PREPARATION and planning were vital in Rodney Barwick’s second Tatts Finke Desert Race over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. ANDREW ROGERS reports.
RODNEY Barwick is clear on at least one thing: the Tatts Finke Desert Race is not for the faint hearted.
The Sea Lake-based motorcyclist entered the event for the second time this year and finishing 13th in his class was a deserved reward for effort.
But the effort in terms of preparation and planning inevitably takes its toll and as a result Barwick is not ready to make up his mind about entering the event again.
“It’s hard. I’d say no, but then who knows — I said that last year,” he said.
Barwick entered the event for the first time last year and finished 22nd in his class. Competing in the same class he rose to 13th for the 2013 edition of the Finke.
“I was faster this year by 25 minutes. That improvement is all about having done it before — I know where to pace myself,” he said.
“It’s a very long way if you go out too early and having done it once before helped.”
Barwick said he was happy where he finished out of a class of about 50.
“Thirteenth is okay, I was very happy with that,” he said.
With him were daughter Mikayla and brothers Wayne and Brendan, as well as a small band of local enthusiasts from the Mallee.
“Troy Blythman from Sea Lake was in class six and he came 13th in his class and 120th outright. Jarrod McKenzie was in class seven and 13th and 170-odd,” Barwick said.
Also in the event was Lake Boga’s Mal Simpson who was prevented from finishing due to a flat tyre.
Another couple of motorsport enthusiasts from Lascelles and Patchewollock were also unable to finish due to engine failure.
Barwick said he had been riding since childhood but had only taken up the sport again in the last 10 years.
“I always loved bikes and I guess I just missed them and thought I’d better get back into them,” he said.
Prior to 2012 Barwick had competed in off-road rally racing “years ago” before the expense became a bit much.
“I did that about 18 years ago but I hadn’t raced any bikes before,” he said.
For more on this story see Wednesday’s edition of The Guardian (June 19, 2013).
