GASGAS Racing Team’s Kirk Gibbs proved again why he’s regarded one of the most consistent racers in Australian motocross with a trio of fourth-place results at the Maitland stop of the 2024 Australian ProMX Championship.
Still celebrating the birth of his first child just days earlier, former national MX1 champion Gibbs was buzzing entering the fourth round, and it didn’t take long for that to transfer to the track, setting the fourth-fastest qualifying time on Saturday in an extended two-day, three-moto format for the weekend.
After two solid starts and P4 performances in the first two motos, Gibbs’ highlight of the weekend came in the third and final encounter when he shot to the front of the pack onboard his 2024 GASGAS MC 450F.
After leading the opening laps around a rough and rutted Maitland circuit, Gibbs settled in and again ultimately finished fourth. He’s now fourth in the championship after four rounds of competition.
In the MX2 class, GASGAS Racing Team newcomer Byron Dennis looked set for a solid weekend aboard his 2024 GASGAS MC 250F when he clocked the second-fastest time in qualifying.
Unfortunately, it all came undone on the opening lap of the first moto, when the rookie standout crashed and broke the ulna bone in his arm. He was taken to the local hospital for scans and has since undergone surgery – now positioned 11th in the standings.
With the series now at halfway, round five of the 2024 ProMX Championship will be held at Murray Bridge in South Australia on Sunday, June 23.
Kirk Gibbs: “It was a good weekend for me, with three P4s and I was right there in every race. I felt good, and the bike was the best it’s been. Obviously, a podium would’ve been great, but it was good to pull a holeshot in that last race, lead a few laps and just feel good on the bike. Those front boys are riding really good, so it was good to see what that pace was like, and now try and make up that gap before Murray Bridge.”
Kyle Blunden (KTM Group Australia Motorsport Manager): “Byron was involved in a crash yesterday where he felt like he got landed on in the rear, which pushed him into a rider in front. It wasn’t a huge crash, but when he went to pick his bike up, he quickly recognised something was wrong with his arm. He came off the track and received treatment from the Racesafe team before being taken to John Hunter Hospital. Examinations there showed he had a fractured ulna – he’s now had successful surgery and is on the road to recovery.”
Maitland also saw the third and final appearance of the MX85 Cup category for this season, where GASGAS Junior Racing Team talent Seth Thomas clinched the round and series victory on his 2024 GASGAS MC 85. He won both motos this weekend to seal the title in style!
2024 Australian ProMX Championship – Maitland, NSW
MX1 round results:
1. Kyle Webster (Honda)
2. Jed Beaton (Yamaha)
3. Nathan Crawford (KTM)
4. Kirk Gibbs (GASGAS Racing Team)
5. Luke Clout (Kawasaki)
MX1 championship standings:
1. Jed Beaton (Yamaha) 202
2. Kyle Webster (Honda) 201
3. Nathan Crawford (KTM) 176
4. Kirk Gibbs (GASGAS Racing Team) 148
5. Luke Clout (Kawasaki) 146
MX2 championship standings:
1. Brodie Connolly (Honda) 182
2. Noah Ferguson (Honda) 170
3. Ryder Kingsford (Yamaha) 163
4. Kayden Minear (KTM) 139
5. Jayce Cosford (Yamaha) 123
11. Byron Dennis (GASGAS Racing Team) 79
