4 Jul 2011

Gibbs Rebounds to Take Podium Finish for Serco Yoshimura Yamaha
Serco Yoshimura Yamaha rider Kirk Gibbs got his season back on track after finishing second overall in the Pro Lites division at round seven at the 2011 Rockstar MX Nationals at Albury.

After two disappointing rounds, Gibbs needed to rebound and rebound fast if he wants to continue his pursuit of the Pro Lites championship and he did just that with a successful day in Albury.

The day started slowly for Gibbs as he struggled with starts and passing riders in the opening two motos. The concrete start pad at Albury is tricky and takes smooth throttle and clutch control for a good start. Motos one and two saw Gibbs not get away cleanly and battling for positions in the back half of the top 10 before settling for 4-7 finishes.

But after some soul searching during the lunch break, Gibbs came out firing for the afternoon motos and cleaned house with 1-1 finishes. His starts improved and he took control of both motos well before the half way point and then charged off to victory.

The afternoon session salvaged his day, took him to second place for the round and secured his position in second for the championship with two rounds remaining.

“This track requires a good start and I just wasn’t getting them in the first two races. I was stuck mid pack and struggling for clear track. But things improved after lunch and I was able to win both motos and finish the day strongly,” Gibbs said.

Unfortunately the day was over before it really began for Jake Moss.

Moss looked good in practice and was ready to shoot for his fourth podium finish in a row but it all went out the window moments into race one when he fell in the opening stages and damaged his shoulder.
 
Moss was instantly in pain and in the care of the RaceSafe staff. He was taken from the track and unable to race for the rest of the day. He will undergo further scans this week to determine the damage to his shoulder but was hopeful of a return to action at Moree in a few weeks time.

“I knew as soon as I fell that I done some damage to my shoulder. The medics checked me out and sent me to hospital for doctors to have a closer look but haven’t found anything major, although I will get it looked at again this week,” Moss explains.

Gibbs and Moss will now start preparations for the Moree round on in three weeks. For Gibbs, that means more motos and training while Moss will take some time off the bike in an effort to get his shoulder right.

Round Seven Results – Albury
Pro Lites

Championship Standings- After Round Seven
 1st Matt Moss - 503
2nd Kirk Gibbs - 445
3rd Phil Nicoletti - 417
4th Daniel McCoy - 410
5th Brenden Harrison - 407
6th Justin McDonald - 366
7th Kade Mosig - 361
8th Josh Cachia - 358
9th Cody Mackie - 350
10th Luke Styke  -324