The 1988 race didn’t go anywhere near the Simpson Desert. Because of flooding in the desert, the race started at Kulgera on the Stuart Hwy near the NT/SA border and ran along the back roads past Ayers Rock finishing at The Olgas.
| Overall Position | No | Name | Total Time |
| 1 | 8 | Greg Mickle | 13:05:23 |
| 2 | 9 | Danny Mariotti | 13:10:16 |
| 3 | 23 | Rob Bray | 13:47:17 |
| 4 | 10 | Ross Martin | 13:52:51 |
| 5 | 17 | Brett Robinson | 14:12:08 |
| 6 | 14 | Graham Youdale | 14:35:51 |
| 7 | 18 | Ian Landon-Smith | 14:58:46 |
| 8 | 2 | Glen Sharrock | 15:05:58 |
| 9 | 5 | Andrew Bennet | 15:05:59 |
| 10 | 16 | Steve Nesbitt | 15:14:57 |
| 11 | 12 | Ian Chilman | 15:17:59 |
| 12 | 27 | Tom Vergara | 15:23:07 |
| 13 | 11 | Toy Martin | 16:14:38 |
| 14 | 13 | Leon Fisher | 16:35:28 |
| 15 | 15 | Jeffrey Conly | 17:24:07 |
| 16 | 6 | Andrew Dunstan | 18:05:58 |
| 17 | 19 | Nan Landon-Smith | 19:40:07 |
| 18 | 21 | Geoff Poole | 20:31:39 |
| 19 | 7 | Michael Barr | 20:38:59 |
| * | 22 | Adam Poole | |
| * | 3 | Brendan Mason | |
| * | 1 | Gaye Woolley | |
| * | 20 | Trevor Chilman |
