Orange Dirt Bike Riders Tackle Australia's Greatest Desert Race

For many people outside of the motorsport world, the Finke Desert Race is considered the crown jewel in off-road racing across Australia.

From around the country, moto-racing athletes gather in the Northern Territory for two days, jam-packed with racing categories that facilitate different classes and vehicle types from bikes, cars, buggies, to quads. They are all competing for the best possible times to secure top positions on the podium in each race division.

For this year’s Finke, Orange locals Hayden Tom (Husqvarna FC450), Stephen Robinson (Husqvarna FE501), Zach Madden (Husqvarna TX300 2 Stroke), and James Wolters (Kawasaki KX450) represented our region at the June event.

Stephen recently spoke with Orange City Life over the phone from Alice Springs where he was setting up camp: “We decided to enter Finke about six months ago when entries opened. We were all ready to sign-up before positions were filled and closed because they just go in minutes.

"Everyone wants to race at Finke.

“We’ve heard many stories about how tough the race is and how Finke is the hardest desert race in Australia. So, we wanted to have a crack at it,” Stephen explains.

The four locals said before the race, that they expected to face tough, challenging terrain that would undoubtedly test their physical and mental endurance and the mechanical endurance of their bikes. Preparation is key for surviving the track, they said.

For six months now, the locals prepared in between their full-time professions and other sporting commitments, gearing themselves ready for the big event.

“We all work full-time, so thinking about the race and preparing for it is always in the back of your mind, as well as getting parts you need for the bike to make it better and easier on yourself when the race day arrives.

“Training to keep yourself fit because the race is physically demanding. The other boys, they play footy every weekend, so that’s part of their training. On top of that, you’re trying to put in as much time in [riding] on the bike as possible. We’re all pretty stressed for time,” Stephen explains.

Our locals raced from Alice Springs to the small Aputula (Finke) community and back again across the two days. This was the first time for Stephen, James, and Hayden taking on Finke, of which Stephen says they were: “hoping to finish the race with a reasonable time.” For Zach, this will be another tally added to his riding career at Finke as he has raced there many times previously.

Regardless of what the scoring outcomes were for our locals, this is a sporting culture that is incredibly social, about connectivity through adventure and challenging your limits. As described by Stephen, “What I love most about the sport is the friendships you make, the places you see, to the people you meet, and the thrills of the sport – pushing your bike and yourself.”

This venture to Finke was sponsored by local business Central Western Brake & Clutch and Penrite Oil.

Orange City Life looks forward to catching up with Stephen, Hayden, James, and Zack on their racing efforts after they return very soon.