Outer Bounds Racing’s Travis Robinson and Trent Anthony have continued their perfect start to the Tatts Finke Desert Race, claiming day one honours as the first and fastest car to Finke.
The BFGoodrich CAMS 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 three minutes and thirteen seconds clear of SR Racing’s Shannon and Ian Rentsch.
Outer Bounds Racing’s Beau Robinson, brother and team-mate of Travis, 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 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 in the new Geiser Bros Trophy Truck, moving up to fifth outright after starting seventh this morning.
Five-time Tatts 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 Tatts 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.
Greg Gartner, who held an early top five position, also ran into trouble south of Bundooma, eventually making it to Finke but slipping to 31st outright.
Andrew Mowles and Matthew Morgan were the first of the prolite buggies, also holding down eighth outright.
The Tatts Finke Desert Race, and round two of the BFGoodrich CAMS Australian Off Road Championship, concludes tomorrow with competition kicking off at 7:15am from Finke; first cars are due back in Alice Springs around 9am.
Full results and information on the 2017 Tatts Finke Desert Race can be found at www.finkedesertrace.com.au.
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)
