Exclusive: Kirk Gibbs Interview

A consistent ride at the final outing of the iconic Conondale motocross circuit saw Kirk Gibbs grab his second MX1 Overall of the season. Transmoto’s Johnny Bonnar caught up with the KTM Motocross Racing Team rider to talk about his performance.

Good ride over the weekend, Kirk. You must be happy with that?

Yeah I am happy with that, it was really good. I got some good starts so I am really happy.

You gained the Overall via 2-2-1 scores, showing again that consistency is a major factor in the MX1 class.

That is something I really wanted to work on this year. Last year was my rookie year in this class and I learnt a lot. To be consistent is what gets you in the championship. That is one of my goals this year and I feel like I am ticking that off.

At Conondale we saw the return of the three moto format, how did you find that?

Not too bad. Three twenties I don’t mind, but don’t get me wrong – I would much rather the traditional 30-minute motos all day long. I seem to come on strong in the last 10 minutes so I think I suit the longer motos, but I got good starts and I did well over the weekend. I have been working really hard on my starts a lot.

That jump was pretty big out there today.

It was pretty good actually, something a bit different for Aussie motocross because the tracks don’t really have big jumps like that and obviously it was pretty good for the fans.

The second moto you just finished behind Billy Mackenzie, how did that feel?

After both races I felt good. After the first race I got pushed back quickly off the start and came back through the pack. I knew if I got good starts I could do well. I feel like I need to work on my sprint speed a bit, Matt (Moss) and Billy have an edge on me there but I feel I am the fittest and to get so close in that second race it felt a bit disappointing to not get the win but I know you just have to deal with each race as it comes.

In that final moto, you passed Mossy for the lead. You knew you had the Overall and you looked so pumped when you crossed the line.

I knew I had to get by him to get the Overall, I am a very patient rider but I wanted to get out front and get some clean air. I just waited my time and put some good laps in, I really put down for a couple of laps. When I got across that finish line I was really happy.  It feels good to keep chipping away at the championship and put a little bit of pressure on Matt. 

Next up is Raymond Terrace, what is the game plan?

The same as always. I am not thinking about the championship too much, I can’t control what anyone else does – I just have to focus on me and take each round as it comes.