Racer X Online - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X Online

  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News

Racer X Online - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X Online

  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
  • Features
    • 10 Things
    • 30 Greatest AMA Motocrossers
    • 3 on 3
    • 250 Words
    • 450 Words
    • Between the Motos
    • Breakdown
    • Deals of the Week
    • GNCC Report
    • Great Battles
    • How to Watch
    • Injury Report
    • Insight
    • In the Mag, On the Web
    • Lockdown Diaries
    • Longform
    • MXGP Race Reports
    • My Favorite Loretta Lynn's Moto
    • Next
    • Observations
    • On This Day in Moto
    • Open Mic
    • Privateer Profile
    • Race Day Feed
    • Racerhead
    • Racer X Awards
    • Racer X Redux
    • Rapid Reaxtion
    • RX Exhaust
    • Saturday Night Live
    • Staging Area
    • The Conversation
    • The List
    • The Moment
    • Things We Learned at the Ranch
    • Unphiltered
    • Wake-Up Call
    • Where Are They Now
  • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Galleries
    • The Weege Show
    • Racer X Films
    • Video
    • SX Preview Shows
    • Factory Tech Tip
    • MX Preview Shows
    • Behind The Bars
  • Races
    • Series Schedules
    • TV Schedules
    • Results
    • Champions
    • Teams
    • 2021 Numbers
  • Results
    • Points Standings
    • Race Results
    • Riders
    • The Vault
    • Loretta Lynn's Vault
  • The Mag
    • Customer Care
    • Digital Magazine Bookstand
    • Current Issue
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • Free Stickers
    • Store Locator
    • Sell Racer X
  • Shop
  • About Us
  • Table of Contents
  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News
Results Archive
Supercross
Houston 1
Articles
450SX Results
  1. Justin Barcia
  2. Ken Roczen
  3. Marvin Musquin
Full Results
250SX East Results
  1. Christian Craig
  2. Austin Forkner
  3. Colt Nichols
Full Results
Supercross
Houston 2
Articles
450SX Results
  1. Eli Tomac
  2. Dylan Ferrandis
  3. Justin Brayton
Full Results
250SX East Results
  1. Jett Lawrence
  2. Colt Nichols
  3. Christian Craig
Full Results
Live Now
Supercross
Houston 3
Articles
450SX Combined Qualifying
    Full Results
    250SX East Combined Qualifying
    1. Christian Craig
    2. Jett Lawrence
    3. Colt Nichols
    Full Results
    Upcoming
    Supercross
    Indianapolis 1
    Sat Jan 30
    Articles
    Upcoming
    Supercross
    Indianapolis 2
    Tue Feb 2
    Articles
    Upcoming
    Supercross
    Indianapolis 3
    Sat Feb 6
    Articles
    Full Schedule
    450 Words: The Building Brit
    Jason Weigandt

    Jason Weigandt

    450 Words The Building Brit

    October 2, 2020 10:15am
    by: Jason Weigandt
    • Home
    • 450 Words
    • Max Anstie Talks 2020 WW Ranch, First 450 Season of Pro Motocross - Motocross

    Yamaha off-road competition bikes are designed to turn enthusiasts into the best riders possible – to help them become one with their machine and win races – and to put them in the Victory Zone, atop the podium. From exciting youth models like the YZ65 and YZ85, to the legendary YZ125 or YZ250 two-strokes, and the championship-winning YZ250F and class-leading YZ450F with the industry-exclusive Power Tuner app, all Yamaha motocross bikes have one thing in common: winners choose them. Learn more at YamahaMotorsports.com

    Advertisement | Advertise with Us
    WW Ranch Motocross Park Jacksonville, FL WW Ranch (Florida) Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship

    With Max Anstie finally back in the U.S., it’s tempting to believe he’s out to make a statement and show everyone in America what they’ve missed during his decade in the FIM Motocross World Championship. He doesn’t quite see it like that. Although Max is now considered a veteran of the sport, he still sees this American adventure as a long process, and anything he’s doing in 2020 is just a learning process for he and his Twisted Tea/HEP Motorsports Suzuki team. Each week, he points out that he’s still working through a painful Achilles tendon injury, which doctors have said would take 12 months to truly heal (Max is just over nine months past the injury). Also, the HEP team is racing the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship for the first time. So while Max’s summer has featured a few breakout rides, like leading most of the way during moto two in the mud at Loretta Lynn’s 2 National, and a great second moto ride at the WW Ranch National which saw him in the battle with the lead group of 450 riders, he hopes this is just the start (He even gained 27 positions—40th to 13th—in the first moto but his result did not jump off the results page).

    “I didn’t move all the way around the world to just go home,” he says. “I’m working on things. I like my team, and I honestly believe with the HEP guys we have the potential to grow. It’s a new team that never did outdoors, I’m coming in with an injury, we’re not getting help from the JGR lot [people] it’s literally just me, my mechanic and my crew chief who are pulling things together. It’s different and it’s new, but we’re in the race and there’s potential to grow. I’d love to stay here and do supercross. Of course I know supercrcoss is going to be tough. I do believe with a good 12 weeks of training and work, we’ll see what happens. I want to stay, I didn’t come all the way out here just to come back and go home.”

