race recap
MAX ANSTIE | GRIT-211 | 250SX
March 7, 2023 · Max Anstie
MAX ANSTIE | GRIT-211 | SX 250
The attrition of Max Anstie would be a defining factor for his success on Saturday night. The British rider was rather outspoken on the difficulties he was having early in the day, working with specific members of the team to keep his Honda machine firing at the highest of rates. He would do what was necessary to work his way through time trials, eyeing an audition of sorts (i.e. heat two) to throw his name into podium contention, for a hopeful storied run in the main event. Though the path to triumph wouldn't come easy, with a mid-pack start being on the agenda for the number sixty-three as race leaders Jordon Smith and Hunter Lawrence proceeded to speed away. He would undergo quite the battle with Cullin Park, battling back and forth with the Floridian while in front an absolutely packed set of grandstands. The quarrel over sixth would come just behind Hardy Munoz, who was riding extremely well inside the top-five. Zeroing-in on the checkered flag as the sixth circuit came to a conclusion, Anstie would exit the raceway in sixth; frustrated with his outcome, but believing that he could come back with redemption in the main event. There was little time to waste prior to begin the fifteen-minute (plus one lap) segment, and immediately, Anstie created an astounding narrative by contending for the lead within the first few corners, credited with the hole-shot before being briefly passed by Hunter Lawrence, Tom Vialle, and Nate Thrasher. He waited patiently in the distance, choosing to go inside in the second corner of the sand section while Hunter and Nate came together; granting him with a third-place registry as the Yamaha rider was then stuck in the sand. He was composed at this point and maintaining quite the trajectory behind two former MXGP racers (Vialle and Lawrence), until the KTM rider crashed extremely hard, around two and a half minutes into the contest. This granted Max with second, as he was now locked into a residency behind his Factory Honda comrade. Scrubbing his way over the "SX" triple as he again acknowledged (and adopted) a jumping rhythm in the inside of the whoop-pad, his calculation through the ever-deepening ruts would lead to a furthered gap over Haiden Deegan who moved into third. The margin would amplify to well over ten-seconds, with Anstie generating a bit of breathing room as the white flag and eventual checkered flag were thrown. Coming across the line with a runner-up designation, his performance at Daytona was magnificent while keeping him in contention for the overall championship.