MAX ANSTIE - GRIT 241 250SX

GRIT-241 | 250 SX

The veteran Max Anstie arrived in Arlington with unwavering belief that he could contend for this particular championship. In a number of areas, the British rider possessed skill that others simply hadn't acquired - portrayed in a methodical flow throughout practice, where he was patient and fluid amongst an ever-changing course. Rolling the throttle-on through the gradual left-handed corner after the whoops, he could use the most optimal RPM to engage in a combination of doubles and triples thereafter...rather than over-revving, and those practices translated into heat one thereafter. He took an immediate standing of second after the first few seconds of action were underway, and stormed through the circuit while pursuing none other than Yamaha's Haiden Deegan. However with Austin Forkner quickly approaching, the veteran had no choice but to portray both offensive and defensive maneuvering while aboard his Honda machine. With just over two minutes remaining on the clock however, Anstie was forced to relinquish the throttle twisting while being pushed to the far outside amid the finish line takeoff - where Forkner would "crowd him out" per se, and take over second. Now third, he awaited the battle ahead of him to come to a climactic point, which occurred when both opponents came together. It resulted in a loss of speed for Deegan, which benefited Anstie as he crested the "SX" triple and gained a position...eventually, Max resided here as well, claiming second for this particular qualifying segment. A troublesome beginning to the main event though would have Anstie in tenth, and falling as far back as eleventh before rebounding and steadily making his way forward. The process was slow, but Anstie knew that with the championship win mind...there was no way he could panic and ride to the best of his abilities. The British rider would then make creative passes on opponents like Nicholas Romano and Chance Hymas, capitalizing on the mistakes of the younger adversaries while matching the pace of GasGas' Pierce Brown who was just ahead of him. The mistake by Austin Forkner in the final moments would also enable Anstie to move another spot higher, which helped him reside sixth was the last seconds of action came to fruition...and upon claiming that standing, he would hold the red-plate when barreling into Daytona - which was a circuit, where many felt Anstie could excel aboard his Honda 250F machine!

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