Over 300 riders entered the unforgiving Finke Desert Race, with the majority competing in the up to 450 class, which Honda’s Brodie Waters won. Competing against 90 other class competitors, Brodie rode an outstanding race to claim victory. Honda’s Glyn Griffiths was proud of Brodie’s achievements, giving credit to his racing ability and the reliability of Honda’s CRF range.
“This is a great achievement for Honda and Brodie. Brodie’s commitment shined through, and his results are a credit to his abilities and Honda’s reliability and performance,” said Griffiths.
Brodie raced to Finke as the fastest 450 rider and returned to Alice Springs first outright in class. The track is fast and treacherous, with challenging terrain spanning 250 kilometres each way at speeds exceeding 150 kilometres per hour. Despite the terrific victory for Brodie and Honda, Brodie showed his humility and pursuit of excellence by pointing out post-race areas where he could improve.
“At times I rode too conservatively. The road to Finke and back is unforgiving, and I didn’t want to make a mistake. Our goal was to win the 450 class, where I faced the most competitors. I was patient because I knew what was at stake. The Honda was flawless, beating larger capacity bikes and winning the class. I am so happy for Honda and our sponsors; this was a team effort,” said Waters.
Honda also captured second place in the women’s class with Taylah Maurice. Last year’s Queen of the Desert took an unfortunate fall on her return to Alice but, with grit and determination, was able to remount and finish second against a field of 19 women racers.
