The Day Before The Greatest Outback Race In Australia!

The Peter Kittle Honda Team was still a pipe dream in the first week of October 2025. Honda Australia had approached successful Factory Honda Supercross and Motocross Team Director Yarrive Konsky several months earlier with a relatively simple question – could a team be built capable of contending for the outright victory at Finke?

“Glyn Griffiths, Events and Racing Manager for Honda Australia, had internal discussions with several key people, including but not limited to Peter Singleton, Chris Shultz and Jay Joseph around the possibility of supporting a team for Finke, especially considering 2026 marked the 50th anniversary of the event,” explained Konsky.

Honda already understood what the CRF450RX was capable of. Through Honda Australia’s RIDE RED program, Brodie Waters had already demonstrated that capability by finishing third outright in 2025. Waters and Konsky had already been working together for several years, a relationship that stretches back more than a decade through Superbikes, whilst Waters himself had established a reputation as a regular podium finisher across both Superstock 1000 and Supersport competition.

“Yarrive asked me if, with the right people, the right riders, additional testing budget and more developed factory bikes, could Honda win outright. I was confident we could,” said Waters.

Behind the scenes, Konsky and Griffiths started building budgets, discussing support levels and determining what was realistically possible. Very quickly the reality became obvious. Motorcycles and a modest budget alone would not be enough.

“Honda provided motorcycles and a modest budget, however we still needed to find well into six figures to ensure we had what was required to genuinely chase the outright. Without the right people and riders sponsors become difficult to attract, which left the obvious, secure the riders, commit to the program and back yourself that the commercial side would come together,” explained Konsky.

Initially Brodie Waters took the lead in contacting riders. It was relatively simple; in addition to himself, Honda Australia wanted David Walsh and Correy Hammond involved in the program. Walsh was warm to the idea despite having taken time away from racing at that level and admits he had accepted that period of his career may have been behind him.

“I thought I was done, honestly. I had accepted that my years racing to win were probably behind me, but when Brodie rang and explained Honda Australia wanted to build something serious and Yarrive was driving it, I became interested. You only need to look at the success of their motocross and supercross programs and what they have achieved globally to understand they know how to build teams,” said Walsh.

Hammond was equally excited about racing for Factory Honda. No stranger to Honda machinery after previously competing on a Honda in Baja, the reigning 2025 Champion understood exactly what a factory Honda effort would mean and knew that if Honda committed to racing Finke, they would commit properly.

Although Walsh agreeing to join the program was important, the next call was equally significant — Colan Ross.

Known simply as Rossi to almost everyone in desert racing circles, Ross has become synonymous with success at Finke through North Star Pastoral and his support of countless riders over many years. Ross and Konsky already had history together through Supercross, sponsorship and previous success, however Ross had one condition before committing himself to the program, structure, planning and execution needed to be right.

Konsky and Ross sat together in the foyer of their hotel during the 2025 Des Nations campaign in America discussing what the program could potentially look like. Ross already had an existing relationship with Walsh and many of the major decisions and foundations of the program were built there and then.

Waters and Konsky later sat together, finalised budgets, divided responsibilities and Ross reviewed the broader plan. Shared responsibilities, clear job roles and a unified vision quickly became the foundation of trying to take Honda back to Finke to contend for Honda’s twentieth outright victory.

Ross admits that whilst exciting, Finke remains one of the most challenging events in Australian motorsport.

“It’s Australia’s greatest outback race. It tests everything, riders, motorcycles, logistics, support crews and preparation. Whilst I enjoy the challenge, it requires an enormous amount of work. Brodie and the team have spent countless trips coming to Alice Springs testing, preparing and planning and I know nothing has been left to chance,” said Ross.

Once responsibilities were agreed upon, the team naturally separated into specialised areas. Waters focused heavily on testing, pre-running, motorcycle development, parts and primary crew responsibilities. Ross focused on race execution, logistics, food, fuel stops and support crews, whilst Konsky focused on commercial partnerships, contracts, parts procurement and accessories.

The Peter Kittle Honda Team will bring together more than 40 crew members, three riders and many senior staff across the weekend, all united with one objective, chasing Honda’s 21st outright victory.

Honda Australia selected the CRF450RX as its weapon of choice and Peter Kittle Motor Company joined as naming rights partner, with Safe-Style, SCT Logistics, Omega, Integrated Power House and North Star Pastoral joining alongside them.
The connection between Peter Kittle and Finke itself runs much deeper than sponsorship.

Peter raced the event himself back in 1976 and stood on the podium in 1979. His son Andrew would later win the event twice on four wheels alongside Dave Fellows in 2008 and 2009, whilst Andrew would later return alongside his brother Matthew in 2011 where they finished second outright.

For the Kittle family, Finke is far more than simply another event.

Tomorrow more than 500 riders will compete across three days of racing, whilst more than 10,000 people are expected to converge on Alice Springs to watch the start and finish of one of Australia’s greatest motorsport events.

For the Peter Kittle Honda Team, simply arriving here required months of planning, countless meetings, commercial risk, endless testing, long nights and a group of people willing to believe that building a program capable of chasing outright victory was possible.

Tomorrow the planning stops.

Tomorrow Australia’s greatest outback race begins.