Meet Mackay’s desert racing 18 year old Kye Camilleri

Before he had his learners permit, he was racing against adults and winning. Meet Kye Camilleri, the teen desert racing dynamo who’s hoping to bring back gold from Finke.

18 year old Kye Camilleri is off to the races, representing his family in the Finke Desert Race out near Alice springs as the leader of Team Red Nut.

In the harsh desert landscape of the Red Centre, Australia’s best racers will duke it out, but this year the Red Nut racer is looking to give the champs a run for their money.

At 18 Mackay’s Kye Camilleri, also known as Red Nut for his ginger hair, will be competing in the Finke Desert Races starting on June 7 in his second outing in the competition.

“I like the speed and it’s a hell of a lot of fun,” Kye said.

18 year old Kye Camilleri is off to the races, representing his family in the Finke Desert Race out near Alice Springs as the leader of Team Red Nut.

He started racing at the age of 14 after his father’s business partner - and racer - Brett Comisky introduced him to the sport.

“I learned quite a bit from him,” He said.

“When I picked up my first Buggy we went to his farm to drive and I got to go to the races.”

Kye’s father Brendan said he started short course racing against adults later that year and was “beating most of them.”

“It was always something he was very interested in,” Mr Camilleri said.

“He watches off-road racing videos on YouTube in his spare time.”

By 16 he won the 2022 Queensland Championship round at Moranbah, being one of the youngest drivers to do so, as well as placing third in the Goondiwindi Motorsport Association Gundy 400km race before securing first place in the North Queensland Offroad Racing Championship later in the year.

Kye’s new Jimco 520hp pro buggyhell of a lot of fun is his strongest car yet and could propel him into first place.

Despite coming in fifth in their class at Finke 2023, Kye and new navigator Luke Hendry are looking to bring home first place.

“We definitely want to do well at Finke and then get a full round in the Australian Series,” Kye said.

Kye’s team, Red Nut Racing, is sponsored by Method Race Wheels Australia, Comisky Mining Service and Autobarn Mackay, among other businesses who have all supported him on his racing journey.

“If you have the chance to hop in the car with someone, do it and give racing a go,” Kye said.