Team likes it wetter

The Queensland team's driver, Colin Hunter, said their Extreme 4WD Class V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee is suited to wet conditions and would beat a lot of the two-wheel-drive buggies if the track is wet.

"Our best ever result was ninth outright in 2001 which was a very wet year, but it's a big field this year and the competition is very strong, so matching last year's results will be an excellent achievement," he said.

"Still, the car we're running is tried and tested, so we are quite confident."

Team Manager Stewart Knowles said it was cloudy yesterday, but not yet raining.

"But when it rains out here it really rains and the track can be three feet under water."

The team will also have a tyre advantage being the first in Australia to use a new Goodyear brand with puncture-resistant sidewalls. Hunter Racing has been competing since 1998 and last year finished 20th outright in the Northern Territory and first in class.

The team started its sixth title defence with 17th outright and first in class in the Hyden 450 race in Western Australia in April. The 460km Finke Desert Race is the second round of the AORC. The race starts and ends in Alice Springs with an overnight stop between the two legs at the tiny Aboriginal settlement of Aputula.

Almost 600 vehicles will compete in the Southern Hemisphere's richest off-road race in cars, trucks, 4WDs and buggies, with almost 500 of them on bikes and quads. Among the outright contenders are Queenslander Bruce Garland and Harry Suzuki who finished 11th in this year's Dakar Rally in South America in their Isuzu D-Max.

They will be out to spoil the back-to-back hopes of 2008 King of the Desert David Fellows, of South Australia, driving a Jimco buggy.

"The track conditions are pretty consistent with previous years and I expect the times to Finke will be under the 1 hour 55min mark," Fellows said.

In the bike category, Bathurst rider Ben Grabham has switched from Honda to KTM and will be looking for his third consecutive win.

Queenslander Rod Faggotter, who finished second to Grabham in last year's Australasian Safari, is using the Finke as a preparation race for the Safari.

"The longer distances suit me better. The Finke is more of a two-hour sprint," said Faggotter who finished 12th outright last year.

"There are a lot of fast local guys here who run the track all the time, so I am up against a lot of quick guys on their home territory.

"At least with the rain we've had here in the past week there will be no dust so you can see where you are going."

The prologue to decide starting order is held on Saturday with the two race legs on Sunday and Monday.