday, sitting in seventh at the end of day one and Taylor Racing’s Ryan and Nev Taylor continued their good form from the St George 399 to be in eighth place.

First Prolite to Finke was Shawn and Robert Swaffield and Australian Off Road legend Mark Burrows, with Colin Hodge, rounded out the top ten.

Rentsch, who is competing in his 16th Finke Desert Race this year, was very happy with his run.

“We had a pretty good clean run, no real trouble. The car handled pretty well, doesn’t seem like we’ve got any issues at the moment,” he said.

“It’s a hell of a lot warmer, usually for the first 50 or 60ks your hands freeze up here but today the track was pretty good. It still shows it’s Finke with the big whoops but it smoothes out for the last 20ks so it gives you a bit of a breather. I’m really happy.”

On arrival at Finke, Gartner explained the loss of time before the Mt Squires checkpoint.

“We were just trying to get down to Finke and looking after ourselves pretty well and we were in some whoops sitting around 180 or 190ks an hour and the left rear tyre blew so that upset our day so we had to change that and then that upset the back of car a little bit so we struggled a bit to get here that’s for sure.”

Gartner said they had some work to do before the run to Alice Springs tomorrow.

“Pull it down, something’s wrong with the steering and just try and settle the suspension down, we had three or four pretty close ones.”

In class results, Toby Whateley and Simon Herrmann, current BFGoodrich CAMS AORC leaders, are on top in the SXS Turbo class, ahead of rivals Nathan Chivers and Scott O’Connor. Allan and Courtney Muir lead the SXS Sport class from Harry Weckert and Catitlin Stephens.

Reigning Extreme 4WD Champions Paul and Michelle Malt lead Niihori Tadamitsu and Glen Weston in the TRD Toyota Hilux, and off road legend Geoff Pickering, with Dylan Watson, lead the Production 4WD class.

It’s tight at the top of the Extreme 2WD class with Toby Price leading Greg Gartner and David Fellows, all fighting for outright honours also. Shawn and Robert Swaffield lead the polite with Locky, Paddy and Jack Weir in second and Rod Visser in third.

The Tatts Finke Desert Race, round two of the BFGoodrich CAMS Australian Off Road Championship, returns to Alice Springs tomorrow, with cars leaving Finke at 7:15am for the 226-kilometre race to the finish. The first car is due into Alice Springs at 9:05am.