TMX SAYS: All change please
By TMX Archives on 26th Aug 15
The recipe for success is a tough one to figure out and even when you think youve got all the key ingredients together in the same bowl, getting the consistency of that mixture right and then baked to perfection can be hard, if not completely impossible.One man who has mastered it though and is currently banging out race wins like Mr Kipling knocks out exceedingly good cakes is Max Anstie.
Having won seven out of the last eight motos in the MX2 world championship (he was leading the other until an errant kick from the rear suspension sent him crashing to earth in Loket) Max is now considered to be in with a chance – albeit an outside one – of winning this year's world championship.
Why it's taken Anstie so long to reach this form is a mystery to many as he's always had the outright speed, self confidence, fitness and, in many instances, the machinery to be a winner.
Sure, he's had an extra mental boost from Herlings' demise but in all honesty, on current form, he could probably beat the Dutchman in a one-on-one battle with his throttle hand tied behind his back.
With that in mind it seems strange that Max would look to change that winning formula for 2016, removing Steve Dixon from the mix and allegedly replacing the DRT Kawasaki with componentry from Jacky Martens' factory Husqvarna team instead.
Whether that gamble pays off remains to be seen although in many ways it makes sense that if you're gonna take on Jeffrey Herlings mano-a-mano then fighting fire with fire (the factory KTMs and Husqvarnas are obviously very similar in design, construction and performance if not necessarily look) is a good way to start.
It's not just Max Anstie who's changing things up for 2016 either as after three seasons spent building a solid foundation, e22 Sports have announced an exciting new race structure for 2016.
While initially it would seem that the Pro class remains pretty much unchanged – which in my mind is a totally positive thing – the Rookies division now becomes Pro Lites and is open to all riders under the age of 23 who are wielding a 250F or 125cc two-stroke race machine.
Basically a stepping stone between the youth classes and the full-on Pro championship this is a clever move that not only works well for the riders themselves but will no doubt enhance the overall Arenacross experience for fans too.
The creation of a Supermini division for all 85cc pilots is a bit of a no-brainer all-round n'all...
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Arenacross series and even had the format remained unchanged I'd have been super-keen to attend as many rounds of the 2016 tour as possible.
But with e22 having mixed things up a little I'm now doubly excited for the season opener in Manchester on January 2 – I just wish I didn't have 18 weeks to wait.
Fortunately – or not depending on how you look at these things – the next few months are a crazy busy time anyway with champions still to be crowned plus shows to organise and landmark editions to be sorted as well as that Christmas thing too. So I guess that 2016 is gonna be here before we know it...
