#fnk40

Finke 2015: Desert Finale

Blanketed and boxed in by dust, hounded by mechanical issues and battling against the desert, Team Toyo has punched through the darkness and roared home.

The coveted 40th anniversary race has been one of the toughest Finke’s ever, according to drivers coming into Alice Springs from the massive field.

The battle of Rentsch and Rhodes went in favour of sophomore King of the Desert Rentsch, illustrating the random cruelty of The Finke Desert Race.

Rhodes lead the field all weekend, an almost assured victory slipping through his fingers following a flat tyre after the Bundooma checkpoint, around kilometre 110.

Hayden Bentley lead Team Toyo in, taking second in the X2WD class and seventh outright in his first Finke with the Racer Engineering trophy truck.

“The run, home especially for the for the last 100 kilometres was a lot of fun, we found some clear air and got to push it,” said Bentley.

“Qualifying cost us positions but we couldn’t be happier with our run, no damage to the truck, no moments, no damage, no flats. Very happy for a brand new truck we haven’t driven; next qualifying will be a different story.”

Bentley Motorsports and the #418 TT will return in form at the Toyo Tires Riverland Enduro.

“We will regroup and clean up for Waikerie. There are lot of positives to take from it, we will build it on this performance and go get ‘em,” he said.

Matthew Kittle’s fourth attempt at finishing the legendary desert race race has been a success. Kittle pushed through the field following a rollover in qualifying to finish 12th outright and ninth in Pro-Class with a very fast return run, half of it without brakes.

“It was one of the hardest drives I have ever done, the dust was ridiculous and the seeded position started us from 30th, so we made up 17 positions.”

About halfway through the return leg, after the Rodinga checkpoint the #23 Jimco lost  brakes, with Kittle relying solely on the Open Country M/T-R’s grip to get through corners.

“At Finke any corner you overshoot there is a big hole or a big tree waiting for you. The tyres performed really well, with no brakes I needed to make sure I had the control around the corners. The tyre performed perfectly,” he said.

“They gave me the confidence to hook up and I never had any doubts.”

Following a nightmare first day, Greg Gartner Motorsports replaced a damaged torque converter and headed to Finke late last night, to see the #410 have a final crack at the 40th.

Arriving a 2am, rolling swags out until 5am and then straight back into racing, Gartner did his hard charging reputation justice.

Doing a 2:07.43 on the return, Gartner again proves that excluding mechanical drama, he is a top series contender.

Danny Brown in the #42 Pro-Class buggy and Brad Gallard were both unable to start today’s return to Alice Springs leg following gearbox and engine issues.

The PKMS #454 proved un-repairable overnight, with a sensor issue rendering the big Jimco unusable. Brad Gallard is confident that the 5.8 litre Toyota PH9 V8 will make the truck a force to be reckoned with in Waikerie.

“It’s a disappointing result but our section times on track speak for themselves,” said Gallard. “I am comfortable with the PKMS truck now. When everything comes together we will be unstoppable.”

Struggling with power steering issues throughout the race weekend, Scott Modistach in the #496 Geiser Bros TT also recorded a DNF for the Finke.

FINKE 2015: STRIKING POSITION

Over a tight, slippery, dusty prologue track Team Toyo has produced results. Toyo drivers occupy first, second and fourth position in X2WD.

Brad Gallard leads the trophy truck class in a threatening position, just 10 seconds off poll. Greg Gartner, despite a persistent voltage issue grabbed second in class. Hayden Bentley in the Racer Engineering #418 trophy truck has pulled in fourth in class and 19th outright.

Danny Brown came in at ninth outright with a clean performance bringing the #42 Pro-Class buggy in comfortably.

A recently graded prologue track made for a loose and slippery top surface, with all teams praising the Toyo Open Country M/T-R’s grip for giving them the confidence to push harder.

Brad Gallard logged a 5:13 over the eight-kilometre course putting the PKMS #454 fifth outright and in a striking position for tomorrows race.

