Returning legends of the Finke Desert Race, David Walsh and Travis Robinson, have been topped Kings of the Desert on the gruelling two-day off-road race, with Walsh profitable on bikes for a record-equalling sixth time and Robinson claiming victory on automobiles.
This yr’s Finke marked the Fiftieth-anniversary occasion, and greater than 150 automobiles and 670 motorbikes competed, making it the most important within the competitors’s historical past.
The race continued in the present day regardless of a deadly crash claiming the lifetime of a motorcycle rider, who’s but to be publicly named, on day one of many race.
This morning, within the automobiles part of the race, West Australian driver Travis Robinson and navigator Paul Currie — competing within the excessive 4WD class — have been the primary to cross the end line in Alice Springs.
Spectators and rivals flock to Central Australia yearly for the well-known off-road race. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
The profitable group accomplished the 460-kilometre race to Aputula/Finke and again in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 6 seconds.
The victory marks Robinson’s second in as a few years, after he snatched the crown from the reigning champion — his brother Beau — in 2025.
Regardless of the continuing pleasant sibling rivalry, Travis Robinson and his household proudly celebrated this yr’s outcome. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
Chatting with the ABC from the end line, the motive force mentioned his group had cruised by “the right weekend”.
“We run it as a household effort, and that is three in a row … to win the Fiftieth [anniversary] is a dream come true,”
Robinson mentioned.
“Simply killer, I can not imagine it.”
Robinson mentioned this yr could be his final at Finke.
“It is one thing I needed to do for my dad and my household and Paul right here, and we have received it twice in a row — sensible sufficient to exit on prime and go onto different issues, household and enterprise”.
Travis Robinson, pictured alongside his navigator Paul Currie, says this yr’s race will likely be his final. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
However he mentioned the off-road racing custom would doubtless be carried on by his kids, hopefully in a few decade, and Robinson could be cheering on his brother from the sidelines of subsequent yr’s occasion.
“I form of acquired again into the game when my previous man died, and it is actually nice for the children,” he mentioned.
He mentioned for now, he was eager to get pleasure from a number of celebratory drinks and watch again the race footage of what he referred to as his automobile’s “Dukes of Hazzard moments”, hovering over the monitor’s grime jumps.
Virtually 10 minutes after the winners arrived in Alice Springs, driver Boston Morgan-Horan and navigator Will Haddock crossed the road to take house second place.
Boston Morgan-Horan and Will Haddock have been the runners-up for automobiles. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
The silver placegetters competed within the excessive 2WD class, representing New Zealand, and achieved a time of three hours, 32 minutes and 23.8 seconds.
Robinson mentioned Morgan-Horan was in a robust place to return and dominate subsequent yr’s race, describing him as “a drive to be reckoned with”.
“Him and Beau are most likely the quickest in not simply Australia, they’re quickest on this planet — I would guess cash that each of them would give anybody on this planet a run for his or her cash proper now,”
Robinson mentioned.
Co-drivers Hayden and Sam Bentley rounded out the rostrum in third place, alongside navigator Viv Coe.
Hayden Bentley and Viv Coe have been the bronze placegetters on this yr’s automobile race. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
Racing within the excessive 4WD class on behalf of South Australia, the bronze group completed with a time of three hours, 45 minutes and 19 seconds.
Finke Desert Race doesn’t have an official Queen of the Desert title for automobiles, however reigning South Australian champ Hannah Bentley was the primary lady to drive throughout the end line once more this yr.
Competing within the excessive 2WD class, after nabbing victory in each 2024 and 2025, she raced within the group’s trophy truck alongside co-driver Hayden Bentley and navigator Scott Gould.
Ending in twenty first spot general for the automobiles, the group recorded a time of 4 hours, 26 minutes and 4 seconds.
Jackson Vandenberg was among the many followers cheering from the sidelines on the Fiftieth-anniversay Finke occasion. (ABC Information: Elsie Lange)
David Walsh wins on bikes for sixth time
A whole lot of motorbikes started racing alongside the return leg from Aputula/Finke at noon, with Alice Springs legend David Walsh finally pulling forward of the pack to safe his sixth win.
After profitable 5 consecutive races, from 2019 to 2024, Walsh made a robust return to the competitors this yr after sitting it out in 2025.
His motorcycle crossed the end line in a time of three hours, 49 minutes and 27.9 seconds.
His variety of bike wins equals a document set by Finke legend Toby Worth.
David Walsh returned from retirement for the occasion’s Fiftieth anniversary. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
Walsh mentioned having a six-minute lead on his closest competitors in a single day had given him a helpful edge on day two.
“It simply meant I might click on into overdrive in the present day and cruise all the best way right here, and that is what we did,” he mentioned.
“It is unimaginable simply to win the race, not to mention a milestone [race], so I am very honoured to be the place I’m.
“[This win] sits fairly excessive for me. It was a brand-new group; I used to be a yr on the sofa, so I wasn’t positive the place I used to be going to stack up towards all these blokes which can be 12 years youthful than me. And yeah, comfortable to get the job completed.”
The repeat champion mentioned he would now deal with making ready for the upcoming Baja 1000 in Mexico, saying finishing the “brutal” Finke had put him in good stead for the occasion.
David Walsh took house the title on bikes, adopted by Campbell Corridor (prime centre) in second place and Liam Walsh (backside proper) in third. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
He was adopted by runner-up Campbell Corridor, greater than 6 minutes later.
Liam Walsh, the cousin of this yr’s motorcycle winner, completed in third place, with a time of three hours 59 minutes and 37.8 seconds.
Reigning Queen of the Desert Madison Healey raced her motorcycle to victory once more this yr, taking house the title for a 3rd time in a time of 5 hours, 16 minutes and 4 seconds.
Madison Healey is a three-time Queen of the Desert. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
She mentioned she was “stoked” with the win.
“Lots of emotion on this one. It means rather a lot, truthfully. Me and my household, we put rather a lot into this race, so to return out on prime once more and almost to crack the highest 50 outright, it means heaps,” she mentioned.
“The primary [win], it was simply to get there and again, and final time I used to be stoked to return on prime, however this one, I feel it actually places my title on the market, and yeah, it is stable.”
A variety of girls competed on this yr’s occasion, however solely the motorcycle class has an official Queen of the Desert title. (ABC Information: Xavier Martin)
Corey Hammond, who received final yr’s motorcycle race, completed in 18th place this time round.
In the meantime fan-favourite and one of many largest names in Finke historical past, Toby Worth, misplaced his probability at taking house a tenth win.
He’s the one Finke Desert Race competitor to have ever achieved victory in each the motorcycle and automobile classes, however this yr Worth skilled gearbox points and didn’t end day one.
Beau Robinson’s automobile additionally bumped into bother on Sunday, delayed by steering points and two flat tyres — dashing his probabilities of stealing the crown again from brother Travis.
