News 25 Nov 2023

Australian sweep sees Anstie clinch WSX SX2 crown

Fire Power Honda rider dominates weekend with both World and Australian Supercross titles.

Image: Foremost Media.

Just 24 hours after winning the Australian Supercross Championship, Fire Power Froth Polyflor Honda Racing rider Max Anstie dominated the third and final round of the FIM World Supercross Championship at Melbourne to emphatically wrap up the SX2 title.

Anstie was on fire all night inside Marvel Stadium, topping qualifying, winning his heat, then sweeping each of the three points-paying SX2 finals to wrap up a memorable season.

On the round podium, Anstie was flanked by Canadian Cole Thompson (FXR Club MX Yamaha) and Australian Luke Clout (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy), who finished the night tied on points.

Anstie’s title hopes were given a huge boost in a dramatic opening WSX2 final, after his nearest title rival, Shane McElrath (Mobile 1 Rick Ware Racing), was forced to DNF when he caught a tuff block in the rear wheel towards the end of the race.

Up front Anstie won by 4.3s over early leader Clout, after stalking him for the first half of the final.

Carson Mumford (MotoConcepts Honda) finished on the podium, ahead of Cullin Park (Pipes Motorsports Suzuki) and Cole Thompson (FXR Club MX Yamaha).

Further back, Hunter Yoder, (Pipes Motorsports Suzuki), Anthony Bourdon (Team Bud Racing Kawasaki), Henry Miller (Mobil 1 Rick Ware Racing), Robbie Wageman (CDR Yamaha Monster Energy) and Australian wildcard Kaleb Barham (Yamaha) completed the top 10.

Anstie holeshot the second WSX2 final and quickly put daylight between himself and the chasing pack, taking the win with a 5.5-second win over Thompson, and wrapping up the WSX2 championship at the process.

McElrath, recovering from his first-race DNF, worked his way from outside the top five to finish on third, ahead of Clout and Cullin Park (Pipes Motorsports Suzuki).

Wilson Todd (Firepower Froth Polyflor Honda Racing), Anthony Bourdon (Team Bud Racing Kawasaki), Maxime Desprey (Team GSM), Adrien Escoffier (Team Bud Racing Kawasaki) and Wageman finished in positions sixth through 10th.

Anstie again holeshot and led the final 10-lap race, striding to a 7.4-second win over Thompson.

Clout also finished off a strong weekend with a hard-fought third place, after he got the better of Park and Todd in the latter stages.

Mumford, Yoder, Bourdon, Nathan Crawford (KTM) and Barham filled the remaining top 10 positions.

In the final championship standings, Anstie finished the year with 216 points, with McElrath second (140 points) and Clout (127 points).

Detailed results

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