Premier class veteran concludes 2024 campaign with back-to-back podiums.
Image: Foremost Media.
Former national MX1 champion Kirk Gibbs has declared he intends to continue racing through next year’s Penrite ProMX Championship, the 35-year-old scoring back-to-back podiums to bring his 2024 campaign to a close.
Transferring to the GasGas Racing Team this season, Gibbs made a slow start to the year before discovering competitive form midway through, ending the year with three overall podiums to his name and finishing just four points shy of the championship top three.
The South Australian, who made his professional debut in 2006, stormed to the premier class title a decade ago now in 2015, and has continued to be a podium threat despite being a veteran of the class.
“If there’s a spot there, I’ll potentially go again,” Gibbs told MotoOnline. “I’m hoping to potentially be more set up earlier in the year, rather than trying to test up until around four or five.
“When I feel comfortable, I can ride fast. From halfway on or towards the tail-end of this series we got the bike right – well, as good as what we could have. [I] started feeling quite comfortable, and then it shows, but when I’m not feeling it, that also shows. For me, I’m older and I want to feel comfort – I’m happy with the way everything ended.”
Gibbs, who became a father for the first time earlier this year, is hopeful of inking a contract extension with GasGas as the manufacturer introduces a vastly updated MC 450F for 2025.
“They’ve got a new frame and I think it’s going to be better, and the engine won’t change. The chassis changes a little bit, but I’ve already ridden one with my set-up in it, and it doesn’t feel that far off – I feel like that’s a big win.
“I feel like if we can get that done by the end of the year or January, and I can hit the ground running, well then maybe I can start the series with a top five, not a 9-9 where I did this year.”
The number five will sit out this year’s Australian Supercross Championship as he has done in recent years, the domestic series due to kick off on 12-13 October in Redcliffe, Queensland.
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