Sunday 1st September 2007
Friday 5th June 2009
Scrutineering Night
Scrutineering is held at the Blatherskite Park Showgrounds in Alice Springs from 6.00pm to 9.00pm. Scrutineering is where competitor’s vehicles and gear are inspected to assess whether or not it is race worthy. The bikes and cars are on display once they have been inspected giving the public a chance to check out the vehicles and meet the drivers and riders. The night is full of great photo opportunities!
The Gird Girls will also be wandering around meeting and greeting spectators and competitors.
While scrutineering is going on there are food and drink stalls in operation and merchandise is on sale. Over 3000 people attend scrutineering so the place is packed.
Saturday 6th June 2009
Prologue
Prologue is the first taste of Finke racing. Competitors must complete the 8.3km track in a race against the clock to determine their starting position for Race Day One. The track is typical Red Centre terrain with long straights, tight corners and sandy creek beds. There are plenty of spectator viewing points with designated mounds and access to various parts of the track for spectator vehicles.
Cars are off first in the morning with the bikes off at lunchtime.
Sunday 7th June 2009
Race Day 1
Cars are first to tackle the 230km track with the first car getting underway usually around 7.30am.
Bikes follow later launching off 11.30am. Entry to the Start/Finish Line on day one is usually around $5-$10.
Monday 8th June 2009
Race Day 2
Competitors today will do exactly what they did yesterday, but in reverse. They’ll follow the exact same track that they went down on. Cars are again the first to leave at 7.30am and bikes leave Finke from 11.30am, both on corrected time as calculated from day one’s journey. Cars start to cross the finish line around 9-9.30am and the first bike usually around 1.30pm. Entry to the Start/Finish Line on day two is usually around $5-$10.
Race day two also has the best thing about Finke…crossing the finish line! After two gruelling days of full on racing it gives competitors the best feeling that they’ve made it ‘there and back’ which is one of the most renowned achievements in Australian enduro racing.
Winners take all and stories are told. A night of laughter, sharing of good times and over-exaggerated hand and arm movements! The night kicks off around 8pm at the Alice Springs Convention Centre with class places awarded followed by outright bike and car places. There is food available for purchase and the night goes into the wee hours of the morning, so prepare for a big one!
Moving Pictures are also there selling photos of all the action across the weekend and official race merchandise is also available.
