EP#63 - 2026 Hattah Desert Race wrap with Korey McMahon

Fresh off defending his Hattah Desert Race crown, Korey McMahon joins the ADB Podcast to break down one of the most dominant performances of his career. Korey talks us through his perfect weekend, from topping the Prologue and Shootout to controlling the four-hour race, while explaining how the wet conditions, changing fuel strategy and brutal track shaped this year's event.

We also dive into the journey that led him to become a two-time Hattah winner, including the controversial decision to put his Finke ambitions on hold and focus on becoming Australia's fastest desert racer. Along the way, Korey shares plenty of behind-the-scenes stories about bike setup, training, life with the KTM DM31 Racing Team, and what's next as he continues to chase success in Australia's toughest off-road events.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the ADB Podcast, where we talk all things dirt with your host, Mitch Lee. Okay, ADB crew, we're back with another podcast, and uh we're actually wrapping up the 2026 Had a Desert Race. And in a second, I'll bring in uh Corey McMahon, who is the winner, back-to-back winner actually for 2026. Uh before I do, I am gonna thank our sponsor Dunlop. Dunlop are sponsoring the show actually with their MX-34 tire. Now we've been doing a lot of testing on the AT-82. We've had a lot of fun with that tire. It's a multi-directional tire, and you can kind of flick it around depending on the uh what traction you want, whether it's soft or hard terrain. But we're also now gonna spend some time with the MX-34 tire. Uh it has come in and taken over from the MX33, so we're keen to see if it gets any better. Dunlop have a heap of different tires you can choose from, from trail to Enduro Adventure. Pretty much anything off-road, they've got a tie for it. They've even got a gummy that is actually pretty good too. I used that a couple of years ago and I found it wore really well for a gummy. So go check them out. That's Dunlop Tires. Uh without further ado, Corey McMahon. Thanks, mate, for coming on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

Nah nah, it's a pleasure for you guys to have me. It's um yeah, really cool to talk to you guys.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Cool. Uh so back to back vic Hatter Victories, mate. We're gonna kind of get stuck straight into it. We want to talk to you uh about Hatter this year and Hatter over the previous years, and then as we were chatting offline, we'll get you back on maybe at the end of the AEC season to get to know you a bit more and where you've come from in the race scene as well. So uh, but Hatter, mate, back to back, this year looked convincing. I know it's never the case, I know it's it's always closer than it looks, but it looked convincing. How did this year's win compare to the win last year?

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Uh honestly, I was um a bit more, what would you say? It was it felt a bit more natural this year. Uh it was a surprise to both myself and the team last year to get the win. And and this year it was sort of the teams and my expectation to to win again. So yeah, this year it was um it was same sort of same race played out, um just a bigger gap sort of thing. It's um same same game plan going into it to drop the hammer early and then just manage from there, and and that's what we did, and and and yeah, it worked out again, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Uh, would you say this is probably your best ride at Hatter ever?

SPEAKER_01 2:16

Uh yes, yeah, yeah. It was um really clean, really smooth, and yeah, the the the fitness and everything was much better than last year, which was really cool. It was um on one of the toughest tracks that we've had there for a bit out of Hatter with the moisture and that. It was it was actually very surprising how good I felt towards the end of the race.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Uh, was there something different you did in the lead up this year in terms of preparation, whether it be on bike or off bike, to have your best Hatter you've ever had?

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Yeah, I think it all all goes back to the preseason sort of thing. I started my preseason very early, sort of December last year. Um, and just a lot of bike time, a lot of work with beaten screw down there doing their pre-season with the motocross boys, and the intensity and all that stuff comes into into play with these long races and and the sort of um start gate sort of type of style race.

SPEAKER_00 3:05

Um now, topped prologue, uh superpolar shootout, and then just led every lap. Um, so was there any point where you felt like, oh, I don't have everyone covered here, or did you feel like even after prologue, you're like, you know what? I know I've got the speed and the fitness, I should be able to win this. The only thing stopping me will be a mechanical.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Yeah, yeah. I feel like it was I never got ahead of myself, which was good. Um, I just took it, uh I wasn't even thinking about the end of the race. I was just thinking about executing the start and executing my first lap. And then once the first lap was done, it was it was just keep on ticking off the boxes and and it was good. We never jumped ahead, and and I think that kept us on our toes the whole race. And yeah, to be honest, so I struggled a little bit in the top 10 shootout and ended up with a win, which I was really, really happy with. And considering my riding in that top 10 shootout was a bit average with the sun and that, I just wasn't pushing the limits like I normally do. And yeah, no, it was no sort of doubts in our mind, but there was definitely no getting ahead of ourselves saying that we're gonna win it.

SPEAKER_00 4:09

Yeah. Um, did you have to like, especially maybe towards the end of the race, was there any moment where you're like, you know, I've got a lead here, I'm gonna be careful, tiptoe it in, or was it just like hold the thing pinned all the way to the end?

