UPDATE 7:00 pm: Next year no Finke camping for the first 30km? Ghan Society on the warpath – see comment below.
By ERWIN CHLANDA
Father and son crew Shannon and Ian Rentsch from Warrnambool, Victoria, took out their fourth Tatts Finke Desert Race this morning, doing the return trip in an amazing 3 hours and 42 minutes.
They were seven minutes ahead of second place getters, Jack Rhodes and David Pullino from SA. Beau Robinson (WA) came third.
The 40th Finke was again especially a triumph for the 400 volunteers – and the one sole paid employee – who run the big national event.
Debbie Heller (at left with mother Heather Rowse) has been a volunteer for 10 years: “I love seeing the guys I sign on during the week, and hearing their stories.
“And then I love seeing them come home, and I love hearing the stories about how they came home. And I get them to sign off.
“They have a big smile and they give me a hug and say, ‘I’ve made it!’
“Most of the people have been racing so long that you see them grow up, father hands over to son. It’s their passion that drives us to be here,” says Ms Heller.
Ms Rowse has been a Finke volunteer for about 15 years: “I’ve always been interested in car racing.
“My daughter and I manage the scrutineering of the cars, and sign them all back in today.”
Naomi Preece (at right) works in the VIP grid lounge: “I’m a local girl for about six or seven years now.
“It’s good to be part of the event, getting a different perspective from being just a normal spectator. We’re much needed. The more volunteers the better.”
It is the fifth year running the lounge for Haydn Branford (at left): “We’re doing it to just help out. You’re part of the atmosphere. My little brother [past bike winner Ryan Branford] races. Gives us something to do on the weekend!”
Mayor Damien Ryan (below right, with a representative of naming rights sponsor, Tatts) has been a Finke stalwart from the beginning of the race.
He says this year about 400 people from all walks of life helped out, just for the fun of it, and the “old brigade” are beginning to hand over to youngsters, he says.
Young men from the Clontarf football academy will today be cutting rented transponders off 500 motorbikes, cleaning them and putting them back into their boxes.
“It’s all those little things.”
President Antony Yoffa is working in the main control room as an offsider to Jol Fleming who’s been doing it for a long, long time.
“We’re in the process now of passing knowledge on to younger people so the race continues on,” says Mayor Ryan.
“It’s no good people turning up one year – ‘where is the procedures manual?’. Ah, we don’t have one.
AT LEFT: The winning crew with grid girls. Their buggy is pictured below. AT TOP: Winners racing past spectators near the finish line.
“Life member Judy Hoare came back this year and took on the role as volunteer co-ordinator, presiding over group leaders in charge of each area. It’s one of the biggest jobs we have. It has worked very well.
“Today she’s running the Deep Well checkpoint. She won’t be home till very late tonight.”
The Finke Desert Race company still has only one paid employee: “It would be good running a business that way,” says Mayor Ryan, “with the same sort of turnover.”
And that has grown to be big indeed, with a record breaking entry of 600 bikes and 134 cars.