The #454’s sister car, the Geisers Bros. #496 with Scott Modistach at the helm ran a clean 5:51, taking a more conservative approach.

“Prologue was clean, very skatey out there, there were no nice berms left so you couldn’t rail anything,” said Gallard.

“We’re first truck in and the only truck in the top 10, so in those conditions it was a top result.”

With a great start, Gallard is on track for a podium result.

“Take it as it comes day by day and keep charging. Hopefully we turn it into a really good weekend,” he said.

“We certainly have some fast cars in front of us but we are looking forward to chasing them down. We’ll get through 100k’s where the dust is really bad and out to where it gets rougher, that’s where we can we can charge some down.”

Danny Brown is eighth in Pro-Class buggy with a 5:17. The top ten spot will see the #42 enjoy a one minute dust gap for tomorrows Alice to Finke run.

“We had a clean run, we pushed but were a little bit conservative. The track was super slippery so we dropped the pressures beforehand for some traction and found plenty of grip.”

Even on the short track better suited to buggies, the prologue circuit was hard going.

“It’s all pretty close time wise, it’s really easy to overshoot a corner and lose time. It’s a challenging tight course, you don’t want to make any mistakes,” said Danny.

“The dust gap will be a massive advantage. We just want to get down there and with the dust passing will be hard. We have some markers we want to hit time wise, so as long we can keep on schedule we should be pretty good.”

Greg Gartner is the second X2WD across the line and 11th outright. The big Ford pulled a 5.20, despite a voltage issue creating drama.

“The truck kept cutting out, we had a good run halfway around but at about the three kilometre mark the engine started going. We were coming into a corner when it cut out and the truck went up on two wheels. We nearly rolled!”

Spectators remarked that even up on two wheels, Gartner refused to lift off the throttle.

“We didn’t lift, we couldn’t!” Gartner said. “We were pretty committed so we drove out of it and put it straight into the whoops on the limiter and kept going.

Gartner and the GGM team are tracking the voltage issue and will be ready to launch hard tomorrow morning.

“We’re pretty confident if we push hard we can make some time up, the truck feels comfortable, so we will have a red hot go.”

Hayden Bentley in the #419 trophy tracks maiden voyage ran a 5:28, claiming fourth in X2WD and 19th outright.

“We will have to put up with that, would have liked to be further up,” said Bentley. “It’s a work in progress, I am still getting used to the characteristics of the truck”.

“A bit more seat time will get our pace up, today was my fist drive in it,” he said.

Unfortunately, 2014 Finke Ironman Billy Geddes did not start. Niggling engine problems evolved into a blown motor. The custom nature of the motor meant it was unable to be replaced prior to this mornings kick off. Matthew Kittle also failed to finish prologue.

Pushing hard through the course in the #23 pro buggy Kittle was having a dream run; until the notorious last corner.

“I ended up on my lid” says Matthew. “I think I was pushing a bit too hard in the corner and overcorrected. It was only a very soft roll over, no damage.”

PKMS will apply to have Matthew seeded at an as yet unknown location through the field and will fight through the dust to make up position.

With hours to go until race o’clock, we offer unto our Toyo shod teams the sound advice of Billy Geddes… UPPA!

Pre-Finke with Team Toyo’s Desert Royalty

As scrutineering commences this afternoon in Alice Springs, a record breaking field of competitors at the Finke is prepping for what may be the biggest ever off-road race in Australia.

Among 145 car teams are three former Kings of the Desert: Brad Gallard, Greg Gartner and Hayden Bentley. These are blokes who know exactly what it takes to win this race.

Toyo caught up with 2011 King of the Desert and the first man to take the Finke down in a trophy truck, Greg Gartner, on his way walk the prologue track.

“Every year we see the bar in this race and in off-road racing in Australia lifted. It isn’t stopping and we all need to look for more power and more suspension to try and find an edge.”

As always, heavy dust will make a leading position vital.

“We pre-ran the whole track yesterday; it’s quite dry and very, very dusty,” said Greg. “The whole Finke track really needs an inch of rain but that’s not going to happen.