SPEAKER_01 4:21

Yeah, I was, yeah. Uh obviously with it being so deep and and wet, um, it was very heavy on the clutches. And um, yeah, sort of about lap six, I had a my clutch faded a bit, and from there I was just yeah, sort of manage um manage the gap and then just yeah, ride our own race and it was and it was good. And I I feel like it sort of helped getting off the clutch towards the end of the race there because it made me focus on something else and not the gap.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

Okay. Um it was obviously wet. You guys got so much rain in the lead up and um chatting with some of the other riders and looking at it, it looked like uh if you kind of didn't attack everything, it stopped you like you hit a wall, like it kind of sucked the bike down. You know, it got deep like how it always does, but the wet sand made it heavier maybe on the bike. Did you notice any of that? Did you find that it was just a hard you had to stay on it more for this one?

SPEAKER_01 5:13

Yeah, 100%. It was um it sort of sort of played in my wheelhouse a little bit being on a 500, they sort of do that anyway because of the heavier bike they are. And yeah, just had to be super light and had to time everything, which was um a big focus on our on our lead up is just learning to time bumps when when when you don't really see what's coming. So you gotta you gotta think in the moment and then yeah, hope it all plays out. But yeah, the sand was definitely very grabby. It was it was really tough, and as soon as you sort of got over the front of the bike, it was pretty much time to fall over.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Yeah. Um, hey, in terms of bike setup stuff for this year, um, you guys have got Dan uh Milner's got new suspension guys. Um, so how was that tricky kind of getting you know, you you had the recipe to win last year, and then you kind of suspension is the biggest thing on our, you know, with what we do in our sport, and then you're changing your suspension for for this year. Was it tricky getting the bike dialed in for this header?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Uh for me it wasn't a massive challenge, obviously, because last year was dry and square edge. It was going to be a completely different setup anyway.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Um, but yeah, the the five being on obviously the 500 for two years now, it made it a lot easier to set up where last year I didn't saw, I wasn't a hundred percent with what I wanted. Um, but yeah, this year, Cruise Tune, the guys got out there, I think oh, probably a month before Cassidan, so almost six weeks before Hadda testing. So we had plenty of time on the bike, and and then we got our nice base setting straight away on our first test, and then it was just dialing in the clickers and stuff from there and and and um yeah, hoping that it was gonna be a wet year because that's what we set up for, but we always had always had our off-road set up to um go back to if we needed to.

SPEAKER_00 6:57

So you could have run an AEC SAN setup, say Cassidan setup at Hadda if you needed to, if you kind of got a bit lost looking for a had a specific setup.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

Yeah, 100%. That's exactly what I ran. I ran the same setup I ran at Cassidan at HADA, just a few clickers and a few minor changes. Um, nothing internal was yeah, just um just SAG and all that stuff's a bit different, obviously being a bit faster. But yeah, the bike was honestly in a really good spot before Cassidan, and then coming into Hadda, we were really confident in it.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

Yeah, okay. Uh gearing or mapping change, knowing that it was going to be wet or anything compared to what you would normally run, or rest of that was pretty standard?

SPEAKER_01 7:36

Um, it sort of surprised me a bit this year with the gearing. Um, obviously, I ran the same as what I did last year. I probably could have gone down one more tooth on the rear on those first couple of laps because it seemed to be very packed in on the fast straight. So it was um the bike did rev a lot on the first lap, but yeah, no, it was um obviously we run off-road gearing for Cassan and stuff, and then yeah, did the desert stuff. We yeah, put a smaller one on the back.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Um, fuel became a bit a bit of an issue for a few riders. They were kind of running out of fuel, is what we heard. Um, I don't know if that's because, like we said, the sand was heavier, guys were maybe just on it a bit more. Um, like you said, it was a bit more hard packing sections so you could hold it pinned longer. Did you guys run with the same strategy for fuel that you did last year?

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Nah, so this year we went one-one and then into twos. Uh where previous years are sort of gone one lap and then we go twos and then one lap at the end to get the gels and stuff. But yeah, those first two laps were sucking the juice. Um, yeah, we couldn't have made this the two lapper on the second lap. So yeah, team made an awesome call to just go one-one and then to twos, and then they had two readings, and yeah, it worked out really well.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Yeah, wow, that's a big deal because obviously you ran out of fuel, that's game over. You can't, you know, there's only there's only so much pushing. There's been a lot of guys pushing bikes lately, so you know you're out of fuel and pushing, that's the worst one. Um, yeah, yeah, okay, cool. And and so um coming out of Castadan, did you find that like AEC prep, the Castadan prep was the right kind of prep for Hatter, or do you prep completely differently and separately in terms of strength, endurance um for Hatter?

