After a strong start to the 2025 Tatts Finke Desert Race in Alice Springs that began with a convincing Prologue win on Saturday, STE KTM Racing Team rider Callum Norton was forced out of the event following the run down to Finke, with last year’s runner-up withdrawing due to illness. KTM-mounted privateer Corey Hammond won this year’s race.
After powering his KTM 500 EXC-F to the Prologue victory on Saturday afternoon, Day 1 started well for Norton as he picked up where he left off last year in the leading group, taking off from the head of the field on Sunday.
Despite waking up with a severe virus on Sunday morning, the 24-year-old braved his way to Finke (Apatula) in what was a valiant performance while under the weather, posting a time of 2h04m08.796s after the 226km stage and arriving in fourth position.
As his symptoms intensified overnight, the number two – together with the team – elected to withdraw from the second leg of the event, favouring recovery for the upcoming Hattah Desert Race over the risks of competing while not being at 100 percent.
The second STE KTM Racing Team 500 EXC-F entry of Liam Walsh was unfortunately parked for the 2025 Finke Desert Race, after an injury in the lead-up ruled him out of the 2025 edition.
In the end, Sutto’s Powersports-supported KTM privateer Hammond took the victory at Finke on board his KTM 500 EXC-F this year, earning both stage wins in what was a convincing showing to lead a KTM 1-2 ahead of Campbell Hall, who has support from Dubbo City Motorcycles. KTM riders claimed six of the class wins, including Madi Healey in successfully defending her Queen of the Desert title.
Jason Stewart, STE KTM Racing Team Owner: “It was a super-disappointing way to end our Finke campaign, but it’s the way it goes sometimes, unfortunately, and it’s out of anyone’s hands. After such a solid lead-up with both the bike and Callum [Norton] in a perfect position, he woke up really unwell on Sunday, catching the virus that was doing the rounds in town. He rode awesome to win the Prologue by 10 seconds on Saturday, and then did a mega job to even get down to Finke on Sunday, given the state he was in. He didn’t surface today, and we decided not to send him out for the way home – Finke is too much of a demanding race to head out there like that. No one is more disappointed than Callum, although we’ll rest up and come out swinging for Hattah now.”
2025 Finke Desert Race Bike results
1. Corey Hammond (KTM) 3h46m30.160s
2. Campbell Hall (KTM) 3h57m58.519s
3. Brodie Waters (Honda) 4h00m53.623s
4. Mitchell Outram (KTM) 4h06m19.095s
5. Kodi Stephens (KTM) 4h09m19.994s
