Yamaha Racing claimed three class victories at the 2025 Hattah Desert Race with Danielle McDonald, Marcus Nowland and Stella Harding winning their respective classes after a demanding weekend of racing.
In another gruelling edition of the famous desert race in perfect conditions, all three riders had to overcome plenty of challenges to secure their success.
Danielle McDonald returned to Australia for the Hattah event. Currently competing in the AMA GNCC Championship in the US, McDonald enjoys the Hattah race she signalled her intention to contest the event as soon as she saw the date was clear from her US schedule.
With around a week to prepare, McDonald started slowly in the Prologue with a fifth place on Saturday, but that meant little come race time as she charged into the lead before the end of lap one and never let it go. Her lead increased with every lap and after eight laps and just over four hours of racing, she won the Women’s division and finished three minutes clear of Jess Gardiner in second place.
Of the 389 senior riders that completed the event, McDonald was 75th outright on her Yamaha WR250F and carries on the good form she had been producing in the US.
“I have always loved doing Hattah, and even though I’m racing in the US, if there are no date clashes, I will always come back and do this race,” she explains. “I love the challenges of doing well here as well as the atmosphere and just the riding in general.
“And even with the physical demands of doing it, it’s still a lot of fun. It was also good to catch up with so many people that I hadn’t seen in a while.
“I had no issues during the race, but it was busy out there with so many riders. My bike was great all day and I can’t thank Peter Burrell enough for his work on getting it ready while I have been away.
“Also a big thank you to Yamaha Australia for supporting me here as well as my family for the everything they do,” McDonald ends.
GYTR Yamaha Junior Racing’s Marcus Nowland also had a weekend to remember taking out the junior class on Saturday afternoon. Nowland had come close to success at Hattah in previous years but never stood on the top of the podium so felt he had some unfinished business with the orange sands around Midura.
Nowland signalled his intentions early by taking the fastest qualifier in Prologue. With the Junior Big Wheel race set at six laps, or about 90 minutes of racing, Nowland grabbed a fast start and took control of the race.
He jumped out to an eight second lead after the first lap and extended his lead over the next few laps to 30 seconds at the end of the lap four. But that gap shrunk considerably on lap five as he dealt with slower traffic out on the course as well as through the pit area that allowed the top three riders to tight up and as they started the sixth and final lap, the top three junior riders were wheel to wheel.
But Nowland decided to drop the hammer and on the final lap left the opposition in his dust. He gapped them by to take the checkered flag by 21 seconds and his first win at Hattah.
“I really wanted to win this on,” Nowland said from the podium. “I was in a good position all throughout the race but on the fifth lap, I lost some time on the course and then got stuck with slower riders in the pit area, so I had to send it again on the final lap.
“I had some energy in reserve, so I was able to get a good lap in, get through the slower riders at good times and get away from the guys behind me, so it was good to have a comfortable gap by the end of the lap.
“This was the first time I raced a WR250F as I usually ride the YZ250F at Australian Enduro rounds but we felt the six speed gear box would help on the long straights. The bike was amazing; really comfortable to ride and handled everything easily.
“Thanks to Mum and Dad for their support and everyone who helped this weekend and to the Yamaha Junior Racing Team.”
Is there nothing that Stella Harding can’t do? When she isn’t giving it to the boys in state and national motocross races all over the country, she is now giving the off-road brigade something to think about after winning the Girls Under 12 class, but more impressively, being the sixth junior rider across the line.
Mounted on her YZ85, Harding completed her six laps in 63 minutes and just over a minute behind the winner of the small wheels race.
“Hattah is an awesome race, and I love doing it as it’s something different to motocross. I love how fast we can go on the long straights and it so much fun racing with so many people,” Harding said.
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