Image: Supplied.

Muc-Off Honda Racing owner Yarrive Konsky has outlined his intentions to continue with the team in Monster Energy Supercross for 2022 despite the exit of Justin Brayton.

Following two years in the US, including the 2021 season in 450SX with Brayton at the helm, Konsky is in the final stages of arranging a program for next year.

Brayton will return to MotoConcepts Racing (MCR), the team which he had ridden with between 2017-2019 before transferring to Team Honda HRC for a single term in 2020. Following that, for this year he partnered with Muc-Off Honda after winning four Australian Supercross Championship titles together.

Despite 37-year-old Brayton departing, it’s expected that Muc-Off Honda Racing will continue for a third season in AMA Supercross. Konsky has acknowledged the collaboration with MCR after it was contact from Australia that initially drew Brayton back to Honda at the end of 2016.

“When Brayton called and talked to us about the offer he received from MCR, we encouraged him to take it,” explained Konsky, who operates Honda’s factory effort in Australia. “He has a great history with MCR and he wanted to reward them for their support.

“I also want to acknowledge the relationship we shared with MCR when Brayton was with them – we shared resources so Brayton could remain on familiar products. The most important thing is he remains on Honda and that’s all that matters.

“He has spoken to me weekly and hopes to come back to Australia to race for a fifth championship. It’s too early to talk about that with covid and travel restrictions, but people will quickly forget that it was a simple message to his Instagram account that re-ignited his relationship with Honda.

“Honda Australia’s Tony Hinton contacted American Honda’s Tetsuya Kawahara and, together with Dan Betley, things came together quickly and we were able to reboot Brayton’s and Honda’s relationship. From there we went on to win four championships with our program and the Daytona [win] with MCR. Very special for MCR, Honda and I.”

While Konsky stopped short on confirming Muc-Off Honda’s plans for next year, he is adamant that plans are still progressing and an announcement could come as soon as next month despite assumptions that his US-based team won’t race-on in 2022.

“Our goals for next year have changed and we have been working towards achieving our set targets,” he added. “We will release information regarding 2022 shortly, but we want to wish Brayton and the whole MCR program the best. Mike [Genova] and Tony [Alessi] do a great job and the sport needs more people like Mike.”

The first year Konsky ran a team in America was 2020 with Mitchell Oldenburg and Luke Clout in 250SX West, before this year expanding to having Brayton in 450SX, as well as Oldenburg in 250SX East and Mitchell Harrison in 250SX West.

Brayton stunned at Houston 2 in January by delivering the Muc-Off Honda Racing team a third-place podium in just its second premier class appearance, however, injuries sidelined him for much of the series’ second half.

With the Australian Supercross Championship cancelled due to restrictions last year and the 2021 series also now up in the air, plans for Brayton to split his time between the AMA and AUS Supercross have been on pause. It remains unclear whether this year’s series will proceed.