SUZUKI QUADS CLEAN SWEEP FINKE

Suzuki secured an impressive 1-2-3 finish to clean sweep the podium in the ATV class of Australia’s legendary and gruelling Finke Desert race (NT), this Queen’s Birthday weekend.

The 32nd running of Australia’s largest desert race saw Paul Smith pilot his Suzuki QuadRacer R450 to the ATV class victory, followed by similarly equipped Aaron Ovens and Brett Clissold.

All hailing from Victoria, the leading three ATV riders prevailed over a record 48-strong quad bike field in the arduous 460km, two-day race along the old Ghan railway line route through the Northern Territory’s famous desert region.

Smith completed the event in an impressive total race time of 6hrs-9mins-17secs, just over 14 minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Ovens.

The Ovens-Clissold battle for second and third place was intense with the Suzuki-mounted pair separated by a mere 52 seconds at race end.

Out-classing its rivals in the Finke Desert race, the 2006 U.S. ATV Champion, Suzuki’s four-stroke QuadRacer R450 further secured its position as the premier racing machine in its class.