Anstie ready to make the jump to World Supercross

Max Anstie has not lined up for an AMA Pro Racing event since the opening round of the 2026 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Pala – and the 33-year-old Englishman didn’t even make it behind the gate that Saturday as earlier in the day a harsh crash in the 250MX Q2 session sent him to the emergency ward with a severe hematoma and swelling in his glutes.

But that was then.

Anstie, now a member of the ClubMX Yamaha organization, is set for the opening round of the FIM World Supercross Championship and the WSX Canadian GP at McMahon Stadium in Alberta, and he can't wait to get started

“We’ve been out testing and getting everything dialed in and ready for Calgary so, yeah, making progress and doing all right," he said. "I’ve been wide open with the Rick Ware Racing crew getting ready for World Supercross. We’ve got a good team with Devin Simonson, my 250 teammate, Cooper Webb and Justin Hill. The crew and the whole team being supported by Monster Energy, it’s sick. It’s definitely making a good splash in this World Supercross Championship series and I think we’ve got solid and strong teams. I’m super pumped to be able to continue the relationship with everyone there.

"It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but we’re up for it. We’ve got a lot of traveling coming up in these next few months. Canada is first and then England for round two and then Argentina and Australia and all that stuff. It’s going to be pretty wild but definitely feel like we’re in a good spot and hopefully we can defend that title. That’ll be good.”

As a two-time World Supercross Championship SX2 champion, a primary reason why Anstie left Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing for ClubMX Yamaha was for the chance to race in World Supercross.

“Yeah, doing the World Supercross Championship was a major part of the switch,” agreed Anstie. “For me, obviously being the two-time World Supercross champion and having the No. 1 plate, but also being able to race worldwide, I just like where it’s headed. I think it’s definitely growing and to be able to showcase supercross globally is pretty cool. I’m definitely excited about it. Each year it is getting bigger and bigger and with more rounds and more rounds. I feel like now we are getting world class riders from all around the world being able to race it. It’s cool and definitely something that’s special to be a part of in this point of my career. It’s pretty awesome.”

Anstie explained how the deal and organizational switch fell into place.

“Basically, I was with the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing crew and their team primarily focuses just on the U.S. stuff. The deal didn’t work out. For one reason or another, they wouldn’t let me do the first round of World Supercross in Canada. And then at the end of the day, they’ve got a lot of riders and I really wanted to focus on World Supercross and make the most of it and race Round 1. Especially because I hadn’t raced any outdoors this year.

"Star Racing and myself, we’re good. We just decided that it was best to part ways. It wasn’t a bad feeling or anything like that. It was just better for me to make the move and then it freed up some place for those guys. My plan shifted and full focus on this next challenge.”

And the ClubMX Yamaha outfit is just as stoked to have Anstie. Brandon Haas, owner of ClubMX recently told Racer X Illustrated, “Max isn’t just an investment in our race team. He’s an investment in our culture. He gives every rider in our program a daily example what it looks like to compete and carry yourself like a champion.”

Anstie weighed in on the ClubMX program and where he fits into his new surroundings.

“The whole thing here is to try and build and grow,” he said. “It has definitely been a good welcome with everyone at the Rick Ware Racing crew. They are doing the job, you know? Those guys collaborated with ClubMX with the bike and all that kind of stuff and now that I know I’m on a platform capable of going to go win and defend this thing, it’s exciting. It’s an exciting challenge and nice and refreshing to be able to work with some new people and some good people. I’m really pleased with how it all worked out. I like the vibe. I like the people. I like the feeling of it all.

“So it’s a joint effort. The 250 side of Rick Ware Racing, they collaborated with ClubMX. It’s the Yamaha 250 and all that stuff. And from being able to compete in the World Supercross Championship, they’re also going to be involved with my side of things in the U.S. supercross next year too. ClubMX and Rick Ware Racing are kind of partnered together to make this deal happen with me and to bring the best of both worlds with all the people that we have involved. We want to be able to really focus on World Supercross and of course U.S. supercross next year. That’s our main goals.

"To be able to have the best of both worlds with the two teams kind of working together with each other is excellent. There is the Rick Ware Racing stuff for World Supercross and then the ClubMX guys for the U.S. stuff. It’s impressive and I’m pumped with the way that it has all kind of worked out because these deals don’t happen often where you can race World Supercross and supercross only and really focus on all of that and go execute and build the right team of people and the right group to have around you.

"The facility here at ClubMX is pretty impressive. It is massive gyms with recovery centers. It’s a whole wellness center itself!. They’ve got the physio sports guys and nutritionists and psychologists. It feels like I’m on a football team. It feels like I’m playing for Manchester United, but I’m riding a dirt bike! It’s pretty special.

"I definitely feel like I’ve come to this place at the right time and the right time in my career and I’m excited to see how it all pans out. I’m going to do the three playoff rounds and then next year, 2027, I’ll do West or East Region in supercross. I’m not sure if I’ll race West or East. We’re still working on that. I’m 250 class and full focus will be on the U.S. Supercross Championship next year. I’ll also do World Supercross again next year and the SMX playoff rounds. That’s my plan.”

The aforementioned Fox Raceway shunt and resulting injuries now far behind him, Anstie and the entire ClubMX Yamaha organization have been fast at it, bashing out the laps and putting the work in.

“Yeah, I kind of was fully back and ready to go racing at RedBud, but then this whole thing happened and I was kind of out of the loop again," he explained. "I’m fully back to normal. I’m back feeling good. I’ve been logging the laps on the supercross track and now this has kind of worked out that my first race is going to be Canada in a couple weeks. Yeah, I’m excited. We’ve really been hammering with testing. We’ve been back and forth with the bike with mapping and this and that.

"And here at ClubMX, I’ve been working with my new trainer and fine-tuning the body and really taking care of what needs to be addressed for the longevity. We’re trying to find every marginal gain that we can get for next season. That’s kind of where we are at right now. It’s all new and I’m embracing it all. I’m looking forward to these next couple of weeks to dial in everything a little more and see where we are at when we line up in Calgary. I can’t speak highly enough if the crew we’ve got and the work that we are putting in. It’s exciting times and I’m happy to be a part of it.”