Picture: CLMINTIPIX
FORMER Mount Gambier motocross rider Kirk Gibbs continued his title defence chase in the third round of the 2019 New Zealand Motocross MX1 Championships, with a second place overall in Pukekohe on Sunday.
A 2-2-1 result puts the 2018 title holder in second place by a slim three points heading into the final round of the series in Taupo next weekend.
Honda rider Cody Cooper finished 1-1-2 to take back the top spot, after he and Gibbs were tied going into the round.
That leaves the final round to be the decider of the series, with another tight showdown expected.
Gibbs’ Yamaha teammate Kane Lamont continued his consistent championships to again finish third in all three races and trail Gibbs by 21 points in the overall standings.
After a struggle in the first two races, Gibbs bounced back to claim the honours in the final MX1 outing of the day.
The first race saw Gibbs in the lead at one stage, but some cat-and-mouse racing saw a couple of mistakes hand Cooper back front position, which he held to the chequered flag.
Race three saw Gibbs give his all to take the win in what he described as a mentally and physically draining effort.
However, the win puts him well in contention to defend his title as the series draws to its conclusion.
Cooper has shown good pace at Taupo in the past and Gibbs will need to commit fully once again if he is to take back the lead and claim the championship.
To add further interest, Taupo is one of Lamont’s favourite tracks, which will see him with the potential to throw a spanner in the works and possibly steal valuable points from the front runners.
Gibbs is currently back in Australia for more testing with his CDR Yamaha team, before he flies back to New Zealand for the final round on March 10.
