Kicking off to a bright start at the Tatts Finke Desert Race in June, Mick Magher Motorsports now have their sights set on the final round of the 2018 BF Goodrich CAMS Australian Off Road Championship, the Rainbow Desert Enduro being held in their own backyard.

"It's nice when a plan comes together," said Mick Magher reflecting on the debut of the Narva Racing TSCO Trophy Truck. "Over two years of planning went in to getting the TSCO Trophy Truck to the start line at Finke and we were blown away to come home with ninth outright and second in class on the biggest stage in Australia. The truck did everything we asked of it straight out of the box and I can't thank our American partners, John Vance and Jason Duncan from TSCO and our Aussie crew enough," commented Mick.

"The lead up to Finke was hectic, especially once the team arrived in Alice Springs with some testing and pre-running mixed in with the lights, cameras and action of the Finke Grid Ambassadors photo shoot and video clip. Friday night's scrutineering and display at the start finish line was a buzz. The weather was perfect and the workmanship of the TSCO Trophy Truck combined with the striking Narva Australia livery proved the truck to be a crowd pleaser, even before the thundering V8 was fired up."

"There were a few butterflies on board as we approached the start line for the Finke Prologue on Saturday morning but they were left in our dust when the light went green when we opened the taps in anger on the Dougans V8 for the first time. Whilst we took a conservative approach, we soon caught the thick dust of the car in front which made for an exciting approach to the man-made whoops when they appeared out of nowhere. The truck took it all in its stride and we finished 33rd, with just a dust off required before the main event kicked off on Sunday morning."

"The dust on Sunday heading south to Finke was something you just can't explain. It was both scary and exhilarating all at the same time. The power of the truck was impressive, especially when we could open it up in some fresh air. The truck took everything in its stride and we passed cars hand over fist to launch into Finke in 16th outright, with a time of 2hr 15min 13.9seconds."

After a thorough check over, the #482 Narva Racing TSCO Truck was fit and ready to fight another day, allowing Mick and the crew to watch the leading bikes soar into Finke before settling in for a night under the stars.

"On Monday morning, we idled up to the starting grid before the sun had crested the horizon. At 7:43am the truck launched from the line and quickly got down to business, catching a buggy before the river and facing walls of dust for the next 30 or 40km. The truck loved the rough and the bigger the bumps and whoops were, the more the truck loved it."

"After passing Mark Burrows the track opened right up for us and the rest was a bit of a blur. We got quicker and quicker with every kilometer on the way back and when we crossed the finish line we were shocked at how few cars were in front of us. Dan did a great job and called it as he saw it in the dust. We were stoked to get there and back on our first run in the truck and we are already counting the days until we can come back for another crack."

Clocking a time of 2hr 5min 48sec leg from Finke back to Alice Springs saw Mick Magher Motorsport leap from 16th overnight to ninth outright and second in the Extreme 2wd Class with an overall time of 4 hours 21min 02.8 seconds.

"The gear on the truck was outstanding and gave us the confidence to push hard throughout the event. We couldn't fault the BF Goodrich Tyres and they look like they could turn around and go down and back again. We knew they were tough, but it confirms why everyone in the US uses them."

"We learnt a lot this year and we are excited for the future. To make up 10min on the way back to Alice Springs on Monday has reassured us there is still plenty in the tank, especially as we develop our knowledge of the track."

Now the dust has settled from Finke, Mick Magher Motorsport is preparing for the final round of the 2018 BF Goodrich CAMS AORC, the Rainbow Desert Enduro on August 10-12. Come and meet the team and check out the new #482 Narva Racing TSCO Truck at scrutineering on Friday afternoon, before the truck hits the track for 7 laps of the 75km course.

Follow the team's progress in the BF Goodrich CAMS Australian Off Road Championship via the Mick Magher Motorsport Facebook and Instagram pages.

Mick Magher and Daniel Hose extend their thanks to Narva, BF Goodrich Tyres, TSCO, Albins and Dirtcomp Magazine for their support in 2018.