Image: Foremost Media.

A DNF registered in this afternoon’s second MX1 moto at Murray Bridge was a costly one for South Australian Kirk Gibbs in a disastrous end to round four.

Gibbs scored second behind the rider he replaced at CDR Yamaha Monster Energy, Dean Ferris, in the opening encounter, but a pair of crashes in moto two saw him exit prematurely.

According to CDR team owner Craig Dack, the second incident while working his way back through the field eventually resulted in Gibbs pulling out of the moto with extensive shoulder pain. He’s since been hospitalised in Adelaide for scans on the suspected injury.

“He’s taken himself to the Adelaide hospital to get X-rays and scans on his shoulder,” Dack revealed to MotoOnline.com.au. “Until we get scans and X-rays, we don’t know. He had to pull out of that race because of the pain.

“Basically, he was coming up on some riders who tangled in front of him, and he landed where they crashed, went over the bars and landed on his shoulder. He was jumping and had nowhere to go. He had some numbness in his arm and quite a bit of pain – it’s not looking good, but we don’t know what the answer is yet.”

With the extent of damage yet to be determined, today’s DNF marks a severe blow in the title race for Gibbs, who closed to within three points of current red plate-holder Hayden Mellross – third overall on Saturday – following this morning’s opening encounter.