The story of Ben Grabham is a miraculous one, this weekend out to reclaim the Finke Desert Race crown that he last won in 2011. 12 months ago, Grabham was in a neck brace, while this year it’s 2012 champion Toby Price who will attend the event in a brace.

Collectively, Grabbo and Price have won the past four Finke events for HSE Motorex KTM and this year Grabham will join Victorian desert racer Matt Fish in a two-pronged assault for the Austrian brand.

The event is a world-famous, two day, 440-kilometre outback blast from Alice Springs south to the small Aputula (Finke) community and back home again, where the top motorcycle competitors will regularly reach speeds around the 170kph mark.

Grabham, a four-time winner of the race, will be making his return as a competitor, for the first time since he suffered spinal injuries in a different event more than a year ago.

After he was seriously hurt after a 150kph altercation with a mob of kangaroos in the Condoblin 750 early last year, his incredibly determined recovery culminated in an appearance in the world’s biggest off road event – the Dakar Rally – in January, where as a rookie the 31-year-old finished an outstanding 15th in the 8000-kilometre, 14-day odyssey.

This time last year Grabham attended the 2012 Finke in a brace, the then champion supporting KTM’s Toby Price in what proved a successful bid for Price to win his second Finke title.

An unfortunate and ironic twist of fate now sees the roles virtually reversed, with Grabham eying the prize and Price the injured champion there to show his support, after he suffered spinal fractures in the US in April, while on a Baja Rally testing trip.

Apart from supporting his KTM team mates, Price will also be there to say thanks to the legions of fans that have supported him during a difficult time – and of course to take in the action!

One man whose right wrist may be twitching come Sunday morning is Manager of the HSE Motorex KTM Off-Road Team, Brad Williscroft, who will be operating in a solely managerial role this year.

Recent winner of the Darwin Kamfari, Williscroft loves competing in the top end and has ridden the past 11 Finke races, finishing on the podium an impressive five times.

“We’re looking really good. On Grabbo’s final pre-run they really nailed it with the fine tuning of the suspension,” Williscroft said. “Fishy’s going really well too and loving the bike and his setup so we’re hoping for a good run from the both of them on the weekend.

“The 450s are going really well overall. We’re getting speeds in the 170s out of them, and there are a lot of places where they’ll reach that. I’m sure on the weekend I’m going to be anxious and wish I was out there, but we’ve got the two boys firing, now it’s just a case of getting them down there safe and sound and at the pointy end.

“Everyone who comes here and does it seems to get addicted to the speed and the toughness of these races. A lot do it just to finish, and when you do you’ve achieved something because Finke’s pretty special.”

And while KTM steals much of the spotlight during the week of Finke, Yamaha and Honda will also be vying for honours with a stable of competitive riders on quality teams.

That’s exactly why the Queen’s Birthday long weekend is one of the most anticipated of the year in off-road circles.