GRIT 302 — 250SX — 3rd — Max Anstie

The Yamaha athlete was sensational across every sector of qualifying in the Northwest. He'd been proficient in the 2026 series, and new he could continue to battle at the pinnacle of the 250S hierarchy while competing in Washington. As athletes gathered for practice, he immediately displayed a smooth, and controlled style on the motorcycle. The trenches of this course could seemingly grab one's wheel-set, and force them into a trajectory of any direction. That idea alone, would force racers into a realm of the utmost focus...which he thrived in. From there, he continued to chip away at the checkered flag...which preceded an assembly of competitors on the starting line for heat number one. From there, he bolted from behind the bracket with aggression. He was steadfast in his pursuit of the highest standing, and while occupying a position of approximately third, he would be in a demanding line of traffic. Fierce battles ensued, but it was Max who briefly block-passed Levi Kitchen on the opening lap, to take third! However, the Northwest native immediately fought back sending Anstie to fourth for a short amount of time. From there he would hound the rear wheel of Cameron McAdoo...which translated to a pass over the lowa native, with around three and a-half minutes left on the clock! At that point, he would do everything possible to try and track-down Ryder DiFrancesco...but it was to no avail. Thus, Anstie scored third as the final flag would wave! For the finalé, every inch of the racetrack on the opening straightaway was valuable. Therefore, he put as much power to the ground as possible while bombarding his way ahead, amongst the field...and his position of first, was sought after by the entirety of the pack! However, in the following laps, he would be tracked-down by a pair of high-caliber opponents. none other than Haiden Deegan and Levi Kitchen. The duo were seemingly unstoppable that night, and it was Deegan who first surpassed Anstie in the rhythm lane before the finish line, with just under thirteen minutes remaining on the clock. Not long thereafter, would he descend into third, as the Kawasaki athlete (i.e. Kitchen) was charging forward with an incredible amount of determination as well. His descent (to the bronze medal slot) would occur on the fourth circuit. From there, Anstie knew that his speed was sufficient enough to maintain the third-place trajectory. He monitored the gap over Ryder DiFrancesco while jumping through rutted rhythm lanes. Max avoided becoming off-balanced on the motorcycle, and his calculated effort (over the totality of the contest) ultimately equated to a notable third-place feat at the checkered flag!