Toby Price and Jason Duncan first in the Finke Desert Race
The bike King of the Desert has been crowned in an emotional and overwhelming victory. See all the pictures and videos
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ALICE Springs local David Walsh reigns as the bike King of the Desert after waltzing into first in the Finke Desert Race.
Walsh (#1) crossed the finish line and into the arms of his emotional wife and children waiting.
It is the third time Walsh has claimed bike King of the Desert, having won in 2021 and 2019.
In second was Jacob Smith (#9) and third Jack Simpson (2).
Price and Duncan score gold
KINGS of the Desert Toby Price and Jason Duncan have claimed the 2022 Finke Desert Race.
The pair scored the win crossing the finish line in 1:45 on Day 2, just shy of Price’s time in 2021.
“Everything went to plan,” Price said.
“We had a really good day, put the foot to the floor but then we just cruised home today.”
Price said nothing was a guarantee until about “50m from the finish line,” where if the duo broke down, it was Duncan’s job to push them home.
Navigator Jason Duncan said the race was world’s away from his normal gigs, the Baja 1000 which takes eight to 10 hours.
“Normally (in the Baja) we take it easy, go 80 per cent for most of the race, where as here he (Price) is pretty flat out.
“This race, you don’t know time so you are giving it everything you got at every turn.”
Price was thrilled to return for this year’s Finke and said it wouldn’t be the team’s last.
“That Finke fever, it never goes away,” he said.
“The environment, the people, the fans; tt never gets old really, it’s unreal how excited people are to come out and cheer us on.”
The win is Price’s eighth: six on the bike and two in the car, in the toughest multi-terrain race in the country.
The duo failed to take the title in 2018 and 2019, making them more determined to pop the champagne this year. The impressive team crossed the line in record time, with an overall time of 3:21.46.2 seconds to claim victory with a 2.89 minute margin over Aaron James (#93) in second.
Price is the first and sole competitor to be crowned King of the Desert at the race in both car and bike categories. His 2022 campaign resulted in him having a clean sweep, finishing first in Prologue and on Race Day 1.
Aaron James, who drove and navigated, said the experience was a “pure” style of racing.
“(Navigating by yourself) you really have no idea what’s going on down the track by yourself,” he said.
“It becomes a pure experience. You don’t have GPS or paste notes like the rest of the field, its real freedom.”
Cars take off for final leg of Finke
THE cars have taken off for the final leg of the Finke Desert Race.
Red Bull racer Toby Price (#487) is close to snatching the crown for cars and if he does, would total his tally to eight King of the Desert crowns across six bike wins and one car win.
The first car is expected to arrive in Alice Springs at 9.05am.
The bikes then take off at 11.45am, with Alice Springs local David Walsh (#1) aiming to take out the crown.
The first bike is due at 2pm.
Walsh waltzes into Finke
TWO-TIME King of the Desert and Alice Springs local David Walsh prevailed on Race Day 1 to become the first bike to arrive at Finke (Aputula).
Walsh clocked in a time of 1:46.10.
Jacob Smith (#9) followed in second, with Jack Simpson (#2) coming in 43.2 seconds behind to complete the top three.
Price sets record time, within reach of second crown
TOBY Price is on the verge of claiming his second consecutive King of the Desert crown for cars at the Finke Desert Race, setting a record time on Day 1.
Price and navigator Jason Duncan (#487) completed the first 226km of the race in 1:36.38, the fastest time ever set in the Finke Desert Race history in the car category on Day 1.
Aaron James (#93) cross the Finke (Aputula) checkpoint as second fastest at 1:41.4, with duo Brent Martin and Ben Dawson (#120) rounding out the top three with a 1.12 second deficit to second fastest.
Competitors will now camp overnight at the checkpoint before heading back to Alice Springs on Monday at 7.15am, with the first car expected to arrive at 9.05am.
Finke goes into overdrive for Day 1
THE low hum of exhausts will reverberate across Alice Springs as day one of Finke Desert Race begins.
Almost 150 cars will rev their engines as the flag is dropped at 7.30am, setting them off on a 226km journey to Finke (Aputula).
Yesterday, Toby Price and Jason Duncan had the perfect start to their race, taking out the top poll position. Josh Howell and navigator Eric Hume (#15) lining up second.
The first car is due to arrive in Finke (Aputula) at approximately 9.15am, with the last car expected to arrive at approximately 12.50pm.
The Bikes will then begin their race to Finke (Aputula) at 11.45am, with Jacob Smith (#9) the first bike to depart Alice Springs, followed by Jack Simpson (#2) second and David Wash (#1) third.
The first bike is expected to arrive in Finke (Aputula) at approximately 1.30pm, with the final bike due to arrive at approximately 5.20pm.
Alice Springs has felt the cold blast of winter coming across the desert, and riders, drivers and spectators can expect the same on both Saturday and Sunday.
Temperatures for the thousands camped along the desert track have been as low as 1C, with Sunday’s top expected to get to about 19. Those camping in Finke on Sunday night can expect a crisp 3C as they bundle into their swags.
Follow our coverage today for live updates of all the action and race leaders.
Saturday
REIGNING King of the Desert Toby Price has made the perfect start to his title defence after recording the fastest time on an epic Prologue Day at Finke.
The Red Bull racer, alongside navigator Jason Duncan, secured the top spot in the starting order after recording a blistering time of 4:42.29.
It may have been 4.2 seconds slower than the time he set to claim pole position last year, but it was enough to also earn the pair the $2000 Outright Prologue winner prize.
The pair of Josh Howells and Eric Hume were next fastest on prologue day 0.2 seconds adrift of their major rivals in their maiden Finke run.
And rounding out the top three in the car category was Aaron James with a time of 4:44.1.
The official start of the 2022 Tatts Finke Desert Race will begin at 7.30am on Sunday, with the 2022 King of the Desert to be crowned on Monday.
Meanwhile, on the bikes it was Jacob Smith who reigned supreme on the opening day of action setting the fastest time.
The man from Condobolin finished seventh in the Prologue last year, but rose to the top in 2022 with a smashing time of 4:44.4.
Smith took second place, rising the ranks in 2021, but with a better start this time around is in pole position to take out his maiden crown.
West Australian Jack Simpson was the best of the rest in the 487 strong field finishing 3.8 seconds off the pace.
Following on to complete the podium just 0.3 seconds off the silver was two time King of the Desert David Walsh, in a decent position to go for his third title.
Fourth went to Brodie Waters, but the surprise package of the day was fifth place finisher Richard Green taking on the Finke dirt for just the first time in his career.
Then came the Rising Star winner Callum Norton while Danielle Foot looks primed to win her third Kay Wharton Fastest Female after finishing 72nd.
The bikes will begin the first leg of their Finke journey from 11.45am on Sunday.
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