AMA Motocross Washougal Washington career-best pro finish

AMX-7-Dilan Schwartz-1

Team Suzuki Press Office – July 27.

Dilan Schwartz: RM-Z250 – 13-6
Max Anstie: RM-Z450 – 7-12
Brandon Hartranft: RM-Z450 – 13-15

Suzuki Rookie Dilan Schwartz turned in his career-best pro finish with a top-10 placing in Washougal, Washington aboard his BarX/ Chaparral/ ECSTAR Suzuki RM-Z250 at the weekend.

Max Anstie delivered another top-10 moto finish with a strong day on his Twisted Tea/ H.E.P. Motorsports/ Suzuki RM-Z450, and Anstie’s teammate Brandon Hartranft put in fast back-to-back moto rides at the scenic track for round seven of the 2021 AMA Pro Motocross Series.

Schwartz pulled a great start in the first moto and ran inside the top 10 for the first part of the race. A small mistake cost him several positions, but he charged ahead through the pack with lap times deep into the moto that demonstrated his pace. Schwartz followed that performance up with a near-holeshot in Moto 2 and held with the lead group throughout the 30-minute plus two lap race on the slick, challenging Pacific Northwest track. Schwartz and his RM-Z250 delivered a career-best finish in Moto 2, running in the top five and earning a sixth-place finish when the chequered flag flew. His 250cc machine was charging strong up-and-down the steep Washington hills bolstered by the protection of Suzuki’s ECSTAR oil products. The eighth-place overall finish, a career-best for Schwartz, raised the young racer one position in the championship points standings.

Said Schwantz: “In the first moto I got off to a top-10 start, but unfortunately tipped over a few laps in. It took me a little while to get up and I when I got going again, I was around 20th or maybe a little worse. I was able to charge and come back to 13th. In the second moto, I almost pulled the holeshot, which was cool. From there I rode consistently in the top 10 and ended up sixth. I’m pumped with this result going into the break and I’m looking forward to the next race!”

Anstie also put in impressive moto rides, particularly for his first visit since 2010 to the deceptively slick track after years competing on the MXGP circuit. He quickly got reacquainted with the fast line around Washougal to put in two consistent rides. The Englishman matched his best moto and best overall finish from the round before, showing the Twisted Tea/ H.E.P. Motorsports/ Suzuki team effort is improving as the season enters into its second half.

“Progress was made at Washougal,” was how Anstie summed up round seven. “I rode well in Moto 1 and came out with a ninth-place finish. In Moto 2 I fought hard and ended up 12th. We will keep pushing and we’ll get some testing done in the break to be ready to come back stronger at Unadilla.”

450-class rookie Brandon Hartranft overcame some challenging track positions to charge past other riders, particularly in the opening laps of Moto 1 where, after a tough start, he quickly fought back into the points. He turned strong lap times into good finishes to continue progressing in the class as the schedule heads into a three-week break.

Said Hartranft: “It was a solid day. Qualifying went pretty well and I was riding really well today. In the first moto I came from about 30th spot all the way up to 13th; that was a really strong ride. In Moto 2 I was actually catching the top 10, but just hit a wall and unfortunately faded back to 15th. The track was pretty sweet today. I can’t thank Suzuki enough for their help this year. We’ll keep fighting. There are five rounds to go and I’m going to bring the heat.”

“It was another step in the right direction at Washougal,” reported Twisted Tea/ H.E.P. Motorsports/ Suzuki Team Manager Dustin Pipes. “The team made strides in the week leading up to the race with changes to the drivetrain and it showed with some great starts. The team has a couple more testing days scheduled in the off weeks where the plan is to make more improvements. Brandon and Max are definitely on an upswing, we just need each rider to put two complete motos together to get the results they deserve.”

The AMA Pro Motocross series takes two weekends off. The riders do battle again at round eight in Unadilla, New York. Schwartz will continue to impress in his first pro year, Hartranft is bettering more experienced riders each weekend, and Anstie will employ his MXGP experience to the European-style track in New York state.

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