CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team owner Craig Dack believes the outfit’s operations and resources will further elevate newly-signed athlete Kirk Gibbs in the later stages of his career.

Gibbs, a former MX1 champion and multi-time representative of Team Australia at the Motocross of Nations (MXoN), fits the mould of a CDR Yamaha lead rider, being experienced and well credentialed.

Multi-time champion Dack has bred a number of title holders through his organisation, assisting riders such as Jay Marmont, Josh Coppins and most recently Dean Ferris to the MX Nationals MX1 crown, winning nine of the past 12 premier class championships in the domestic motocross series.

“Kirk comes to us as an experienced racer with the qualities we look for in a professional rider,” Dack explained. “He is hard-working, dedicated and determined in character as well and talented and focused on racing. We believe surrounding him with the CDR Yamaha staff and on Yamaha machinery, we can elevate Kirk even further and look forward to a strong season from him.”

Gibbs will ultimately replace US-bound three-time Australian MX1 champion Ferris, while his former KTM Motocross Racing teammate Luke Clout is expected to join him under the factory Yamaha awning – an announcement due imminently.

Brett Metcalfe will continue on with Penrite Honda Racing in 2019, the Victorian-based operation confirming the extended signing of the former international today.

Metcalfe enjoyed a successful end to his 2018 season after mixed campaign in the Pirelli MX Nationals, which was riddled with a number of unfortunate events, although he bounced back in the Australian Supercross Championship, challenging for the crown before earning runner-up honours.

“This year has been rewarding for many reasons,” said Metcalfe. “Winning a round of supercross was important for me and the team. I am building a trusting home at Penrite Honda, my family is settling in at home in Mannum and I am back in the motherland after 18 years overseas.

“The bonus was finishing second in the Australian Supercross Championship with a new team and on a new bike. We proved this year we could be competitive in motocross – we were in the top three several times in races and we scored some podium finishes.

“As a team we were lacking consistency but we worked on that in the second half of motocross season, and in supercross we turned a lot of things around which will better prepare us for next year.”

Team owner Yarrive Konsky hailed Metcalfe’s efforts over the year, while he also revealed that it’s yet decided if a second rider will be appointed.

“Brett and I have formed a trusting an open friendship and this certainly makes it easy to work together,” Konsky commented. “It is astonishing to think he accomplished everything he did when you really know what he has gone through this year, moving his life back to Australia and spending a lot of time apart from his wife.

“He has such a resilience, something only great athletes have. He has a home at Honda and we believe in his talents, he is a proven asset on and off the track. We want to do this properly and our focus is on Brett. We may have a second rider to do selected rounds of Motocross but this is yet to be decided.”

In 2018, Penrite Honda Racing fielded Metcalfe in the MX Nationals, along with youthful talent Callum Norton for a portion of the series, while in the supercross it drafted in Americans Justin Brayton and Bradley Taft.

Australian Josh Strang has inked a two-year deal with the newly-formed Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green to contest the 2019 and 2020 seasons of GNCC and the Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series in America.

Most recently assisting Team Australia to the World Trophy crown at the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in Chile, Strang earned fifth in the XC1 standings of the 2018 GNCC championship, while he also pulled through to clinch the outright title in the Full Gas Sprint Enduro Series.

“I’m super excited to announce that I will be racing the new KX450 for the Babbitt’s Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green for ’19-20,” Strang revealed in a statement.

“It’s crazy getting back on the brand that started my racing itch back in 1996 on a KX60. I have so many good memories on these bikes and I can’t wait to make more! Thank you to everyone that has helped make this happen.”

Strang, a former GNCC champion, has spent the last four seasons with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing where he enjoyed a number of race wins and championship podiums.

Five-time Formula One (F1) world champion Lewis Hamilton has sampled a Pata Yamaha WorldSBK-spec YZF-R1 in a private test hosted at the weekend in Jerez, Spain.

According to Italian media outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, the Mercedes AMG Petronas driver escaped uninjured from a fall while taking to the track alongside factory riders Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark.

It’s understood the British ace was one of many riders to hit the circuit that most recently hosted testing for both MotoGP and WorldSBK, and despite the crash, he later returned to riding aboard another available machine.