SPEAKER_01 9:12

I feel like um Cassidy's a good one before Hatter, because obviously we don't think about Hatter until Cassidy's done. So um, yeah, two completely different races to get rid of um or get ready for. Yeah. Um, but yeah, the main focus is Cassidy and our AEC championship, and we're sort of battling towards the front there, which was good. And then once that was done, it was switched off from ASC, and now it's time to get ready for HATTA. But yeah, training-wise and all that stuff, same, same sort of same sort of setup. But yeah, we're we've done the work early in the year, so it's not um a massive rush in that two weeks to get ready for HADA, it's more so getting the body fresh.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Yeah. Hey, let's talk about some stuff that's happened in the past then as well, leading into Hatter, um, especially in the last couple of years. Uh, Milner's influence. So now Milner's been running this team for two years, last year and now this year. Um, he made the call a few years ago to say to say to you, last year, was it? Yeah, no more think. Uh, you're gonna focus on Hatter, right? And so for us as punters out there, we're kind of looking at this going, Oh, I reckon he would have could have won think, you know, you and Cora and Hammond would have gone at it like last year, probably. Um looking back now though, you've your back-to-back Hatter champ, and like I said, it looked quite convincing. Um, your flat corner kind of skill and ability looks like it's improved out of sight, that real like drag racy uh Hatter feel to it. Do you now agree that maybe Milner saying, hey, no more think was a good decision and let's focus on Hatter, or is there a party that wishes, oh, I would have loved to have given Fink one last crack potentially last year?

SPEAKER_01 10:47

I think it's lucky I had catch 22. It's um if I went to Fink, I might not have won Hatter last year. It's sort of last year was a big, big prep for me. It was my first sort of time being with Milner, and he's obviously won the race a few to a few times before. And learning that um what you need to do in the lead up to Hatter was very crucial for my win last year and this year. Um, and I think yeah, it's sometimes you've got to you gotta let something go to chase another thing. And yeah, Hatter's been one of them things where I've been chasing since since I was a little kid and got introduced to it. But yeah, it's um I'm not frustrated with the decision, not angry with the decision, but like it's it it it it'll come around if if think's on the cards one time, it'll it'll we'll do it. But yeah, for right now, it's um it's definitely paid paid off what we've done and definitely the right decision from his behalf.

SPEAKER_00 11:38

Um so there is potential to go back to Fink one day, especially let's just say you rack up five back-to-back hatter wins, and it's kind of got to a point where you're like, you know what, this has been awesome, but I'd love a new challenge. Is Fink still something that you'd like to attempt one day?

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Yeah, Fink's obviously one of the things that I want to tick off and want to get a win at it, and that's all sort of on that road to to the Dakar and all that path that the boys have done in front of me, and and that's sort of my end goal. So obviously to be good at HADA and then to be good there as well, it's important. And obviously to be good in the Enduros, it it pays off as for that racing as well.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Um, so Milner's prep then. How does Milner's prep what what what kind of bits of it does he give you advice? Does he tell you what to eat, how to train, how to attack the race? Like why, why did you seem to have success uh or more success, sorry, out at Hatter coming under Milner's team last year, this year, uh than you have in previous years? What what's he what's the secret recipe Milner has?

SPEAKER_01 12:36

I think that I I think it's uh it's um for me doing that race for long enough now, I know what my body needs and I know on on what to do before HUDA and during the race and stuff, like that's sort of on my on my terms that I've learnt over the years of doing it. And but yeah, Milner just knows his way around a bike and knows how to set up a bike for and and it's such a big thing there. It's um four hours. Like you if if you're fighting the bike one little bit, yeah, you're gonna fall short, unfortunately. But yeah, just getting that bike in in the perfect window is is the most important part of our sort of how to lead up.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Okay. Uh from like a riding perspective, what does Milner push you into practicing? Are we talking like flat track kind of work or um and corner speed, or does he push you into practice high speed stuff?

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Uh so yeah, I've obviously been comfortable with the high speed stuff and I've been pretty good at that over the years. And um, I come from a flat track sort of background as a junior. So um my pop was a flat tracker and all that stuff. So I do know the sort of techniques around flat corners and it as a junior, and I'd be like, why am I doing this? Like I got no idea. Well, like we're going around in a circle, but it's crazy how much that two, three years I did it as a kid um translate to what to what um it is now and and my technique on the flat corners. But yeah, for Milner, he's pretty much there every step of the way. He he lives with us for two weeks and watches us for two weeks and tells us what we can do better and what we're doing wrong, and and it's just cool to have that. He's got so much so much confidence in us and our abilities, which is is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 14:19

Yeah, there was some footage, pretty cool footage of you kind of using that flat track experience to work because you kind of came out of one corner almost locked up opposite lock, and then it just flicked back to the other side so seamlessly, and it was uh I think the conditions probably helped. Like you said, it packed it down a little bit harder so you could really flat track it rather than it being dusty and square edge. It was obviously early on in the race, but I maybe it was prologue, but it was it was a pretty impressive sight, mate, and it's it is proof that I guess you need more than just desert speed out at Hatter. You need to have some of those flat track skills, yeah, and the cornering speed too.

