Kirk Gibbs has declared he isn’t settling for mediocre results and performances in his New Zealand MX Nationals title defence after finishing second at the weekend’s opener in Taranaki.

The Altherm JCR Yamaha rider won the opening encounter before accepting second place moto scores in races two and three, granting him runner-up honours behind eventual winner Cody Cooper (Honda Racing) as Yamaha teammate Kayne Lamont closed out the podium.

“It was a bit of a day of ‘what ifs’ but we were right there,” Gibbs admitted. “I’ll need to push the boys – we are not going to settle for mediocre. We want to be going for wins not podiums, it’s just what we expect.

“In the opening race I got a good start and got the hole-shot. Cody was on me the whole race but I withstood the pressure. I felt like a rode good but not a hundred percent, as I really had to protect my lines.

“In the final race I got slammed coming out of the gate. When I went over the first table top I got sideways and fell over. I managed to charge up to second behind Cody at the end.”

Defending MX2 champion Hamish Harwood (CML Motorex KTM Team) captured victory in the quarter-litre class over Australian champion Wilson Todd (DPH Motorsport Husqvarna), who completed the day with a race win to his name, while Maximus Purvis (Altherm JCR Yamaha) rounded out the podium. Aussie contender Morgan Fogarty (KTM) wound up seventh overall.

The New Zealand MX Nationals heads to Rotorua in two weeks’ time, scheduled for 17 February.