Pre-season on-track for returning factory KTM racer.
KTM Motocross Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs made a winning return to racing over the weekend at the annual Mountain Man event at the Echo Valley circuit in Toowoomba.
On return from a broken femur sustained in preparation for the 2016 Australian Supercross Championship, Gibbs topped the likes of Luke Clout and Jackson Richardson to claim the event victory and title of Mountain Man.
The 2015 Motul MX Nationals MX1 champion used a near-perfect 2-1-1 moto scorecard to claim victory in the unique three-moto format on the fast and technical red clay layout.’
“I felt pretty good today,” said Gibbs. “I didn’t get the best start in the first one and had a battle with Luke Clout, then got two holeshots and won by a good amount.
“In the 30 moto I got another good start and just rode to the best of my ability and did what the track would let me. It got skatey and dry so they were pretty tough conditions, but I felt like myself again, which I’m happy about.”
Behind Gibbs it was Crankt Protein Honda Racing’s Luke Clout who claimed the runner-up position, the MX1 rookie strong on debut with the Jay Foreman-managed squad.
Third place on the day went to Serco Yamaha’s Jackson Richardson followed by Zak Small and Richie Evans in fourth and fifth positions to round out the top five.