SPEAKER_01 14:53

Yeah, yeah. Hatters, you need everything. I feel like it's not you need fitness, you need technique, you need speed, and then you need all the all the stuff in the tight corners. So it's like I don't think there's one way to get ready for Hatter, and and Hatter's different every year. So it's for me is just being good in the rough and then being good when it's flat. Like I feel like a lot of people go wrong and uh ride the roughest tracks possible leading up to Hatter thinking, oh that's gonna it's awesome, awesome to get us get you fit, but uh the most I feel like the most crucial part of the race is prologue and and the first lap. So my focus, yeah, and normally on the flatter stuff, um, rather than beating my body up on the on the rough stuff.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Yeah, that's so interesting. I I've raced HATA twice a long time ago, uh it would have been 20 uh 13 and 15, I think it was. And yeah, as a like a you know, a a C grade punter, I just assumed, and I probably do need to do this, but I've just got to go and hear as many sand whoops and rollers and awful stuff to try and get my body ready as I can. But um, I guess when you get to your level, it's not a fitness issue, it's not a hanging on. It actually becomes how do I perfect the specific skills that HATA requires rather than just beat my body into you know until I'm I'm um I've got the fitness. It's just not the case at you at the top 10 level.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Yeah, 100%. We obviously put a lot of work in at the start of the year to to get that fitness to where it needs to be, and then um yeah, that two weeks sort of leading into Hatter before Cassan, and it's we don't need a get fitter, it's just about yeah, perfecting all the stuff and the flat track stuff really doesn't take it out of your body and you get the ride time in and all that stuff, which is really good.

SPEAKER_00 16:34

Yeah. Uh before we could look at back at some of your early HATTA stuff, um, this year's Hatter, in terms of the vibe, how it felt this year, uh, it looked like uh, you know, it was probably they've put their most effort into the actual festival that goes around HADA. They even had, you know, Rusty Greg Rust commentating, I think, for the first time ever, he's a you know V8 Supercard commentator, so they kind of went all in there. They had obviously Jeremy Cowley from Dirt by Breto doing pop doing uh uh commentary as well. Um, so it looked like they put in a huge amount of effort. What was the feel on Scrutineering Night and all that kind of stuff?

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Yeah, for me, it just gets bigger and bigger every year. It's pretty impressive to watch. And yeah, having someone like Rusty there that's just I've watched as a kid on on TV commentating the supercars and stuff, and it sort of caught it sort of caught me off guard when he asked for an interview. I'm like, uh, this is a bit weird, but yeah, no, it was um really cool to have him there and obviously see show showcase our sport to him as well. Like he's such a big name in motorsport, and yeah, I think Hadda does one of the best jobs in Australia at making them event, and and it and it proves that with the amount of people that they get there. You look up the hill and you're waiting for that top term shootout, and you can't even see any sand. It's just the trap and people, it's like really, really cool.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Um, we heard this year that the the you could hear the crowd, they were quite vocal and loud. Was that the case? Could you can you hear those guys when you guys are you're focused on what you're doing? You're doing your speed, but you can't hear them.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Yeah, yeah, you can hear the horns and stuff. But for me, uh I struggle to hear it the best of times I run earplugs. So even when someone's trying to talk next to me on the start line, I don't know what they're saying. So yeah, we're pretty much in our own zone, but it's just really cool to to like to see them in your in your vision, people cheering you on and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 18:17

It's really, really cool. Uh, yeah, that is awesome. And uh it's it's good to see HADA going from strength to strength. We need more races like that in the country. So uh, especially those that attract outside out of category sponsors, guys outside our industry, but also people who maybe wouldn't normally come along to an AEC or a ProMX or you know, but they can come off to come along to one-off events like Hatter. Um all right, let's look back at some early HATA days for you. Um now, kind of bumpy start for your approach to HADA as a pro. I mean, you know, in that professional space, you had oh man, I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try to get this right looking back at some of the features we've done in the past. Food poisoning before one race once, and then you ripped a break clean off, like a break gone entirely. Um talk us through the food poisoning thing. What year and where like what happened? What what did you eat?

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Um I don't know. I couldn't exactly uh maybe be 20 or 21, maybe just after the first year after COVID, maybe I think so maybe it was 22. Um, yeah, I don't know. Just woke up middle of the night and was just vomiting after after the Friday night sort of um scrutiny, you'd say, and just woke up the next day really sick. And yeah, prologue was a struggle, and then obviously all the lead up that you do with nutrition and hydration and all that stuff was just out the window. So yeah, that was probably one of the toughest races I've done. I think I didn't eat much until race day morning, and yeah, it was it was pretty gnarly, but sort of no excuses. It was yeah, it happens to a lot of people getting sick. It's one of those events where I feel like everyone canes their body pretty hard going into, and and that's a thing that I've learned not to do. And and and you do get sick really easy leading into the race.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

Yeah, okay. There you go. So you don't know what it was, but obviously something got you the night before. Um stay yeah, stay clear of the food stands at the uh scrutiny. No, I wouldn't say it was that.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

It might have been the pub that we went to to dinner during the thing, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

Yeah, who knows? Um, then you ripped a brake lever off as well. So you've you've sheared a brake. How do you do that, Hadda? There's no rocks. I'm assuming you just collected another rider and sheared the brake lever off.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

No, so I was uh yeah, coming up one of the dunes and just overheated my brakes and then went wide into to one of the track markers, and at that stage held pretty decent post, and yeah, just ripped it, ripped the brake caliper and all that's clean off, which was they fixed it, which was cool, but yeah, it was another bump in the road. But yeah, we've had a few and now it's sort of all starting to turn around. But that's just HATA, like something you can't expect it to go your way every year.

