While the Pro Open class of the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals stole much of the limelight at Coolum last weekend, Matt Moss withstood the pressure of Kirk Gibbs to wrap up his second career Pro Lites title.

Moss has been blazingly fast all year for JDR Motorex KTM, battling to the title despite a painful shoulder injury and coming up against one of the strongest Lites fields we’ve witnessed in years.

MotoOnline.com.au tracked down Moss on Sunday afternoon at Coolum to reflect on the series and find out exactly how much this latest number one plate means to him in 2011.

Matt Moss wrapped up his second Pro Lites Australian Motocross Championship last weekend at Coolum. Image: Alex Gobert.

Well done on the title, it’s a big win for you and a great result for KTM. Tell us how much this championship means to you.

It means a lot. You know, they gave me a great incentive to move to KTM, they promised the world and they’ve pretty much given me the world. It’s a credit to them a great team, a great bunch of people, pretty much a big family.

All in all I felt like I was going to win the championship and that I needed to, which is what I had to do to get back to America.

That’s why they signed me, they knew I could win championships and backed me, plus I backed myself, so it’s good to come away with it.

You won the title in 2009, but this year people were ready to give you the trophy from the start. You were the favourite from the outset, so what’s the difference in the feeling between your first title and this one?

I think at the first three rounds, that’s what everyone thought – they were like oh my god. But then I injured myself and had some bad races. I had to fight the whole way, Gibbsy put up a tremendous fight all the way to the end and I knew what I needed to do.

I’ve been in that position and Gibbsy hasn’t, so I knew what it took. From my first championship to this one, nothing’s changed. It’s all hard work and it all feels the same when you cross that finish line.

That’s what we all race for, to get that championship at the end of the day.

KTM is a European manufacturer, one of the only to still be pushing hard in the development of their bikes with factory race teams across the world. How has that adaption been, do you feel it’s been a positive step in your career?

You know, I think if you were a businessman you’d certainly move to KTM because their bikes are progressing, they have the best machine and so many kids ride KTMs now. It’s just great to be on them.

I struggled at the start because I’d been on another bike for four or five years, and then got onto this thing. I struggled a little bit at the start, but now I’m in love with it. It’s so fast and handles like a dream.

I’m just super pumped to be given the privilege to ride a factory KTM – it’s great.

You said on the podium that you’ve been having fun, looking forward to the races, and that the team has been really good to you. Has it been a surprise for you, just how professional JDR Motorsports is?

It has. I’ve been on so many teams and just assumed it would be the same sort of people, but they cook you breakfast, ask you what you want, organise dinner weeks in advance and have everything ready.

You can just come to the race stress-free, pretty much able to do as you please. They make sure you’re 100 percent and that you’re feeling good. It’s like a big family, pretty much like having your mum and dad at the races [laughs].

They look after you and I’m so happy to be on this team. Hopefully we can go to America and do the same as what we’re doing here.

Moss has been focused on the title all season long, looking toward a ride in the U.S. for 2012. Image: Alex Gobert.

We’ve spoken about America quite a bit and know how excited you are for that, but next up is Super X and that’s obviously a championship that you want to win again.

Supercross is what I like to do. I love supercross and think I’m a lot better at it than motocross, so I can’t wait to get testing with these guys at KTM. I really want to get out there and get that championship that I felt I deserved last year.

I want to take it from there to America and try to win over there. That’s exactly what I want to do.

Just finally, I saw your dad is here this weekend to watch you take the title. He’s one of the country’s premier coaches through Moss Institute, so how much does it mean for yourself and your brother to work with him and also give him good exposure?

It’s great, my dad’s been there my whole life. He’s taught us how to stand up, how to get our elbows up, and still to this day he tells us what we need to do. In those first two races at Coolum here today I sucked and he pretty much told me what I needed to do.

To have your dad behind you is great, even though I don’t get to see him as much anymore because I’m always racing and he’s always on the road coaching.

But you know, it’s great to have who I think is the best coach in Australia, plus the best facility down there at the Moss Institute course.

It’s great to go down there to work on things and I couldn’t ask for anything better than having him in my corner.

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