Image: Foremost Media.

KTM Racing Team has commenced its rider search to fill the MX1 seat vacated by Kirk Gibbs, with capabilities in both ProMX and the AUSX Supercross Championship becoming increasingly important entering the 2026 season.

Gibbs announced his retirement ahead of the ProMX finals at Queensland Moto Park (QMP), with KTM Australia moving to fill the second of its 450 SX-F entries for the upcoming 2025 AUSX series and next year altogether – potentially with the same rider.

KTM Group Australia motorsport manager, Kyle Blunden, has signalled that with the evolution of AUSX in recent years, an emphasis must be distributed between both the indoor and outdoor disciplines, as opposed to the motocross-only model that Gibbs had been on in the latter stages of his career.

“With Kirk stepping away, we’re losing not just a great rider but someone who’s been a big part of the sport for a long time,” Blunden told MotoOnline. “He’s had incredible success on and off the track and will definitely be missed in the ProMX paddock, but moments like this also open the door for opportunity, and 2026 gives us the chance to bring in someone new.

“For me, while it’s important to try and secure the fastest riders on the track, it’s also about building the right balance in the team across not just motocross and supercross but with personalities, ability, and expectations, with supercross being a much bigger part of that conversation now.

“In the past, we might have favoured motocross riders who had supercross ability, but the AUSX team has done an outstanding job with the series. They’ve built some consistency around the supercross calendar in Australia and have made improvements year on year – the calibre of riders and the attention from overseas shows just how far it’s come.”

KTM’s first priority is to re-sign its remaining rider line-up of Nathan Crawford (MX1) alongside existing MX2 duo Noah Ferguson and Byron Dennis. It’s understood that both Crawford and Dennis are also being courted by rival teams, while Ferguson has previously publicly stated his intentions of staying put.

“The main focus right now is locking in our current riders,” explained Blunden. “They’ve all done a fantastic job, they’re in high demand, and that’s a credit to them and the KTM Racing Team for putting them in the position to showcase their ability. We’re working hard to keep them here in orange.”

On the upcoming AUSX championship, it’s expected that an additional rider will be added to an expanded SX1 program for the five-round series beginning at Redcliffe in mid-October, with both domestic and international names being considered – although not yet named – for the seat alongside Crawford.

“We’ll be announcing KTM Racing Team’s Australian Supercross line-up soon, but for now, it’s about staying focused on the day-to-day, building on the foundations already set out,” Blunden concluded.