2019 TATTS FINKE DESERT RACE

Images: KTM Australia, Husqvarna Australia, Honda Australia, Finke Desert Race

After years of being the bridesmaid behind Toby Price, David Walsh has broken a personal drought to win his first King of the Desert title at the 2019 Tatts Finke Desert Race.

In his eleven previous starts at Finke, Walsh has finished on the podium on four occasions, but never the top step. Second overall behind Price in 2012, the Territorian from Alice Springs repeated that result in 2014 and last year, with a third-place finish in 2016.

However, with Price only racing in the car category this year, Walsh had his best chance of winning the King of the Desert crown and didn’t let it pass him by, with a dominant display that started with victory in the Prologue on 8 June.

PROLOGUE

In a field that included fast enduro riders like Jacob Smith (runner-up in 2013), last year’s third-place finisher Jack Simpson, Beau Ralston, Callum Norton and Nathan Trigg, Walsh would face some strong competition, but rode the 8.3km Prologue circuit like he was on rails, completing the lap in 4m49.0s to claim pole and lead the 612-rider field for the 226km run to Finke on Sunday 9 June.

Simpson (Honda CRF450R), was second-fastest, 5.2 seconds behind Walsh, followed by NT local, Jack Dooley-McDonnell (Honda CRF450R), who was back at Finke for the first time in four years.

Interestingly, Walsh’s 500 EXC-F was one of only two KTMs in the Top Ten for the Prologue, as Hondas, Husqvarnas, Yamahas and Shercos filled the pointy end of the field.

Fastest female in the Prologue was Victoria’s Danielle Foot (Sherco 250SE-R) in her fourth Finke start.

DAY 1

In dry conditions on the morning of 9 June, and on what was described as a fast track, Walsh led the field from Alice Springs and soon led the field on the timesheets, too.

The 29-year-old, riding for the North Star Pastoral KTM Desert Racing Team, built upon his narrow Prologue margin with each checkpoint and, by the time he arrived at Finke almost two hours later, he had a margin of five minutes over the next-best rider.

That next-best was Smith, with Ralston two minutes further behind to make it a 2-3 for the Husqvarna FE 501s of the Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team.

Walsh’s team mate Norton was more than eight minutes adrift of the lead, but fourth overall and looked ready to pounce on the return leg to Alice Springs.

Simpson was the best of the Hondas; fifth overall, but 10 minutes off the lead, closely followed by Sam Davie (Husqvarna FE 501).

Foot was the fastest female into Finke, fourth in Class 3 and 71st overall, followed by Bronwyn Alpin (KTM 300 EXC - 230th overall) and Kathryn Scoble (Honda CRF450R – 249th overall).

Trigg was a casualty of the opening day, as was Dooley-McDonnell and more than 40 other riders. Fourteen more finished out of time for the first 226km leg and 26 failed to make the Day 1 start.

Finke DAY 1 Results – Top 5

David WALSH KTM 500 EXC-F (#2) 01h55m25.7s
Jacob SMITH Husqvarna FE 501 (#299) +5m00.7s
Beau RALSTON Husqvarna FE 501 (#295) +08m37.5s
Callum NORTON KTM 450 EXC-F (#X98) +10m20.4s
Jack SIMPSON Honda CRF450R (#3) +10m44.8s

DAY 2

Similar dry conditions greeted the starters for Day 2’s return to Alice Springs, where Walsh had the luxury of being able to ride conservatively, while those behind him had to be in attack mode.

Norton’s charge was blunted early with a crash only six kilometres out of Finke. Despite this, he remounted and rode through the pain to complete the return leg.

Walsh’s main competition proved to be Smith, who actually completed the second day faster, but could only bite a second out of the KTM man’s overall lead.

Like Walsh and Smith, the rest of the front runners were similarly settled on the second 226km stint, but Norton’s spill did move Simpson and Davie up the order, while Mark Grove (Honda CRF450R), Lachlan Terry (KTM 500 EXC-F) and Angus Gelly (Sherco 500 SEF) also improved their Day 1 placings.

Seventh on Day 1, Kent Collins (KTM 500 EXC-F) was the highest-placed Day 2 retirement, with Daniel Banks (KTM 500 EXC-F) and Jerakye Andrews (Yamaha YZ450FX) also failing to complete the second leg after strong Day 1 results.

Experienced Dakar campaigner Rod Faggotter (Yamaha WR450F) reached Finke in 29th place, but despite losing a few minutes on the return leg, managed to gain a place for 28th overall, finishing as the best-placed Yamaha and first in the Seniors class ahead of Brad Wilkinson (Yamaha WR450F) and Jason Stewart (KTM 500 EXC-F).

At the front of the field, though, it was all about Walsh; KTM’s lead rider living up to his role to take the win ahead of Smith and Ralston, on margins that were barely altered from Day 1.

“I’m blown away,” Walsh said as he fought back tears. “Words cannot describe how I feel right now. I’m just happy to have my family and friends here to help throughout the whole year… they’re just amazing.

“Getting down to Finke with a five-minute lead made it easier for me. I knew I could probably get through the rough stuff a bit easier coming home, and that’s what I did. I’m so happy to finally get it after the 12 years that I’ve been trying.”

With Walsh being a “home town boy”, the Alice Springs crowd were particularly enthusiastic for the winner, too.

Second and third overall was a good result for the Schwarz Husqvarna Desert Team, with third being Ralston’s best-ever result at Finke. Davie, the squad’s third rider, finished sixth.

The ‘Kay Wharton Fastest Female Category’ trophy was won by Foot, who also finished third in Class 3 and 57th overall.

In the Quad category, Cooper Van Vliet (Yamaha YZF450R) won the Under 40 class and Craig Spiers (Yamaha YZF450R) the Over 40 class.