Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki’s Max Anstie played a key role in a memorable 2015 British Grand Prix by leading almost all of the first moto around the distinctive curves of the Matterley Basin circuit. Relishing the support and enthusiasm of a passionate 35,000-strong home following, Anstie gathered fifth position overall and was again close to his first podium honours in MX2 this term.
The seventh round of the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship brought the contest to Matterley for the fifth year on the bounce and some pleasant late May weather meant sunny spells and friendly temperatures with only a smattering of light rain late Sunday afternoon.
Two weeks after Max had charged into the top three in Spain, ‘99’ was hoping for another bright showing but this time on local turf and setting off from sixth in the gate in the first moto he was at the front within the first few corners. Valentin Guillod gave hard chase and applied pressure and Max admitted that he tensed in the second half of the thirty minutes plus two lap distance. Jeffrey Herlings also drew near as the laps counted down and when Guillod move to relegate Anstie Herlings also pounced. Two circulations away from the win, Max finally had to settle for third place.
Any designs on a champagne spray at Matterley faded with a difficult start in the second moto. Max was submerged in the pack and had work hard to gain more than five positions to arrive to sixth, where the distance to Jeremy Seewer was too hard to breach. 35 points in total still represented his second highest of the season so far and Anstie has taken a top three moto result in the last three Grands Prix.
The team had representation in EMX250 and the fourth round of nine in the series thanks to American wild-card Darian Sanayei. The youngster had only a few days to acclimatise to his first trip to Europe for competition and to get used to the Cosworth-powered KX250F. He was fantastic in the initial moto to catch and pass Adam Sterry and take the chequered flag at his first attempt. The second race was pushed to the end of the race timetable after the opening MXGP sprint had to be restarted. A light blanket of rain meant the Matterley terrain was slicker but for Sanayei the decision to use roll-offs on his goggles backfired when he had a problem and then crashed together with another rider in the formative stages of the second EMX250 outing. Sanayei fought back to twelfth to finish his first EMX experience with a decent fourth overall.
Both the team and the many fans wandering around the paddock were happy to welcome Mel Pocock back into the awning. Mel chatted with friends and supporters, signed autographs and went for a lap of Matterley in a high-power buggy.
After a busy weekend Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki now have a few days at the workshop to clean, overhaul and inspect race equipment before starting the journey across the channel and down through France to Villars sout Ecot for round eight of the FIM series
Photo credit: Enzo Tempestini
