Max Anstie, a star rider for Star Racing Yamaha, recently voiced his frustration with his team owner, Bobby Regan, after a tense and controversial exchange surrounding his performance at a recent race. The heated words came after a race in which Anstie had initially shown strong form, but ultimately finished in second place behind Levi Kitchen.
Anstie secured the holeshot and built up a commanding seven-second lead over his competitors, including Kitchen, when the race was stopped due to a crash involving Cameron McAdoo. This red flag effectively reset the race, with the riders lining up for a restart. Once the race resumed, Kitchen, who had been positioned just behind Anstie, quickly overtook the Yamaha rider and maintained the lead until the finish line.
Although Anstie finished in second place, the aftermath of the race saw tensions rise due to comments made by Regan. According to Anstie, Regan called him earlier in the day to address some remarks that were allegedly made about not expecting to win. However, Anstie vehemently denied saying such a thing, and the comments were enough to push him to speak out.
In a candid statement, Anstie said, “Bobby, the team owner, called me earlier today and said that I somehow mentioned I didn’t expect to win earlier in the day. I don’t know where he got that from, but if he’s not going to show up at the races, he shouldn’t bother calling me anymore. At the end of the day, I expect to do what I’m doing.”
Anstie’s frustration appeared to stem not just from the miscommunication over his supposed remarks but also from Regan’s apparent absence from the race. The incident highlights the tensions that can arise between riders and team owners when expectations aren’t aligned and when communication issues occur, particularly after a race where a rider is left to process a second-place finish after having had a commanding lead.
While Anstie’s comments reflect his passion for his performance and his desire for respect from his team’s leadership, they also reveal the intense pressure that professional motocross athletes are under. Competing at such a high level comes with the burden of not just physical demands, but also the emotional and mental challenges of meeting expectations from both themselves and their teams.
For now, it seems that Anstie’s message to Regan is clear: if the team owner is not present or not fully supportive at the races, his words and opinions should hold less weight. As the motocross season continues, fans and industry insiders alike will be keeping an eye on how this disagreement unfolds and whether it affects Anstie’s performance or relationship with his team.
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