It’s easy to get behind Max Anstie, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider enjoying a resurgence of sorts during recent seasons into his 30s and remains firmly focused on 250 class success. The former MXGP contender is right at home in the US again entering Monster Energy Supercross 2025, and has all the ingredients to fight for a 250SX title this time around. Anstie features in our latest Fast Thoughts interview.

Image: Supplied.

Pressures of riding for Star Racing…

I mean, obviously it’s always been a dream to ride for Star and to be, yeah, to come into a high-end stadium or first round of East Coast, but hopefully A1. Yeah, I think it, obviously, I think anyone that is in this position, yes, it would add pressure. I don’t know, it’s one of those where I’ve been around long enough, I know that pressure is a good thing – you need pressure. You kind of make sure you perform better anyway, because it’s a bit like air, you know, you don’t have enough and you start choking and you don’t ride well enough, you have too much and it’s like a hurricane. So I think I’ve just learned to embrace it. I’ve been around long enough to know, but we’ll see, won’t we, coming into the first round… We’ll go really well or really bad, so we’ll see.

Racing into his 30s….

Being around Justin Brayton more in the last couple of years and having him as a bit of a mentor and a bit of guidance, even though I’m older, he’s been through it all and he’s given me confidence in the fact that, you know, yeah, you can be into your 30s, mid-30s and still be extremely competitive and maybe, if not better than what I ever have been or could have been. And things, people progress and mature and go to different stages and injuries, you know, play a factor in that. I think now the way that the world is with doctors and medicine, I think people’s bodies are able to keep going longer. Nutrition, food, people are not living like rock stars and just going out all the time. And we are athletes and going to bed and mind is like a temple and the body is like a monk or the other way around, whatever one it is. Of course you’re always going to get the young ones that are still wild and super-fast and exceptional, but I feel like the years of experience and also just the path that it’s been to get here almost makes me hungry or makes it… I just don’t want to stop. I still love it. I was thinking about this the other night – people talk about burning out and guys retired at 26, 27, whatever, back in the day. I feel like I could go for another 10 years. I’m still getting better every day, I still feel like every day I go to the track, I’m like better than yesterday.

Image: Supplied.

Training in the team environment…

It’s good, it keeps me young, honestly… It’s been very fun. I’ve been riding a lot with Haiden [Deegan] the last few weeks, doing freestyle ramps with him and Brian, and doing random fakies and wheelies and endos and things. I’ve been around teams, I went for years in Europe where the teams were like, ‘No play riding, just do your motos, just motos, just training, just motos. You’re here to work and that’s it’. But I actually really do feel that it brings life into your training. We finish our motos, we do our work, but having a bit of play riding and some fun brings a feeling to the bike and some confidence to techniques and things like that. That I think is important to Supercross, definitely. Maybe outdoors you don’t need it as much, you can just hold it wide open. Yeah, it’s been fun. The vibes have been good. I’ve got a great group of guys. Of course, they’re all there because they are spectacular riders and capable of winning, being on podiums, or have won, have been on podiums. So there’s something to learn from everyone in there. I have a lot of respect for everyone that’s in that locker room, and we get to train together and try to learn, you know.

Returning to the 450 class in the future…

I think you’ve got to check the boxes. I’ve got to win the 250 class. Make as much money as I can. So, when I get kicked out of the 250 class, I’m not going to ride 450s. I mean, that’s the only logical way to do it. And, yeah, I’ve been in the 450 class. It’s gnarly. If you can’t win the 250 class, there’s not really much point in going to the 450s. The goal is, especially being on this team now – which is so cool – I actually feel like I have a legit chance to win championships. Hopefully not just one, hopefully not just Supercross, I want to win the whole lot. I want to win SMX, I want to win the whole thing, because my teammate can do it, why can’t I do it? Well, I like it, but of course, there’s exceptional people that I’m around, and people I can race against in this long season, and we can all sit here in the off-season and go, yeah, we feel great, but like I said, I’ve been around long enough, I’ve seen most things, so I’m just excited to be here and yeah, I’m happy to get this thing going.