Finke Desert Race bikes and cars take to the track under sweeping new safety standards

Bikes lining up for the prologue lap at the Finke Desert Race start line in Alice Springs.  (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)

Hundreds of competitors on dirt bikes and in cars will attempt to take on the challenging Central Australian landscape in the annual Finke Desert Race, widely billed as the toughest off-road motorsport event in the country.