MAX ANSTIE

Knowing that this was the final round of the current outdoor championship, Yamaha’s Max Anstie was striving to obtain notable results before game-planning for the 2025 season. Sponsors and media members alike, were magnifying the off-season moves of each athlete on the grid, and the veteran was one of them being analyzed...therefore his aggression in qualification was to be expected — and it wasn’t as if it stopped there, with his first laps in moto-one being portrayed with unwavering intensity as he registered in the eleventh-place spot. Though a few mistakes would force him to descend to as low as sixteenth, before he would begin to make passes on riders of varying experience levels. When departing from the wooded area, Max’s ability to roll on the throttle while using the outside bank was paramount — which not only gave him a surplus of momentum when navigating through the few rollers that were just ahead, but it also amplified his launch from both the uphill and downhill jumps that followed. He was fearless as he drifted from high in the sky, returning to the Indiana soil while eventually passing that of opponents like Drew Adams, DIlan Schwartz, and Nicholas Romano. His charge was incredible well through the thirteenth lap — where Triumph’s Jalek Swoll was ahead of him. So too, was the hard-charging Haiden Deegan, who he attempted to latch onto when weaving through the switchback area just before the finish line. In the end, as the checkered flag was waved, it would be Anstie who scored a result of thirteenth — after presenting lap-times that weren’t far off of those opponents who were inside of the top-ten. For the second round, Max’s opening position on the first lap (of fourth) would put him within “the mix” of contenders per se, as he did his best to remain at the forefront of the field. However, the momentum of opponents like R.J. Hampshire and Ty Masterpool, would overtake him...sending Anstie to seven, and then eighth, after being surpassed by Ken Roczen. Through the tenth lap, he remained here...before Julien Beaumer would catch him while also moving forward around his machine. But a mistake by the KTM athlete then enabled Anstie to regain the position he once had, where he defended his final standing (of seventh) from teammate Jordon Smith as they stormed through the last lap of competition. As engines ceased, Max’s second-moto run (of seventh) was strong enough to propel him to eighth overall among the 250MX division.