96 |JUNE 2017 http://www.adbmag.com.auHe did it again when he moved to
KTMona505XC-Fin2009.And,
despite thepainofabusted hand, won
the titlebackfrom Price in 2011;after
whichitseemedaprudent move to
accepttheposition of team manager.
SincethenKatohas accruedfour
morewinsandtaken thequinella in
2015and2016withPriceholdingout
team-mate Tye Simmonds onboth
occasions.Nooneknowsmoreabout
what it takestowin Finkethan
Grabbo. “There’s onlyone wayto test
everythingproperly and that’s to do a
full race, as near aspossible under
race conditions. So that’swhatwedid.
There andbackinaday.
“Then we did it again the next day.
Andthenext.Forfivedaysstraight.
And another few days are spent on
shorter runs checking setup.Maybe
another200km. Sowhat’s that?”
Grabboreflectsbefore continuing
“then we werebackfor a weekin May
toperform the same again”.
That’s about 4500kmofpractice for a
450kmraceandleaveslittle doubt the
teamleavesnothingtochance.“Allwe
reallyhadtodointheweekbefore the
race was checkover thebikes,practice
thetworefuelsandreviewthe
condition of the track,” says Grabbo.
AsADBBwent to print Toby was
waiting for medical clearance to
undertakethepre-running regimen
noless arduous undernewteam
manager Glenn Kearney than it was
under Grabbo. Toby’skeentorunbut
it’s upto the medicos(andpossibly
the marketing consigliores in Europe).
If not it appears we’ll definitely see a
new face on the topstepof the
podium with outlanders JakeSmith,
Josh Green and Ivan Long facing off
against local lads David Walsh and
DamonStokie.3
2
‘There and
Back’
When enthusiasm for ‘Mexican Motocross’ and
‘Follow the Toilet Roll’ (you really don’t need to
know) started to wane, Peter Gunner and Barry
Taylor decided a cross-country race from Emily
Gap out to the Orraminna Rockhole and back
would be a bloody good idea. It was. And the
‘There and Back’ was conceived.
The Alice Springs Motorcycle Club committee
agreed that Aputula (aka Finke) was the next
logical challenge. There was a track of sorts
and, most importantly, a pub on the other side
of the Finke River. Following the railway line
shouldn’t be too difficult for even the most
geographically challenged, however with the
Ghan still in operation the fettler’s camps posed
a real danger as did the amount of trackside
detritus concealed in the spinifex.
Scrutineering was no more than a subjective
opinion as to whether the rider and machine
would make it; and had enough coin for a shout
at the bar. With sketchy radio comms provided
by the Alice Springs Amateur Radio Group and a
solo ex-army Land Rover as sweep ‘There and
Back’ was born. Four decades later the Finke
Desert Race has developed into our richest and
most tightly contested outback epic.in the very section he’d been
practising to death”
PREVIEW IFINKE DESERT RACE
1
MAIN: Crowd salute coming into Finke- Rick Hall and the mighty CR500 in 2002
2. Phil Lovett carries his own luggage - Greg Lutze and Honda XR500 tanker