Robinson Signs Off in Style with Back-to-Back Finke Desert Race Victory

Travis Robinson and navigator Paul Currie have cemented their place in Finke Desert Race history, claiming their second consecutive outright victory in the event’s 50th anniversary running.

The pair delivered a dominant performance, completing the iconic desert challenge in 3h 23m 06s, more than a minute faster than their winning time from the previous year.

Their victory was built on a remarkable Day 1 charge from Alice Springs to Finke, where they set a new record for the fastest run over the opening leg with a time of 1h 36m 25s.

The result capped an outstanding campaign for Robinson and Currie, who controlled the event from the front and successfully defended their crown.

Finishing second outright were New Zealand duo Boston Morgan-Horan and Will Haddock, who also claimed victory in the Extreme 2WD class despite sustaining damage to a wheel and brake caliper following a heavy landing late on Day 2. The pair recovered to finish more than nine minutes behind the winners.

Hayden Bentley and Viv Coe completed the outright podium in third place, while also securing second honours among the Extreme 4WD competitors.

Michael Zacka and Dylan Blake were the leading Pro Buggy crew, finishing fourth outright, with Brad Gallard and Dean Keyes rounding out the outright top five and finishing second in the Extreme 2WD category.

After winning the event in 2024, Beau Robinson and Shane Hutt mounted an impressive recovery drive. Following difficulties on Day 1 that left them 32nd outright, they charged through the field on Day 2 to finish 13th outright and third in the Extreme 4WD class.

Meanwhile, Toby Price and Neill Woolley, who were late additions to the event and impressed by winning the SXS Pro Prologue with the 10th fastest outright time, were unable to complete the race after retiring during Day 1.

The milestone 50th edition of the Finke Desert Race once again delivered world-class competition, record-breaking performances and memorable battles across multiple classes, adding another historic chapter to one of Australia's premier off-road events.