KTM Motocross Racing Team rider and defending Australian MX Nationals Champion Kirk Gibbs will feel the pressure as he carries the red plate into next Sunday’s series decider at Coolum following another tough outing at the penultimate round of the series at Toowoomba’s Echo Valley at the weekend.

Gibbs has held the championship leader’s plate since the fourth round of the series and maintained his custody of it after finishing with 3-2 moto scores earned third on the day behind CDR Yamaha’s Dean Ferris and NPE Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Kyle Peters.

Gibbs took second place points in the Super Pole, behind American rider Peters, then looked set to challenge Peters for the lead in the first moto until a fall relegated him to third place behind Peters and Ferris.

In the second a perfectly-timed move and subsequent last lap pass over Peters provided Gibbs with an important second place behind Ferris – enough for him to take a six-point lead into the final.

Things strayed a long way from plan for Gibbs’ KTM team-mate Jesse Dobson, who was knocked out in an awkward first moto fall and took no further part in proceedings.

Dobson will undergo consultation this week for injuries which include an injured wrist, but is hopeful of a full recovery and an appearance at his home round of Coolum next weekend.

“I felt like I rode pretty good all day, just having that lay down in that first moto just put a big dampener on things,” said Gibbs.

“Dean (Ferris) made three points on us today, and without that crash it could have been a two or three point swing my way there instead. I definitely knew I had to make that pass on Kyle on the last lap, and it just worked out perfectly, I made that right-hander and then the left at the top of the track really well and just drove down the hill really hard and threw it up the inside.

“So we take the points lead into Coolum and we’ll put 120% in, and hopefully it’s good enough, and if not, it’s been an amazing championship, and I’ll still look forward to heading over to the Motocross of Nations.”

Ferris was pleased also with his performance on Sunday.

“It’s been a good day, 2-1 for the overall gives me solid points. I messed up qualifying a bit which I don’t often do, but I made up some points and I’m in striking distance of this championship,” Ferris said.

“It’s good that Kyle Peters is here, because obviously it puts some of those points between myself and Kirk Gibbs. We know he’s here, so I’ve just got to be the best that I can be.

“I’ve won a lot more motos than the other guys, so hopefully that points towards me being able to win the championship. Either way, I’m going to put down two solid motos at Coolum and hopefully that’s enough.”

© Photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com

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MX1 Championship Positions after round 9:

1. Kirk Gibbs 602, 2. Dean Ferris 596, 3. Todd Waters 578, 4. Kade Mosig 486, 5. Dylan Long 411, 6. Jacob Wright 388, 7. Matt Moss 381, 8. Jay Wilson 368, 9. Michael Menchi 338, 10. Daniel Banks 335.

MX2 Championship Points after round 9:

Nathan Crawford 574, 2. Jed Beaton 563, 3. Caleb Ward 555, 4. Jayden Rykers 479, 5. Wilson Todd 444, 6. Dylan Wills 429, 7. Hamish Harwood 398, 8. Joel Wightman 383, 9. Kyle Webster 324, 10. Wade Hunter 324