More sand for the Monster Energy Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki squad meant that the FIM Motocross World Championship remained a playground for Maxxis-sponsored Max Anstie as the Brit took another moto victoy at Assen today and finished second overall for his fifth podium appearance of 2015. 37,000 spectators filled the grandstand of the hallowed motorsport facility to watch round sixteen of eighteen across a rough and hard base of the temporary track built in just four days to host the Grand Prix of the Netherlands.
Anstie recovered from a mediocre start in Saturday’s Qualification Heat to chase Harri Kullas and capture second position in the gate for Sunday.
Under blue skies and in decent late summer temperatures the 22 year old made a decent getaway in the first moto and settled into second place after the first lap to then focus his sights on Pauls Jonass in the lead. Two laps later and Anstie was on the ground after losing control of his KX250F and looping out. By the time he was back into the race Max had to comeback from fourteenth place to find his way to ninth.
Dealing with a small set-up problem Anstie was still able to master the conditions in the second moto. He relegated Davy Pootjes from first place on lap six and then disappeared. ‘99’ has now won at least one sprint for the last five Grands Prix and in six of the last seven. He has only been defeated twice in the last ten and only due to two mistakes.
Events in Holland have left Anstie with 474 points in the MX2 standings and a difficult gap of 44 to Tim Gajser and the red plate with 100 left to win in the Americas.
The penultimate round of the Maxxis British Championship will take place next weekend at Preston Docks and could see Anstie further stamp his authority on the national series. Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki will then pack suitcases for the long trip to Leon for the Grand Prix of Mexico and the second to last fixture in the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Max Anstie:
“We’ve done a lot of work to be able to allow me to just focus on my riding and we had a few issues this weekend that made it difficult. It is part of motor racing and we learnt from it. I didn’t think I’d get on the box today so second overall was pretty good and it was cool to be here at Assen, it was a bit of a novelty race. I have lost a lot of points this year for one reason or another but anything can still happen in this championship.”
Steve Dixon, Team Principal:
“Max rescued the day in the second moto and although the bike was running a bit rich it was still enough for him to get the job done and win another race. It was a shame about the first, and we knew we were in a position where we’d have to win every moto to still be in with the chance of the championship. He’s third though and still with possibilities to be runner-up so we’ll keep trying all the way through the British and to the Nations at the end of September.”