    Anstie, who spent a few amateur seasons in the U.S. as a KTM prospect, and then one pro season with Star Racing Yamaha, has always wanted to scratch that American itch again. He reminds people constantly that back in his younger days, his dad ran his program, and with how often he mentions he no longer works with his dad, it’s obvious that he knows his dad’s influence might have messed up his U.S. dealings in the past. Now he’s finally found a chance to come back—partially because he lost his Rockstar Energy Husqvarna ride in the GPs, but partly because he always had an eye on coming back here anyway.

    “WW Ranch, yeah, that’s not really sand. It’s sandier, but I ran the same bike setup, suspension wise, as Millville. I feel like a lot of the tracks here in America, the way they prepare them...it’s totally different. Majority of the way they prep these American tracks...there’s traction everyone and the bike setup doesn’t need to change.
    “WW Ranch, yeah, that’s not really sand. It’s sandier, but I ran the same bike setup, suspension wise, as Millville. I feel like a lot of the tracks here in America, the way they prepare them...it’s totally different. Majority of the way they prep these American tracks...there’s traction everyone and the bike setup doesn’t need to change." -Max Anstie Align Media

    “I’ve been saying for a long time to the people closest to me that I’d like to come back to the U.S. and give it a go,” Anstie said. “I grew up age 14, 15, 16, did the amateur thing, and the style of tracks is what I like. I’m glad we’ve just been able to have a championship, and I think all of the tracks have gone well. Yeah, I’ve done a lot of those tracks back when I was 16 on a 250, but that’s a long time. Millville, that’s a cool track. I never went up that big hill—didn’t do that 10 years ago. A lot of cool places and tracks, and I’m just happy we’re able to go racing.”

    While he enjoys the American tracks, he’s had to re-adapt, too. For example, while the WW Ranch National is considered one of the sandiest on the American circuit, it doesn’t even compare to the bottomless sand tracks of Europe where Anstie usually did well.

    “WW Ranch, yeah, that’s not really sand. It’s sandier, but I ran the same bike setup, suspension wise, as Millville. I feel like a lot of the tracks here in America, the way they prepare them, they get big breaking bumps, but they end up feeling about the same. In Europe, you can go from Italy or Czech Republic where it’s rock hard and slippery and you need the bike to be soft and smooth to get traction, then you go to Lommel and it’s totally different. Majority of the way they prep these American tracks, they [get] big ruts, big berms you can turn off of, there’s traction everyone and the bike setup doesn’t need to change. I think as a whole this season has been solid for me and my team. As far as testing goes, the track’s in Southern California, the tracks there, I figured pretty quickly, are not the best. So we’re learning every weekend. I’m happy with the progress I’m making.”

    • "I think as a whole this season has been solid for me and my team." -Max Anstie Align Media
    • Anstie earned the Battery Tender RC Hard Charger award for his effort in the first moto at WW Ranch Motocross Park.
      Anstie earned the Battery Tender RC Hard Charger award for his effort in the first moto at WW Ranch Motocross Park. Align Media

    Don’t Miss a Moto!

     

    Sign up for our newsletter to get headlines, info, and scoops as soon as they break. As a bonus, you’ll be entered into our weekly giveaways too!

    TGI Freeday - Newsletter Giveaway
    By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy
    Forms on this page are protected by reCAPTCHA, its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    Anstie hopes to stay with his team and take what he learned into 2021, as well as give supercross another (actual) go, as the Achilles injury cost him his chance this season.

    If all goes well, and Max gets on the podium, he says he has no hesitation about taking a swing of his sponsor product on the box. We’ve become accustomed to seeing energy drinks on the podium. What about some Twisted Tea?

    “Yeah, I don’t mind, I’ll drink one,” he said. “I drink the champagne if they give me that as well. I’d drink the Twisted Tea and the champagne! I don’t mind that at all!”

    You can check out this interview (from a mid-week press conference via Zoom) in the archive below.

    • The List: October Races The List: October Races 5:45pm
    • GP Report: 5 Takeaways from MXGP of Citta di Mantova GP Report: 5 Takeaways from MXGP of Citta di Mantova 12:00pm
    Presented by:
    • Facebook
    • Youtube
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Website
    Read Now
    March 2021 Issue Now Available
    Get Racer X on your iPhone
    Check out all the exclusive content this month on any device!
    Read Now
    The March 2021 Digital Issue Availalbe Now

    Motocross & Supercross News - Racer X Online

    122 Vista Del Rio Drive, Morgantown, WV 26508 | 304-284-0084 | Contact Us
    ©1999 - 2021 Filter Publications LLC. All Rights Reserved.
    Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
    designed at: Website DesignImpulse Studios