Travis Robinson leads the Cars field after Day 1 of the 2017 Tatts Finke Desert Race.

Robinson and fellow West Australian navigator Trent Anthony (#13 Jimco OBR Nissan 3500cc) set the fastest time during the Prologue and benefited from avoiding the dust, completing the 226km drive from Alice Springs to Finke in 1:48:44.6s.

Victorian father and son pair Shannon Rentsch/Ian Rentsch (#33 Jimco Buggy Nissan 3500cc) finished the day second fastest, as they had done in the Prologue, with a time of 1:51:58.4s.

Beau Robinson/Shane Hutt (#413 Geiser Bros Trophy Truck Chev 6000cc) and Jack Rhodes/David Pullino (#1 Jimco Aussie Special Nissan 3500cc) swapped their Prologue positions to be third- and fourth-fastest into Finke, respectively.

Last year’s Bikes winner Toby Price and navigator Luke Hendry (#487 Geiser 2015 Chev 6000cc) improved two positions on their Prologue finish to set the fifth-fastest time.

Greg Gartner/Jamie Jennings (#410 Ford F150 5900cc) lost bulk time between the Bundooma and Mount Squires checkpoints, arriving at Finke in 2:41:14.82, 32nd fastest after setting the fifth-fastest time in the Prologue.

Mark Burrows (#21 Jimco 2012 Holden) fared worse as the five-time Finke winner hit a tree just 10km south of Alice Springs and failed to finish.

Defending Finke Desert Race winner Glenn Owen (#30 Jimco Aussie Special Holden) is also out of the event after failing to proceed, south of Bondooma

American off-road star Harley Letner (#59 Tatum 2005 Chev 6000cc) is 13th outright at the overnight stop.

The Car field will set out for the return leg to Alice Springs from 0715 ACST, with first cars expected to arrive at approximately 0905 ACST.

Top 10: Overnight stop at Finke: Cars, 2017 Tatts Finke Desert Race