SIX QUESTIONS: COREY HAMMOND

From early beginnings racing at just five years old, 23-year-old Corey Hammond’s rise has been steady and strong. This year, in his fifth Finke Desert Race, he achieved a landmark debut victory and became the first rider to win following David Walsh’s legendary five-year reign. With his trademark calm and collected demeanour, Hammond will return this weekend to compete in the iconic Hattah Desert Race, an event he has been a part of since way back in 2011. Get to know the rider as he continues to build his desert racing presence…

Firstly, a huge congratulations on your Finke victory. Being crowned King of The Desert is absolutely no easy feat. How has life been since? 

Life has been much the same. I went back to work as soon as we got home from Finke, so I was straight back into reality.

You’ve got racing history in the Australian Off Road Championship [AEC], so how did you end up in the desert racing scene?

I just got over the AORC scene as it was all getting a bit stale for me. I watched a few videos of Finke over the years, and in 2021 we decided to give it a crack. I guess you could say I fell in love with it.

Racing as a privateer is a grind. A race like Finke requires a lot of time and effort dedicated to pre-running, and being Sydney-based, it’s not like it’s close to home for you. Without factory backing, how do you go about managing the demands of racing? 

It’s tough. I’m lucky I’ve got a really solid group of people around me. But basically, it’s months of planning and preparation making sure you have everything you need organised. 

Since 2023 you’ve built noticeable momentum at Finke – 7th, 4th and now 1st. Was there anything different about your training, setup, or strategy this year that you think gave you the edge to take the win?

I guess just every year my track knowledge gets better. I had a great bike underneath me, and a good team of people around me, which makes my job easier. 

The last seven Finke victories have been claimed onboard the favoured KTM 500EXC-F, including your own. Has that been influential in your choice of bike? How does the KTM 500EXC-F stack up for you? 

Not really. It’s a good bike out of the box, and something that even on a stock platform you could be competitive on. 

The 2025 Hattah Desert Race is coming up this week and you’ll be lining up with some big off-road names, including previous winners Daniel Milner and Callum Norton. Talk us through how you’re feeling, and your aim for the weekend. 

There is some stiff competition here this weekend, as always. The goal is always to improve on the previous year’s result, so hopefully we are up the pointy end somewhere after the 4 hours.