David Walsh Chases Record-Equalling 5th Straight Finke Desert Race Crown
Story: Motorcycling Australia
June 06, 2024
The 48th edition of the Tatts Finke Desert Race will be held in the Northern Territory over the King’s Birthday long weekend (June 8-10), as Alice Springs powerhouse David Walsh attempts to win a fifth successive crown.
If the four-time defending champion gets the job done on his KTM, Walsh will match the record of Randall Gregory who dominated the event from 1991 until 1995 on his booming Honda CR500.
Toby Price remains atop the motorcycle winners’ list with six victories, in an event which dates back to 1976.
David Walsh
Image courtesy Motorcycling Australia
Walsh’s iron grip on the Finke crown will come under threat from a host of riders who are also returning in a white-hot 2024 field, including Callum Norton (KTM), Kory McMahon (GASGAS), Liam Walsh (KTM), Corey Hammond (KTM) and Brodie Waters (Honda).
Norton, from Lorne in Victoria, was David Walsh’s closest challenger in 2023, setting the fastest time on day two – the 229km return run from Finke to Alice Springs – to keep the pressure on the leader.
Callum Norton pre-running for the 2024 Finke Desert Race.
Image Social Media NT courtesy Motorcycling Australia
However, ultimately it was Walsh’s superb speed and work rate on day one which saw him put one hand on the 2023 trophy, and he won at an average speed of 127.3km/h over three hours, 35 minutes and 48 seconds.
With the 34-year-old’s pedigree in the open terrain ranks and his insatiable appetite for the contest, Walsh will be hard to beat again. He’s one of only two past winners of the Finke in this year’s race – the other being Bathurst star Ben Grabham who will ride a GASGAS.
Grabham (35-44yrs) will be one of five riders defending class victories from the 2023 Finke Desert Race, a list which also includes David Walsh (451cc and above four-stroke), Mark Blake (45-54yrs, KTM), Warren Zerna (over 55yrs, KTM) and Taylah Maurice (Women’s, Honda).
The other moto classes are 251cc and above two-stroke, under 250cc two-stroke, under 250cc four-stroke, and 251-450cc four-stroke.
Of the 341 moto entries, nearly half will be taking on the Finke for the first time.
There are also 126 entries in the four-wheel categories, which includes buggies, side-by-sides and two- and four-wheel drives. Finke motorcycle legend Phil Lovett, who finished on the podium seven times for three wins in the 1980s and 1990s, will compete in the Extreme 4WD class – the 66-year-old still enjoying the thrill of the desert hunt.
The prologue for the 2024 Finke Desert Race will be held on Saturday, June 8, which will determine the starting order for the run to Finke on Sunday. Then it will all happen in reverse on Monday.
For more information on the 2024 Tatts Finke Desert Race, including all you need to know as a spectator, click here.
