In his Unlimited Element Prodigy/Chev LS2, he took the two-day 300km event on the riverbed near Bowen in North Queensland by 2:49.4.
Second went to last year’s winner Roydn Bailey in his Element Prodigy/Toyota 3.5lt V8 Twin Turbo who finish just over a minute ahead of Andrew Commins (Geiser Trophy Truck/Chev). It was an Unlimited class shutout of the top three.
The sixth running of the AASA-sanctioned off road spectacular Bowen Rail Company Don River Dash consisted of three laps each day of along the Don River for cars and bikes. In the latter Liam Walsh again proven his prowess on the sand by clinching the title for the third consecutive win.
The first leg belonged to Nick Commins in his Class 11 Brenthel Trophy Truck/7.0lt Chev by 23.3s over Talbot Cox (Unlimited Racer Engineering Carbon/Toyota V8). Kye Camilleri (Unlimited Jimco Aussie Spec/Chev) was fastest over the first lap and finished the day third.
Bailey was fourth 1.5s away and ahead of Battle who was delayed on the first lap with a wayward plug lead before he was fastest on Lap 2. Then followed Daniel Hughes (Unlimited Southern Cross/Chev), Andrew Commins (Class 11 Geiser Trophy Truck/Chev), James Sant (Class 11 Racer Engineering/Danzio 7.0lt), Ivan Robertson (Class 4 Micklefab Raptor Trophy Truck/Chev) and Tony Fehlhaber (Class 1 Chenowth Millennium/Nissan V6).
Attrition came into play during Day 2 with Nick Commins, Talbot and Camilleri among those to strike trouble. But not Battle who took the second leg over Bailey by 2:49. Drew Callander (Unlimited Razorback/Chev L98) finished the day third.
He came in ahead of Sant, Andrew Commins, Brad Belcher (Unlimited Jimco/Chev), Matt Lawless (Unlimited Jimco/Chev), David Mendham (Class 1 Jimco/GM Ecotech), Brett Taylor (Class 4 Jimco/Chev) and John Madderom (Class 11 ProTrucks Trophy Truck/Chev).
Overall Sant was fourth in front of Fehlhaber who took out Class 1, Lawless, Joe Bulmer (Racer Engineering/Chev), and Rob Wearing (Rush Trophy Truck/Chev LS2) who won Class 4. Ninth went to Mendham ahead of Class 1 David Loughnan (Honey Badger/Nissan).
Class 6 went to Daniel Dunn (Can-Am X3/Rotax) in 16th, Michael Marson (Racer Engineering Carbon/Ford Windsor V8) took out Class 10 while Luke Peterson (Toyota Hilux) and Hank Parker (Toyota Landcruiser/Toyota V8 Diesel) were the respective Class 8 and 7 winners.