Hamilton has a long association with motorcycles and is a current ambassador for MV Agusta, the Italian manufacturer recognising the multi-time world champion with a special edition Brutale 800 RR LH44 motorcycle.

Recently-crowned three-time Australian Supercross Champion Justin Brayton has earned his fifth King of Geneva supercross title after lodging a supremely consistent scorecard at the Swiss event.

The Smartop Bullfrog Spas Honda won the opening night of racing before bouncing back on night two to claim runner-up honours, granting him the King of Geneva crown over fellow Monster Energy AMA Supercross contenders Christian Craig (Geico Honda) and Justin Barcia (Monster Energy Yamaha Racing), who won the final night of racing.

Vince Friese (Smartop Bullfrog Spas Honda) was fourth overall followed by Jordi Tixier (KTM), while the top 10 featured a number of high-profile riders, including Cole Seely in sixth and Zach Osborne (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) in ninth.

The 250 division was taken out by Monster Energy AUS-X Open Sydney SX2 victor Cameron McAdoo (Yamaha) for Prince of Geneva honours, with the top three being completed by Adrien Escoffier (Honda) and Julien Roussaly (KTM).

Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia has revealed Wayne Maxwell will join the outfit in a multi-year agreement that will see him contest the YMF Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) through the 2020 season.

Maxwell, who lifted the 2013 ASBK crown aboard Suzuki machinery, makes a welcomed return to the manufacturer alongside three-time champion Josh Waters.

“I’m very excited to be joining Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia for the next two years,” said Maxwell. “Last time Suzuki and I were paired together proved to be very successful, winning my first Australian Superbike championship.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back on the GSX-R1000, I know how fast and competitive the GSX-R is having raced against it the last few years – I’m super excited to get to work with Phil, Warren and the rest of the team on repeating our 2013 success.”

Maxwell completed this year’s ASBK series second in the standings, ending a lengthy partnership with Yamaha. The 2019 ASBK field is beginning to take shape following announcements from championship heavy weights Yamaha Racing Team and Penrite Honda Racing last week.

Following months of speculation, the CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team has confirmed Kirk Gibbs will join the outfit for the 2019 Pirelli MX Nationals in a special announcement revealed at the weekend’s bLU cRU King of the Valley in Oakdale, New South Wales.

Capturing the premier class crown in 2015, Gibbs is set to remain as a motocross-only rider for the third-consecutive year, where’s he’s anticipated to be joined by former KTM Motocross Racing teammate Luke Clout.

“I think every rider in the pits look at CDR Yamaha as the best in the business as their on-track success and off-track knowledge is unmatched in Australia,” Gibbs stated. “So now to be a part of that environment and have such an experienced team to lean on for advice is a big confidence booster and one that I think can push my results even higher.

“I have only had some initial set up testing on the Yamaha YZ450F and already I feel I have a bike that I can ride well and suited to my style of riding. The power is smooth yet strong and the chassis feels really stable, so I feel we are well-placed already and really look forward to working closely with Craig and his team in 2019.”

CDR Yamaha Monster Energy team owner Craig Dack commented: “Kirk comes to us as an experienced racer with the qualities we look for in a professional rider. He is hard-working, dedicated and determined in character as well and talented and focused on racing.

“We believe surrounding him with the CDR Yamaha staff and on Yamaha machinery, we can elevate Kirk even further and look forward to a strong season from him.”

The South Australian native was part of Serco Yamaha through much of his MX2 career aboard a factory-backed YZ250F before transitioning to KTM in 2013 for his graduation to MX1.

The six-year partnership saw Gibbs lift the MX1 title in his third attempt while representing Australia at the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) on two occasions, plus he wrapped up the New Zealand Motocross Championship at the beginning of the year.

The number five is set to make his first 2019 appearance aboard the CDR Yamaha YZ450F in New Zealand to defend his title, before embarking on the MX Nationals in Australia.

Outgoing three-time champion Dean Ferris is bound for America as he endeavours to lock down a deal in the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, while Dylan Long has recently been linked to Empire Motorsports aboard Kawasaki machinery.