Image: Andy McGechan/BikesportNZ.com.

Motorex KTM’s Kirk Gibbs is confident a pre-season in New Zealand will have him in form for the Monster Energy MX Nationals opener in March.

Entering his second season with KTM in MX1, Gibbs has recently returned from injuries sustained in supercross, and will use the NZ season as training for the Australian Motocross Championship.

Last weekend’s Woodville GP saw Gibbs make his return to racing, finishing a solid third overall with 5-3-3 finishes.

“Today wasn’t a bad start,” Gibbs commented. “I started off slow, I’ve been riding a little, but only got back on the track three weeks ago and I knew today would be a bit of a task.

“I got real bad arm pump in the first two, but from there on it got sorted out and I rode good. I’ve still got a while to be where I need to be for the nationals, so I can take good stuff from this, do some more testing in the next few weeks and get the ball rolling even better.”

Gibbs will be joined in 2014 by new teammate Ford Dale, who won the opening two Woodville motos before bowing out with a cramped hand in the final moto.