SPEAKER_00 20:56

Yeah. How do you finish a Hatter without a brake lever? I mean, at least sand slows you down, but you you can't you guys break so late coming into corners, and you need your brake to to break that late, otherwise you're gonna lose seconds per corner. How did you how did the rest of that race unfold?

SPEAKER_01 21:11

So I ended up, yeah, pulling into the pits, and the boys actually put a whole new caliper and everything. We had one spare there and a new wheel on and everything, and yeah, set me on my way. So it was pretty good. How long did that uh I think Jeremy from Dirtbite Burritos got pretty much the whole thing on film, to be honest. Yeah, yeah. I don't think it was overly long. Um, the boys got it done, and I think we yeah got back to 11th or something that year, I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

It's impressive stuff, mate. Um, so like thinking of some of the challenges you've come through going back to back, does it make it sweeter?

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Yeah, 100%. But yeah, it's obviously a box that I've wanted to tick, but there's all that that big end goal that's it's just another tick off the list, and to keep winning that race will be really cool. And yeah, for now it's just kind of. Keep focusing forward and um keep winning stuff and that's what's gonna get you the recognition you need and uh hopefully be overseas one day.

SPEAKER_00 22:07

Ah, cool. Overseas. So you you you'd like to think that how old are you now? What's your 24? Okay, so lots of time. You'd like to get overseas and race desert stuff overseas or off-roads?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Uh obviously I want to, yeah. I'm planning on doing the last couple of rounds of GNCC this year, which will be really cool after the sixth day. Yep. Um, but yeah, like the sort of end goal and what I've always dreamed about is um to race Dakar and and do what Toby and Chucky are doing at the moment, which will be would be my dream as a kid. So um that's sort of the end goal, but whatever comes up in between that, it's um it's sort of a thing that you can chase sort of later in your career once you've got all the knowledge. So whatever comes up between now and then, I'll I'll be all for and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Yeah, it's an exciting path, the Dakar path. Obviously, good buddies with Chucky and to see where it's kind of taken him is is pretty cool. Um it's and you know, I think I feel like the world rally uh side of things look more at Aussies now since where you know Toby broke through kind of their Grabbo pioneered a bit early on as well and proved that we've got the pace down here. Um it's just a case of teaching us how to nav and then off we go. Um so and you've proven with how to how to win and you know uh obviously think could be a win in the future, but what you've been able to do with think as well has proven that the speed isn't isn't gonna be the problem. It's it's obviously all the other opportunities that come with it. Hey, um you first you you developed the gas gas 500. This is kind of what everyone kind of suggested to me. The gas gas EC500 F you and Grabbo, you guys did a lot of development with that bike when it first came out, however many years ago that was, five, six years ago now, five years ago. Um what were those early days with that bike like compared to the bike that you ride now?

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Yeah, for me it was um it was different. Uh it's a 500 with linkage is I feel like a completely different feel to what my 500 with PDS shock is right now. But yeah, um it was the first year it came out. Both me and Grabbo um were racing, obviously, I think. And yeah, put a lot of time in testing, getting suspension done, and all that stuff for a completely new bike for me. And yeah, it was it was pretty impressive how good it was straight away. Obviously, they're not far from the KDM, but it was sort of a bit of the husky and then a bit of the KDM, like with the linkage which the the husky has, and then obviously the KDM frame and subframe and sort of the stuff was very similar. So um, yeah, it was a good experience, but yeah, I I feel like I've gelled a lot better with the with the KDM 500 with the PDS shock, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

So, why does the PDS and linkage, why do you think the PDS for you anyway works better at a race like Hatter than the linkage system? What does it do differently?

SPEAKER_01 24:55

Um, for me, it's not saying that the PDS just works better, it's that the PDS I feel works better with the 500 and the inertia it has. Um obviously there's perks to the linkage and all that stuff, but yeah, a big thing for me is yeah, the the PDS feels a lot more stable on the 500.

SPEAKER_00 25:14

Okay. Um and obviously if you could pick between the gas that you rode back then and the KDM you rode now, how much better is the KDM that you've got now with all the parts and the bits and pieces that Milner has access to than the suspension compared to that bike that you first started developing with gas gas? Are we talking night and day, nothing similar? You couldn't even go close to winning on that gas gas back then when you guys were developing it, or um, that's how good the KDM is nowadays, or are they closer than people might have thought?

