MXGP Focus - Max Anstie & Ben Watson
By TMX Archives on 22nd Jul 15
AT round 12 of the World MX Championship in Latvia, Shaun Simpson struggled with Kegums bizarre blend of sand and hard-pack and a sore lower back for Jake Nicholls counted him out of the action.Nathan Watson only picked up points in one race and Tommy Searle was disqualified for course-cutting in the first moto to fix a broken throttle.And in EMX250 Adam Sterry couldnt make it happen on the first lap of the second moto and ran to eighth overall.
So it was left to the MX2 brigade to salvage some British honour and Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki's Max Anstie showed he is a great sand rider with a fantastic double win in the absence of Jeffrey Herlings. It was Anstie's second ever GP victory, his first this season and first ever in ‘green'.
Ninth overall with more personal bests was Hitachi Construction Machinery Revo KTM's Ben Watson. The teenager was running as high as sixth in the opening moto and with his classification of eighth place reached a peak in his rookie Grand Prix term.
Anstie spoke at the post-race press conference and we grabbed some minutes with Ben to see how each racer viewed memorable events deep in eastern Europe.
Max Anstie
TMX: First thoughts?
Max Anstie: Really good...I knew I had to make it happen at the start. The track was really strange after all that rain. It was just soft on top but still hard underneath. I made life a bit difficult in the first moto but kept plugging away and looked after the bike.
The second race was more my type of going. I started to find a bit of a rhythm and just controlled it. This was my first time going 1-1. I just felt like I was practising, doing my work and my laps.
TMX: What are your thoughts on actually putting two motos together?
MA: We've had it stacked against us a few times this season but hopefully now we have the ball rolling we can keep that consistency.
We have been doing a lot of races. We are eight weeks into 12 in a row doing the GPs and British Championship. It has been important to keep solid and together with the whole team we have been banging out the motos and the laps.
TMX: There was no Jeffrey today...
MA: Of course Jeffrey is amazing in the sand and if he was here today at full fitness then he would be mega fast.
I know he has had a few injuries but he is still leading the championship and he is not a double world champ for nothing. I have full respect for people who win races.
Winning one is okay but to win multiple takes sacrifice and a lot of hard work.
It is not only Jeffrey this year. Pauls, Guillod, Gajser, Tixier, Seewer as well - there are a lot of guys who are fast and can win races.
I think it has made for a good championship and that's why we have to be consistent and people have to put themselves in the top three to five around the first turn. It is a great group and I hope I can put enough of a challenge to them as they do to me.
TMX: You're close to being in the top five in the championship - is that a priority?
MA: We've had some good races in the last couple of years but it has been up and down and the championship position has never been that.
In 2011 I think I was sixth and that's been my best. So it would be nice to climb my way back up. If we'd been banging these results out from the beginning we'd have been right up there.
TMX: What are your thoughts on the British Championship...
MA: It is really cool. I actually have the red plate on the front of the bike for the next race. I missed the first round due to the injury when I crashed in Qatar.
To be fair the boys are quick around their home tracks. It has been good for me to work on some things with the team and the bike and myself and build that consistency.
Ben Watson
TMX: Finally some results to shout about...
Ben Watson: It is about time it all came together. I had better starts today. In the first race I was top six and stayed there for a good while.
I lost two places, one on the last lap to [Tim] Gajser and I didn't even really register that - when he came past I thought ‘oh, there's Gajser'.
TMX: What was going through your mind?
BW: If this was the first round then I would have been expecting people to pass me straight away but I ran there in Qatar and I did it yesterday in the qualifying race.
I know I can run there and today I managed to do it a bit longer than normal. I knew I wouldn't go backwards that much but I also knew I would not go much further forward than sixth.
I was just trying to go as hard as I could. I'm not sure if it is anything to do with the sand but it has been a lot better weekend.
TMX: It was an odd track to handle...
BW: Totally different tracks from Saturday to Sunday. Yesterday was deep sand with a hard bottom and in the first race today it was like slush and not much sand there.
As it was so wet the water just seemed to run off the side of the track. It was dry on one line and if you went off it then it was really wet. The key today was to keep smooth...and stay on.
TMX: You can probably count on one hand the amount of good starts you've had this year...
BW: I've been down with Ian's son Elliott (Banks Brown) and have been doing some start practice and a bit of work. I have a new start technique and I think it is a lot better.
It just needs perfecting a little bit. It definitely worked here and in qualifying yesterday it wasn't so bad either.
TMX: Has this ride come at a good time for your confidence but also in terms of any arrangements for next year?
BW: Definitely. Not so much for factory places because I think most of them are settled but I think people are looking around at second riders and it is an important time. I think people will be keeping an eye on results and I'm really happy I have done well here.
TMX: Foxhill next. Running sixth in a GP - that has to be something you can use at the Maxxis...
BW: Yeah, definitely. You have a couple of people in the Maxxis who are not doing GPs because of their age but this is a big confidence boost.
Max (Anstie) has taken two wins today so I know I cannot go there expecting to beat him, but I'll be happy with three second positions to be honest.
