Daniel Milner blitzes 2021 Hattah Desert Race for KTM

Daniel Milner has claimed an emphatic victory at the Hattah Desert Race in Victoria’s north-west, with the KTM rider successfully defending his 2019 title.

Piloting his KTM 500 EXC-F through 8 laps of the gruelling 37-kilometer course, the Victorian rider was in a league of his own, crossing the line 38 seconds ahead of second place, and over 8 minutes ahead of third place.

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Milner’s win comes just weeks after KTM claimed the Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs through David Walsh’s blistering run.

Fellow Victorian’s Mason Semmens (GasGas) and Callum Norton (Husqvarna) joined Milner on the podium, completing a hat trick for the KTM Group.

Milner and Semmens topped both the Prologue and the Top-10 Shootout on Saturday to start first in Sunday’s main race, but Norton was forced to fight through the field after a disappointing qualifying result of 22nd.

In other results, Emma Milsevic, Madison Brown and Danielle Foot made up the Ladies podium, while Sam Pretscherer defeated Blake Hollis and Riley McGillivray in the U19s class.

And on Saturday, Billy Hargy trumped Byron Dennis and Liam Dennis in the Junior Big Wheel race, while Marcus Nowland won ahead of Cooper Ford and Harry Gillbertson in the Small Wheel race.

The 2021 Hattah Desert Race was thrown into turmoil in its lead-up, as COVID-19 restrictions around the country threatened the event for the second straight year. But while many interstate riders were unable to make it into Victoria, organisers successfully ran the event with a Victorian-heavy field.

Unlike the Finke Desert Race, which is a point-to-point style event, the Hattah Desert Race takes place on a 37-kilometer sand circuit on private property south of Mildura. The race continues until the leading rider completes eight laps. This usually achieved in about four hours.

The Hattah Desert Race as it is known today started in 1998, however the event’s history can be traced back to the BP Desert Rally of 1976, which was held in the same area.