WALSH MAKES FINKE RETURN WITH HONDA

One of Australia’s most iconic off-road events will see a powerful alliance take shape in 2026, with Factory Honda returning to the legendary Finke Desert Race with a rider line up of five-time Finke winner David Walsh, current ‘King of The Desert’ Corey Hammond and 2025 third place finisher Brodie Waters. Regarded as the most demanding off-road event in Australia, this year will mark the 50th Anniversary of the Finke Desert Race and see a full Honda Factory commitment return for the first time since 2018.

Honda holds the most outright wins in the history of the event with a total of 20, and the brand is signalling a renewed effort to increase that tally with a trio of experienced riders and a highly-knowledgable team. The titled Peter Kittle Honda Racing Team is led by Walsh, who returns from retirement in 2025 after having dominated the event with five consecutive victories from 2019 to 2024. His run matches the streak set by Randall Gregory in the 1990s, and places him just one title shy of Toby Price’s record six wins – an achievement Walsh will undoubtedly aim to match this year.

David Walsh:
“I told the team I wanted to ride the bike, so they drove it up and let me test it. I can see why Brodie has been so competitive on it. What impressed me most is the approach, there’s no ego. I told them what we needed and they were immediately on board. With the people around this program, it’s clear the goal is to win. I’d love to be the rider who gives Honda its first Finke victory since 2013.”

Hammond stormed to a dominate win in 2025 as a privateer aboard a KTM, setting the tone for the level of rider he is which has now provided him a factory team opportunity in red. Hammond raced the Honda platform internationally in the SCORE Baja 1000 last year and secured second place with the Hero Racing Off-Road Team, already proving he is confident in the team’s machinery – the CRF450RX.

Corey Hammond:
“The Honda is incredibly strong. I wouldn’t have made the move if I didn’t believe in the bike and the program. The team’s success globally in motocross and supercross speaks for itself, and the testing we’ve done so far has been very encouraging.”

Waters’ has been a key figure in the development of the Honda desert program, having had Honda’s support since 2024 running his own platform and competing across Australia in the Finke Desert Race, Hattah Desert Race, Don River Dash and Kalgoorlie Desert Race on the CRF450R. Waters most recent success was an outright win in 2025 at Kalgoorlie, along with P3 outright at the 2025 Finke Desert Race where he also suffered a broken neck on the run back to Alice Springs. Waters’ has multiple class wins to his name, further cementing his achievements and experience which sees him play a dual role as both rider and technical contributor for the team.

Brodie Waters:
“The bike is good, we were nearly second last year before a crash took us out of contention. We have a very strong group of riders and Honda is sparing no effort. There’s serious competition out there, we respect that, but we know we can be competitive.”

Peter Singleton, Honda Australia Vice President:
“Finke has always been an enormous event for Honda. Our history there spans from the two-stroke era through to the four-stroke generation, and it has played a significant role in showcasing our off-road motorcycles. Whist we stepped away from a full factory presence, we remained involved through riders such as Brodie Waters, who achieved a class win and an outright podium in recent seasons. With the significance of the 50th anniversary and Honda’s global commitment to motorsport, we felt it was important to return with a strong, focused effort. It’s about supporting one of Australia’s most iconic events, its best riders, while also demonstrating our confidence in Honda’s off-road RX platform.”

Team Leader, Colin Ross:
“Brodie has the capability to build race-winning bikes and manage key technical areas, but my priority is making sure he can focus on riding. Our approach is simple, assemble the most experienced people possible and let them do the job they’re best at, it’s what worked for us before. From the riders to the technicians and crew, everyone knows their role. We will be prepared, we will be organised, and our goal is clear, to win.”

Honda Racing Australia Director, Yarrive Konsky:
“The first call I made after Honda confirmed they wanted to compete was to Colin. His experience and success at Finke is unmatched. Then we spoke with Brodie about our plans, and from there we went straight to David and Corey. We didn’t talk to anyone else, we had a clear plan and committed fully to it. Our partners have done the same. Aligning the program with Peter Kittle was an easy decision. The Kittle family has a rich history with the event on both two and four wheels, and they share the same ambition as our team. When the best people come together with a focused goal, great things can happen and that’s exactly what this program is about.”