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Uh they're definitely closer, but I think my knowledge wasn't there. Um, obviously being young, I think I was yeah, sort of around the 20 mark when I was on the gas gas and never really had guidance. Um I sort of came straight out of juniors and then COVID sort of happened, and then Milner and all them guys left, and we were sort of running our own team um under the KDM banner. Um and yeah, sort of never had guidance in what to look for and what to test for, and this was just going off what I thought was right, and some of them things definitely weren't right. I feel like if we had that gas-gas 500 now, it could be completely better to now than what it was when I was testing it back then. But yeah, a big thing now is just having the knowledge, and that's all from Milner. He's taught me everything I know, really, and testing and all that stuff, and and and we've got it to a point where I can do it myself now, which is really cool. And um, yeah, that's probably the biggest difference is just my knowledge of what I want and what I need going into a race.

SPEAKER_00 26:44

Um, when you're on that gas gas, did you do work with GRABO back then too, with some bike development?

SPEAKER_01 26:50

Yeah, yeah, definitely done a bit of testing with him at Fink and a couple of days up and down the track and that stuff, which was really cool. And yeah, he was really good and got my bike in an awesome spot for Fink and stuff, but obviously didn't have his guidance going into HADA as much as what I did into Fink with him being so busy and all that stuff. But yeah, he's knows a bike really well, and yeah, I I think it's just me, it was all me learning, and and then that's what you have to do as a rider if you want to be better.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

Yeah, for sure. Um, so if you could pick a team to ride for in the uh rally si world rally series, who would it be? KDM, I'm guessing.

SPEAKER_01 27:28

Yeah, 100%. Obviously, with Julesy working over there with WP now and all that stuff. It's familiar faces, and I've done a bit of riding with Chucky and and that throughout um the last couple of years and stuff, which is cool. And yeah, no, it'd be obviously the goal to end up on one of them bikes would be really cool.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Have you ridden a rally bike with a nav tower? And have you attempted to like even if it's just naving around the backyard kind of thing, have you had a go on Chucky's or any other bike?

SPEAKER_01 27:56

Um yeah, yeah, no, we I'd done a couple of days testing with Chucky, I think it was two years ago now. Um which was really cool. It was yeah, opened my eyes. I've been ever since then. That's all I've wanted to do. It's um yeah, it's really, really cool riding one of them bikes through the desert and and yeah, just and go out riding all day and and and yeah, you couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Hey, so the high speed stuff doesn't bother you. There's no point where you go and maybe I need to back it off, or you do you know, people talk about adjusting to the speed of races like Hatter and Fink and just your eyes adjusting in general as well. Is there it did does is there ever an adjustment period for you, or is there any fear or worry for you at that speed?

SPEAKER_01 28:37

There's never sort of been a fear or worry for me, but yeah, definitely the eyes um definitely do need time to adjust. Um more so going from slow to fast than it is going from fast to slow. And yeah, um struggled with it a little bit early days, I think, just how fast that race is. Like it's probably one of the fastest races in the world, really. It's um especially when I was doing it, it was nice and flat, and it was just pretty much hold it wedged as fast as far as you can. So yeah, definitely struggled, but I feel like as I'm getting older and getting a bit more mature now, it's um definitely coming to me a bit more natural. But yeah, definitely never had a problem with speed, which is good.

SPEAKER_00 29:18

Uh let's look at 2027 Hatter. Um who do you think coming through? Poor old Joy with hurting his knee, you know, was your teammate wasn't great. Uh, you had uh Lindo kind of back. Um actually, before we even move on to that, how was it having Lindo back and on the team there with KDM? He kind of came in for that last round of AEC, but he's gonna bring a whole new, whole different vibe. Um, you know, we we had him on the podcast after the last round of the AEC just to tell us why he was coming over here and what he was doing. Um, yeah, how how was it having someone an imposter essentially, like for lack of a better word, he's a legend, Lindo, he knows what I mean. Yeah. Um you know, come into the team at late notice with such a big event.

SPEAKER_01 29:58

Oh yeah, no, it's really cool, obviously, um, to have him back and his uh obviously relationship with Milner is very strong from previous years, and yeah, it was sort of a time for me to see where I was at. Um obviously he's a he's a really well-known guy in both America and Australia, and a really good racer, and it was cool to yeah, go up against him and do a bit of training with him and stuff, which was really cool. So yeah, it was a good experience having him back, and yeah, um yeah, I couldn't fault uh anything we'd done. Yeah, it was really cool to have another guy on the team. It was no bad blood there, like we're a pretty easygoing team, which is really good.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

Good. Hey, Sammy P was also back, uh obviously on another brand on the Honda. Um, so you had two of the two guys coming back from America last year. Had was last year Gus Ridden came back as well. Yeah, it was. Yeah. Um so having these guys come back with American speed, it's very different their racing over there to what we do here off-roads. Um, did especially with what Sammy does, he with like he kind of done more of the uh deserty stuff over there, that seems to be what he's kicking ass at as well. Um it gave you a gauge on how fast you are now compared to them. Is there a chance that this opens a door for a ride in the US? And if it did in that space, that deserty space, would you ever be interested in going over to the US to focus more on their desert stuff?

