McMahon The Malleemaster at 2025 Hattah Desert Race

KTM continue their domination of Aussie desert racing by taking out the top 3 positions

It was no surprise when KTM DM31 Racing team boss Daniel Milner won the prologue. With 14 wins in the 2025 Pro Enduro Championship, Milner’s mastery of his well-sorted KTM 450 XC-F made victory in the Top Ten Shootout a foregone conclusion. The only impediments to outright favouritism were the more powerful KTM 500 EXC-F entries of Milner’s team-mate Korey McMahon, defending Hattah titleholder Callum Norton, and 2025 Finke winner Corey Hammond.

American based FIFO racer Jack Simpson was also in the mix. After leading the first 280km of the 2024 Hattah only to be sidelined with a stick piercing his oil cooler Simpson was out for redemption. Starting second, he quickly roosted past Milner before a fall that allowed Milner back into the lead. By the end of the first 38km lap, Korey McMahon was in to dump 10 litres of hi-octane into his Kato 500 and was gone before Milner, Simpson, Norton and Angus Riordan’s KTM 450 XC-F refuelled.

All the top contenders set personal best times on their second lap, with Norton claiming fastest lap of the race. Though unsighted through the mallee and with the constant concern of backmarkers, Norton kept the pressure on McMahon for seven brutal laps but, with remarkable consistency, McMahon increased his lead by a few seconds each lap.

In the Women’s Division, Danielle McDonald finished ahead of JGR team leader Jessica Gardiner with Madi Healey filling the podium.

2025 HATTAH DESERT RACE

IMAGE: Norton, McMahon and Riordan (from left)