Another major milestone for the 2022 Tatts Finke Desert Race has almost arrived with car entries to open on Tuesday 1 March.
 
From 9.30am ACST, crews will be able to enter Australia’s biggest off road event and the third round of the 2022 BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC) season.
 
However, with only around 165 car spots available for the iconic desert race, competitors hoping to compete in the Northern Territory based event must be on high alert and enter quickly if they hope to secure their spot.
 
In the past few years, the event has reached full capacity within a short period of time with last year’s event filling up in just 10 minutes - just four minutes slower than the record 2020 edition, which was eventually cancelled due to COVID-19. 
 
Those unfortunate to miss out on the first 165 spots should not be deterred from entering though, as they will be transferred to a waiting list with a potential opportunity to be accepted into the event should someone withdraw in the lead up.
 
Click here to view the entry page.
 
Although the off road race is quick to fill up, crews should also take into consideration the changes to the event’s eligibility criteria.
 
Late last year, Motorsport Australia and the Finke Desert Race announced a new entry criteria to make sure there is a minimum driving standard for all competitors, ensuring greater safety for all involved. 
 
From 2022 onwards, crews wanting to compete in Finke must have either completed a minimum of two AORC rounds within the last 24 months, scored outright AORC points in a round from the previous season or achieved a total of 100 points on a checklist.
 
Taking place over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, crews will race from Alice Springs to the Aputula Community (Finke) on a 225-kilometre course made up of mixed terrain featuring sand, clay, river/creek crossings, stony sections and dirt, before making their way back up the following day.
 
The 2022 Tatts Finke Desert Race takes place in Alice Springs and the Aputula Community on 7-10 June.