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Yeah, 100%. I always want to go over there and see what that's about. And this year it sort of just lined up a bit more with the six day to go do the GNCC, but I was definitely looking into doing the works and their GPC stuff. So yeah, I I've spent a lot of time with Sammy, and I'm sure he'd be okay with me coming over and uh backpacking off him for a little bit over there. So um it's a good connection to have. And yeah, no, he was he was riding unreal now. It's been really cool to see him sort of progress from when uh we were doing a lot together probably two, three years ago, and to where he is now is pretty cool to see.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Um back to back howder victories, does that does your phone? I mean, it's really hard to work out how different the off-road and desert scene is compared to the motocross scene. So, for example, we're chatting with Blake Bahannon later tonight and his old man Tim. Um, and yeah, Tim's phone's been melting since he won that '85 World Championship, and he's been doing a lot of ki of ass kicking lately in the last year and a half, two years, since people have started to notice him as well. Uh back to back how to wins, people know you speed out at Fink. Does your phone do you do you have to chase a ride if you want to go to the US? Or does do you do you wait for people to contact you? How what's the process in potentially getting over there to race?

SPEAKER_01 32:34

Yeah, I think it's all off sort of mine and Milner's um guidance or back. Um yeah, if I want to go over to America, I've got to do it myself, sort of thing. So it's not it's not like my phone's been blowing up saying like come over here and race for us or whatever. But yeah, no, it's it definitely just gives you the confidence to go over there and and race people like that or do something like that. Where if you didn't have them guys back, you'd it'd be a completely different like feel to go there. You'd be sort of like because obviously they're on a bit more of a pedestal than what we are over here, and um, I think Hatter's proved that we are fast over here. Um, obviously, with Will being back, and he's a world champion as well. It's it's really cool and and and it's good to know that the speed that we are running over here is is gonna compete somewhere else. So which is which is not a bad thing, it's really cool to to know that, but yeah, definitely not phones not blowing up for rides, that's for sure. It's hard to come by these days in in the off-road scene. So and yeah, I don't know what our reach sort of to America is with Hatter. Um obviously Fink's massive worldwide.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Yeah, it's tricky, isn't it, to work out. Like, are they watching HATA? Do they are they seeing who's performing well there? And you're like you said, Fink has has a good reach worldwide that they're about to um start a full Hollywood production out at Fink with Chris Emsworth doing everything. So I think you know that'll probably introduce it even more so to the US, especially. Because the US is anything desert related, if you want to go and get on a team or it's gotta you've got to go to the US. Europe doesn't have that scene, so like unless you do the World Rally Championship. So you know it's got to be the US. Are they focusing? Are they paying attention? Are they listening? Well, who knows if they are? And I'm I'm I know what you mean. Uh unlike the motocross scene where it seems you have a few decent results and the phone starts to ring, you kind of got to chase it yourself. It was the same with Lindo when they all headed over there. Um, so yeah, it is a bit of a trickier one, but sometimes I guess you just gotta go over there, do it yourself, and hope people see you. That's kind of the plan.

SPEAKER_01 34:39

Yeah, 100%. And obviously, why in the meantime is build up a resume here. Um, obviously, if you're talking to someone and they're asking what have you done, it's it's a lot easier when you've won some races. And um, yeah, for me right now is just go see what I like and see what I want to chase. I want to try the JNCCs and see what they're all about. And if they're not my cover tea, I'll try try something else. But um, no, at the it's really good coming from Australia because we do our racing is so diverse throughout the year. We do sprints, we do cross countries. So it opens up sort of that um avenue for anywhere in the world, really. You could go to Europe and race in Duros, or you could go to America and race GNCCs, or go race desert stuff. It's it's really cool what we have here.

SPEAKER_00 35:27

Yeah, that's a good point. When you think about it, we've had you know, Will Rupert, Matt Phillips, so many guys go over there and win um European championships, which is a completely different style of racing to like what Strangey was doing, you know, winning when he was winning GNCCs. Um because from everything that everyone we interview says, racing a world injure around is very different to racing a GNCC around, you know, that they're not really similar at all. But we have riders that can do both, whereas you don't really see Europeans going to America and kicking everyone's ass in GNCC, and you don't see many GNCC guys going over to Europe and absolutely dominating for a decade. So you're that's a good point. We our series is is is so unique in that we have in juros, we have sprints, we have cross countries, and then we have Hatter and Fink and the Don and Calgoole and all these kind of races where you can focus on your your high-speed stuff as well. Um, so that's cool. Kind of makes our Aussie pros a bit of a unique entity in that regard, and they could kind of go either.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

