Image: Jeremy Hammer (Foremost Media).

Fresh after being finishing second in the 2017 Motul MX Nationals MX1 championship, Kirk Gibbs will now switch his focus to the prestigious Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (MXoN) at Matterley Basin, Great Britain, on 1 October.

The 2017 edition will mark Gibbs’ first time representing Australia at the event, despite being selected last year before a broken femur denied him of the opportunity.

The South Australian expressed his eagerness for the widely-popular race, believing the team consisting of newly-crowned MX1 champion Dean Ferris (CDR Yamaha) and youthful MX2 World Championship contender Hunter Lawrence (Suzuki World MX2) will be strong contenders.

“I’m looking forward to a few days now to regroup and then I’ll get ready for the Des Nations. I’m looking forward to riding for Australia with Dean and Hunter,” said Gibbs.

“Dean’s riding at a world class level and Hunter’s riding amazingly well too, so hopefully I can pull my weight and get a good result.”

Gibbs signed a unique motocross-only deal with the KTM Motocross Racing Team for the 2017 season, which would allow him adequate to prepare in hopes of being granted an opportunity to race the event.

Fellow Team Australia member Ferris will be forced juggle motocross and supercross preparations, with the opening round of the Australian Supercross Championship scheduled for 23 September, at Jimboomba in Queensland.