Image: Jeff Crow.

Reigning Australian Motocross Champion Matt Moss can be beaten in the race for the 2014 Monster Energy MX Nationals, according to KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs.

Gibbs is the only rider apart from Moss to feature on the MX1 podium at all three rounds to date this season, currently second in the standings and trailing Moss by 22 points.

Following a three-way tie on points for victory at the Wonthaggi round of the series with Adam Monea and Moss, Gibbs is determined to take step his form up another gear entering his ‘home’ round at Murray Bridge next weekend.

“Everything’s been going well, I’ve just been in SA riding around and getting a bit of sand practice in, so everything’s going well,” he said. “I always grew up in the sand and I like it. We don’t get too much of it up in Queensland, so its good to come down and do a bit before we race in it.

“Anyone’s beatable. It’s always been proven that no-ones unstoppable. It is all about Matt Moss at the moment – he won the title last year and he’s riding really well this year.

“If you can stay with him and put pressure on him, not let him get a lot of wins and get his confidence up, well I think that he’s definitely beatable.”

Gibbs admitted that the key to his improvement will come by focusing on his starts if he’s to beat the likes of Moss twins Matt and Jake, as well as Monea and Billy Mackenzie, on a weekly basis.

“Starts have been something that have let me down a lot the first few rounds – if it wasn’t for them I would probably have had better results again,” he added. “But in saying that the first few rounds have been good and my riding has been going pretty well at the moment.”

“Getting fair starts staying out of carnage and just; if you don’t get the good starts you seem to be just battling around and things happen. So to get good starts and to run up front, that’s the plan.

“I think my riding is not an issue and my fitness is really good so it’s about just getting starts at the moment.”

The MX Nationals will return to South Australia for round four on Sunday, 18 May.