Yeah, like it just gives you all that opportunity, obviously. Um it sort of depends where you come from. Like Kyron is a really good technical rider and he's doing awesome in Europe, and then obviously you have like Chucky and Toby and all that stuff that are really good in the desert, and now they're killing or have killed it and now killing it over there as well, and then also Gussie, like he came from Australia as a junior as well. And um Strangy, like it's yeah, it's really cool. We got Aussies all around the world, Meso's killing it over there at the moment as well, and yeah, it's pretty cool to have so many Aussies across the Enduro board and absolutely killing it.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

Yeah, well, hopefully that'll be you too soon, mate, when uh if it all unfolds in the next few years, you're only 24, so you've got so much time. Um let's talk 2027. Have you your deal with KDM? Uh is is I'm assuming most of you guys go on one-year deals because kind of year to year, occasionally there are two-year deals. Uh, have you made any plans? Have you started talking about 2027 from an AEC perspective, but also to do HADA? I mean, they're gonna want to defend their title. Um, has there been any talk about 27?

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Uh not as of yet. Um, obviously a little bit between uh me and Milner, but um, yeah, we're obviously really good mates as well. So um I don't think he'll do any wrong by me, and I wouldn't do any wrong by them guys. So yeah, it's year-by-year deal, but um, yeah, uh I I'd be happy to stay. Um, and I I I'm not sure on them yet, but um everything's sort of lining up to being in the same spot next year, which will be cool.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

Yeah, Milner's um I I I feel like his team, from what I can see, has come along in leaps and bounds this year. He's got a you know new transporter um and everything compared to last year, and it's it's got more support and more sponsorship and bits and pieces. So it's awesome to see it go from strength to straight, especially you know, we've had some teams drop out of our off-road series in the last you know five, six, seven years, and so it was really awesome to see Dugs come in and pick up a pretty solid team, um, you know, with three riders, was obviously for the year. So it's awesome to see. Hopefully, he's able to continue doing that for the following year. Um, mate, that's pretty much all we wanted to know about Hadda. Like I said, we're gonna get you back on to talk about career stuff uh later in the year once AEC's done. But um, yeah, that's impressive, mate. Congratulations. It's back to back Hadder wins. Hopefully it opens some eyeballs overseas and some doors as well over the next little while. And um, yeah, GNCC's, mate. Once it's good luck. You're you're heading over there, kind of, because we've got two more rounds of AEC left. We finish up in South Australia, uh, and then you head over after that, is it?

SPEAKER_01 38:58

Uh so no, I head obviously to the sixth day in October. Um, and with the sixth day being sort of that later part of the year, the GNCC's been pushed out a little bit. So I think, yeah, straight from um uh where are we going? Portugal, yeah. Um then straight to America for I think three weeks and do two rounds, which will be really cool. Um go see uh go stay with Gussie and all that over there and uh see what it's all about.

SPEAKER_00 39:21

Cool. You got a bike sorted, everything kind of done and ready to go.

SPEAKER_01 39:24

Uh not a hundred percent set in stone, but yeah, we're on our way to getting everything sorted, which has been cool. It's sort of been only the the plan over probably the last three, four weeks. So um obviously seeing uh the readings at Hatter and all that stuff has sort of kicked me into gear to get it all sorted.

SPEAKER_00 39:40

So yeah. It's funny, it's funny, hey, because we've even got um I was chatting with went riding with John Gat two days ago, and um he just got back from Erzburg, and it was actually Harry Norton who hooked who hooked him up with a bike over there, and he's like, Oh, he's a legend, I've known him for ages, and we're good buddies, and he was just like, Yeah, I can get you a bike, no problem. And you know, there's that Aussie connection again. Like, we've got Aussies just somewhere everywhere that helps either sleep on their couch, hook you up with a bike or whatever else it is. Uh it's unique, there certainly is.

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Yeah, yeah, it's really cool. Obviously, Harry's on the Enduro side now, which is awesome for us. Um, that's where he sort of come from over here. And it was the same for us last year at the sixth day, it's very helpful. And it just gives you that sort of connection. Like you can talk Aussie to them, and they sort of understand it, they get it, and and they can sort you out with all the Euros, all the Americans and stuff, which is really cool.

SPEAKER_00 40:32

Yeah, definitely. Have good to have someone in your pocket there. Just a bit of comfort, you know where you stand with them. There's no like, oh, am I gonna get there? And it's like, oh, here's a half-assed bike that's you know needs a heap of work, or you know, you know you know what you're getting, which is helpful. Um, congratulations, mate. Back to back had our victories. It's very impressive this year. Seemed like you did it the easiest, but I know that's never the case. Um, but yeah, it was impressive. We look forward to seeing what happens for 2027 and especially yeah, whether that's here or overseas, I guess we'll wait to find out. But um, good luck. Like the next coming rounds of AEC, six day GNCC's you've got on your schedule, mate, before the end of the year. So we wish you all the best.

SPEAKER_01 41:07

No, thank you. I really appreciate you guys having me on, and uh yeah, it's awesome to chat with you. Awesome, thanks, mate.