Local riders race through the desert in annual Finke event

A number of Cobar riders competed in the Finke Desert Race near Alice Springs over the long weekend. Photo contributed

Eight Cobar riders, and a former local rider, competed in this year’s Tatts Finke Desert Race in the Northern Territory over the long weekend.

The two-day event saw 695 competitors on cars, bikes, buggies and quads travel 460km through desert country from Alice Springs to the Aputula (Finke) community and back.

Only 525 competitors finished the event and among them were seven Cobar men on bikes.

Greg Prisk, who competed in class five, finished 89th on a Yamaha YZ450FX, the best result from the Cobar competitors.

Greg finished with an overall time of six hours, five minutes and 12 seconds.

Justin Mita (formerly of Cobar) competed in class seven and finished 154th on a Husqvarna FE 501 with an overall time of 6.36.47.

Finishing in 200th position, Jesse Mackay in class five, on a Suzuki RMZ-450R, had an overall time of 6.50.00.

The next Cobar man to cross the line was Dennis Negfeldt, in class eight, 100 places behind Mackay in 300th position.

Negfeldt rode a KTM 500 Exc-F and finished with an overall time of 7.21.22.

Andrew Gallard in class two, finished 326th on his KTM 500EXC, with an overall time of 7.30.44.

Only a few places behind Gallard was Steven Colling in class six who finished 338th.

His overall time was 7.35.41 on his KTM 450 SX-F.

The last Cobar man to cross the finish line was Sean Cox in class six who finished 353rd.

On a Yamaha WR450, Cox’s overall time was 7.40.26.

Unfortunately Todd Negfeldt and his father Phillip Negfeldt did not start on either day of the event. The overall winner was Alice Springs local Daymon Stokie with an overall time of 4.11.12.