Image: Foremost Media.

Longtime international Brett Metcalfe has stated that he intends to race-on through 2022 after Honda Racing announced Kyle Webster has signed to ride MX1 for the team next season.

The South Australian, now 37, ranks as one of our country’s most successful exports with well over a decade overseas in Europe and the US before returning home full-time in 2017 and joining Honda the following year.

With runaway MX2 red plate-holder Webster confirmed to be riding one of two factory CRF450Rs domestically next year, the second seat could effectively come down to a showdown between Metcalfe and current teammate Kirk Gibbs.

Metcalfe isn’t prepared to give up on his professional career that has spanned two decades, however, hopeful that he can maintain a seat at Honda if he can find the spark that saw him win the first moto of the season at Wonthaggi in April.

“I do want to keep racing, whether it’s with Yarrive [Konsky] or if he goes a different route I want to try to figure something out and keep going,” Metcalfe told MotoOnline while being in self-isolation on return home this week.

“I enjoy it, I’m still competitive and want to keep things rolling. In all honesty, I’d like to stay at Honda with the team. I know I’m not getting any younger and I understand where I’m at in this stage of my career.

“The last couple of rounds have been pretty dismal, well Maitland especially, but we won that moto at Wonthaggi and almost the overall – I feel I still bring a lot to the ProMX series.”

Metcalfe appeared to have the upper-hand in winning a moto and finishing second overall at round one, while Gibbs was fourth, but it’s been the latter ranking as top of the Hondas more recently with fifth in Canberra and runner-up at Maitland.

Importantly, Gibbs won part two of the second moto at both of those rounds as Metcalfe had difficulties in the hard-pack, claiming sixth and eighth across rounds two and three. Gibbs is now fourth in the standings and Metcalfe sixth, 16 points apart.

One crucial difference between the pair is that Gibbs is on a motocross-only contract, while Metcalfe’s deal as it stands also includes the Australian Supercross Championship.

Outside of the battle for that remaining premier class ride at Honda, the current position of Webster in MX2 will also become available from 2022 in one of the most sought-after seats in the sport.