“Prologue is going to be very important. The dust factor in the dry and having so many good competitors means it’s going to be a challenge to get in the top five. We will have to push hard.”

As for strategy, Greg is giving no quarter.

“When we won it in 2011 we took a conservative approach on the way down and we had a crack coming home and backed off in the lead.

“This year we will be 100 per cent having a crack. We won’t take a conservative line of attack this year to get to where we need to be – first place.”

Greg will attack the dirt with the 37-inch Toyo Open Country M/T-R.

“The tyres are the most important things on the truck; one flat tyre means your race is over.

“We have been running Toyos at Finke for over five years, and we have never had a flat. We hope we can get the Toyo Tires name and the #410 truck over the line and on the podium.”

Brad Gallard was the second man ever to win Finke in a trophy truck, grabbing the King of the Desert crown in 2012. Driving the monster PKMS trophy truck, Brad is here for one reason.

“Our preparation is going fantastic. I couldn’t ask for better, with both trucks. The Kittle truck is running perfectly and the Geiser truck is too.”

Brad’s regular navigator Scott Modistach has stepped up to steer Brad’s regular Geiser Bros truck, with Kyle Pfitzner – owner of the most recognised haircut in the AORC – stepping in to nav for Brad.

After extensive testing, Brad is comfortable and confident in the PKMS Jimco.

“We have been doing in a bit of track sighting and testing the car, and a lot of work double and triple checking everything. The track is rough, which is good. We are absolutely 100 per cent ready to go.”

It’s Brad’s 10th Finke and his fifth year on Toyos.

“I’m biased, but I would say that the track this year is definitely favouring the trophy trucks,” he said.

“The 39 inch Toyo’s are the only tyre that can put the power of the thing to the ground,” he said. “Since I have been on Toyo, the tyres have been the least of any of my worries. In a lot of cases the tyreshave done a better job than I have.”

The PKMS team plans to take Finke one day at a time.

“We’ve got to put ourselves in the right position. We will play the cards we have been dealt but we will be charging hard.

“We have a day by day strategy and will try to get the best result every single day. That said, I only know how to race one way: it will be game on the whole time.”

Hayden Bentley is a two-time Desert King.

2015 will be Hayden’s first time at Finke in a trophy truck, but with seat-time in the brand new power-package at the Mint 400 in the US and plenty of testing time at his home track in Baroota, Hayden is playing for keeps against a buzzing Alice Springs backdrop.

“Our prep has been second to none; the whole team has worked tirelessly.

“There are hundreds making camp down track. The whole town is abuzz for the 40th Finke.

“At the end of the day one lucky person will win. The best guys in Australia are here, and we all want it badly. Realistically there 20 cars that can win it and I think we have one of them.

“It’s going to be incredibly dusty and qualifying will be critical. It’s an extraordinarily competitive field. Qualifying is flat and fast; we will do the best we can with the time we’ve had in the seat.”

Off-road racing attracts a fraternity that gathers around campfires without allegiance, but when the flag drops, friendships stop.

“When the hammer goes down the horns come out. It’s kill or be killed once it’s race time,” Hayden said.

“We will qualify as high as possible. Finke is a sprint, and there so many good, quick cars that you have to give it everything. No nursing it to get to the finish line. We will go as hard as we can, safely, and get to Finke and reassess.

“No one will be holding back this year. Both times we’ve won it we have led at the halfway mark. We have to do our best to get as close as we can to the start of the field.

“It’s a big ask but someone has to win it,” he said.

Hayden’s #418 trophy truck combines the best of everything, and he intends to push hard.

“We used the Toyos at the Mint 400 and we are very happy with the way they make the holes smaller and give you better grip on the ground. I am very happy with the package: Racer Engineering truck, Toyota PH9 engine and Toyo tyres.

“The whole vehicle is only as strong as its weakest point … you need a bit of lady luck and we will see what we can do. There’s only one thing I want; I don’t see any point in coming fifth.”