"On day two for the return leg from Finke to Alice Springs, I had a ten minute lead on the competition. I just rode consistent and picked my sections off one by one. I had a few off moments on the track, but the bike handled well and I felt good so it was a solid package.
"On the way to Finke it took me 1 hour and 58 minutes, and on the way home it took me 2 hours and 4 minutes. I was preserving myself on the way back, and making sure the bike survived the high speeds and tough conditions.
"I just want to say a big hats off Motorex KTM Off-Road Racing and the HSE Group for all the support they threw in to give me the chance to ride Finke, and a big personal thanks goes to Brad Williscroft and Ben Grabham, who together were an open book with their knowledge of the track and set up, they didn‰Ûªt hold back on sharing with me their years of experience, and trade secrets, they definitely helped me get to this point, and I feel my win is a big tribute to their contribution."
Last years winner Ben Grabham failed to finish after an engine faliure saw him end his weekend 8km short of the finish line.
"I was disappointed to DNF 8 kilometres from the finish line, but still a lot of positives came out of this year‰Ûªs Finke Desert Race, and for that I‰Ûªm thankful," said Grabham. "I look at every race I enter as a learning experience, and I took away valuable learning experience from this race. There were so many positives out of this year‰Ûªs Finke, like not injuring myself, my great speed, my time in prologue, and my lead on the way to Finke. Even the engine failure was a learning experience that I can take into next year‰Ûªs race.
