News 24 Nov 2023

Melbourne victory sees Anstie finish perfect SX2 season

Comfortable wire-to-wire win wraps up seamless year for the Honda rider.

Image: Foremost Media.

Boost Mobile Honda Racing’s Max Anstie has defended his Fox Australian Supercross Championship title in the best possible fashion, with a comfortable win at the series’ final round at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.

The Englishman was in a league of his own all day, having topped the SX2 qualifying timesheets, then coming through the pack to win his heat earlier in the night.

When the gate dropped on the final SX2 race of the season, it was again Anstie who grabbed the holeshot with a tight inside line through the first turn.

From that point on, he was never challenged as he strode to a nine-second lead over his Honda Racing team-mate, Wilson Todd.

Todd held P2 throughout the race after successfully seeing off a concerted early challenge from Serco Yamaha’s heat-winner, Cole Thompson, who’d eventually cross the line in third.

KTM Racing Team’s Nathan Crawford finished the final fourth, ahead of Robbie Wageman (WBR Yamaha), who worked his way through the pack from the cusp of the top 10 early on.

Yamalube Yamaha Racing’s Kaleb Barham ended the night in sixth place, leading Rhys Budd (Serco Yamaha), Noah Ferguson (GasGas Racing Team), WBR Yamaha’s Ryder Kingsford – who went down in the first turn – and Husqvarna privateer Reid Taylor.

In the final championship standings, Anstie finished 2023 with a perfect 125 points, 31 points ahead of Crawford (94) and Thompson (85).

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