Motor Racing
17 June, 2024
Local rider takes on Finke
It might not have been the finish Xavier Oakley was hoping for but when riding a gruelling Desert Race like Finke, plans don't often fall into place.
From Rainbow, the 21-year-old competed in the race on a Husqvarna FE 450, in Class Five - 251cc to 450cc Four Stroke that was held on June 8-10.
The class was won by Ray Cole, followed by Brodie Waters and Jack Colbert.
Oakley finished 15th in his class, with a time in total of 5:20:66, and an average speed of 89.81 km.
The event outright was won by David Walsh, with a overall time of 3:32:12.
Outright, Oakley finished 47th from 302 finishing riders.
The Desert Race is an off road, multi terrain race with drivers and riders competing on the Saturday and Sunday of the second week in June.
Competitors race from Alice Springs to Aputula (Finke) and cross the Finke River, believed to be the oldest river in the World.
It's a 460km round trip and attracts more than 600 competitors across bikes and cars.
It was Oakley's first time competing in the race, and he did so to tick it off the bucket list, but already he has plans to go back next year.
His preparation for the race was less than ideal, with limited bike time as his bike remained in the shop until a week before the event.
Despite this, he still had a decent prologue, finishing 12th in his class and 38th outright.
"I was hoping to try and get into the top 30 but I was happy to finish in the top 50 considering the circumstances and being my first time," Oakley said.
Oakley described the conditions on track for day one as "brutal", but said he was able to adapt and finish.
"Twenty-five kilometres in I lost sixth gear on my bike," he said.
"And 125km in I had a stack in some whoops and ended up breaking my front brake line, steering dampener and bending my front end.
"Luckily a few blokes along the side of the track where I stacked helped me straighten the front end as quick as they could."
He finished the day 19th in his class and 53rd outright, with a time of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
"I was pretty disappointed as before I stacked it, I had pushed myself into 31st position but I was happy to come out of it without an injury," he said.
Overnight, Oakley and his crew were able to check over and service the bike, along with fix the front properly.
A different track greeted riders on day two, and Oakley said the path to Alice Springs was a lot rougher and harder on the rider.
But his goal was simple.
"To make it to the finish line in one piece with a decent pace was the main thing on my mind," he said.
Crossing the finishing line Oakley said he felt relief.
"It was a very physical track for your body (and I) still was at a loss with no sixth gear on the way back," he added.
Oakley did the race in total in four hours, 52 minutes and 30 seconds.
"I'm happy to of crossed the finish line," he said.
"I am definitely looking forward to pushing for that top 30 next year."
He'll be wiser for the experience this year though, adding he learnt a lot of preparation and time is crucial for getting the result you want.
Oakley would like to thank his sponsors, along with his family, friends and partner who have supported him along the way.