Image: Foremost Media.

Victory for Korey McMahon in the 2025 Hattah Desert Race marked a significant milestone for Daniel Milner’s KTM DM31 Racing Team, the three-time outright winner now achieving the feat as team owner courtesy of McMahon’s dominant run on Sunday.

Milner took on team ownership upon returning home from Europe last year, and has since amassed a collection of strong results from both his own racing exploits and now with his DM31 riders, McMahon and Jonte Reynders, this season.

Alongside a growing trophy cabinet in the Australian Enduro Championship (AEC), punctuated by Victorian legend Milner’s E2 class title last year, the gruelling Hattah Desert Race can now be ticked the team’s list of achievements after McMahon reigned supreme on Sunday.

With the 32-year-old team owner and rider entering the latter stages of his own career, developing the next generation is a big part of the KTM DM31 Racing Team dynamic, with a lot of time invested in both his riders. Milner set pole position on Saturday and went on to finish fifth for the second-consecutive year in the race.

“I got my arse kicked by my team rider, and I am absolutely stoked for him!” Milner commented post-race. “It’s unbelievable, we’ve been putting in so much work leading into this event, and to see Korey on the top step is honestly amazing.

“I’ve been putting a lot into him over the last three months, to get him over to my style of riding, which is smooth and consistent, and minimising mistakes, which it sounds like is exactly what he did today.

“The first lap was pretty cool, he came past me and gave me a wave down the straight – I just didn’t have the legs on the 450 compared to the 500 – and he just went on from there. Having the team do what they have done today is just unbelievable.”

As for McMahon, fresh off the back of his first national Pro Enduro win in Casterton late last month, his first Hattah Desert Race victory onboard the KTM 500 EXC-F has largely been credited to Milner’s input, with the duo having put in a lot of work together since teaming up in 2025.

“I don’t think anyone saw this coming, but myself and the team knew that it was possible, and I just went to work for four hours, and the bike was unreal,” McMahon reflected. “The main man is Daniel Milner – I wouldn’t be here without him, and it’s as simple as that.

“He’s taught me everything he knows, and it’s really paying off. The KTM DM31 Racing Team is amazing, the bike was handling unreal, and we’ll be looking to defend this next year.”