By ERWIN CHLANDA
Victorian father and son duo Shannon and Ian Rentsch (above) scored their fifth Finke victory this morning finishing in 3 hours 42 minutes and 40 seconds, more than three minutes ahead of Beau Robinson and Shane Hutt from WA (at left).
South Australians Jack Rhodes and David Pulino (below) arrived five minutes later.
Rentsch and Rhodes drove Jimco buggies with 3500cc Nissan engines – showing lighter vehicles are well suited to the tight Finke track.
Robinson piloted a Geiser Brothers Trophy Truck with a 6000cc Chef engine.
In the bikes, three Alice riders will be leading the field of some 500 back to Alice Springs, due here at about 2pm.
ABOVE: About to get their $10,000 winner’s cheque, sponsored by Tatts, on the podium with Mayor Damien Ryan and grid girls, are Shannon and Ian (right) Rentsch. Asked how they could practice for a desert race in Warrnambool Shannon Rentsch said: “Actually there is nowhere to go. It’s all dairy farms, not as lot of open spaces. The beach helps.”