Sanders to make Finke debut

The factory GasGas rider headlines strong early interest in the two-wheel class for the famous high-speed blast from Alice Springs to Aputula and back.

Sanders, who won two full stages on the Dakar this year, will ride a GasGas MC450 for what will be his Finke debut.

He will be joined in the Bikes field by the likes of four-time Finke winner Ben Grabham, two-time winner Rick Hall and reigning winner David Walsh, who is looking for a third King of the Desert crown in a row.

According to Finke organisers, 600 entries for the Bikes class were lodged within two hours of opening.

That's despite new, stricter entry regulations requiring riders to have experience at similar national or international events to be eligible.

“We have seen our event grow in recent times and it’s great to see so many experienced competitors signed up for this year’s event to take on the 452-kilometre course,” said Finke Race Desert Race President Antony Yoffa.

“We thank competitors for their patience. Our team are progressively processing competitors’ entries. As soon as they meet all requirements, competitors will have their race number confirmed and will receive confirmation of their entry.

“It’s fantastic to welcome back a number of our past King of the Deserts, highlighted by David Walsh who is looking to take out the three-peat. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the toughest competitor fields to date.”

Entries for the Cars class will open on March 1, with two-time Dakar winner Toby Price expected to again headline the four-wheeled field.

The KTM star, who won a remarkable six Finke Bikes crowns between 2010 and 2018 before shifting his focus to Cars, became the first competitor to win the event on both two and four wheels last year.

However the event finished under a tragic cloud when a spectator was killed when a car left the track.

That saw the Bikes event shortened and Walsh crowned winner based on being the overnight leader.

The 2022 Finke Desert Race will take place on June 10-13.