Team Suzuki Press Office – August 17.
Max Anstie: RM-Z450 – 8-9
Brandon Hartranft: RM-Z450 – 10-0
Dilan Schwartz: RM-Z250 – 15-12
Preston Kilroy: RM-Z250 – 0-10
Twisted Tea H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki’s Max Anstie claimed his best results of the year with back-to-back top-10 moto finishes at the Unadilla AMA Pro Motocross Championship round at the weekend to put his Suzuki RM-Z450 into eighth overall.
Anstie’s teammate Brandon Hartranft also brought in a top-10 finish on the New Berlin, NY track while BarX Chaparral ECSTAR Suzuki welcomed a new racer to the professional division of the team and Preston Kilroy and his Suzuki RM-Z250 did not disappoint with another top-10 moto finish at his first pro race of the year.
Kilroy’s teammate Dilan Schwartz used blazing track speed to overcome two early-moto setbacks and deliver strong results on his Suzuki RM-Z250.
Anstie’s MXGP experience was on display on the rutted and challenging Unadilla track. He used a strong start in Moto 1 to pass his way into the top 10 just five minutes into the 30-minute plus two lap race and pushed ahead to gain more positions for this best moto finish of 2021. In the second moto Anstie’s charge started from inside the top 15 as he methodically sliced past other racers. For his strong efforts “Mad Max” advanced one position in the championship points standings.
“It was a good day here in Unadilla; it’s my first time here,” said Anstie after the race. “We ended up eighth overall, so we’re making progress. The team has done a great job in the last few weeks’ break to make some positive steps with the bike set-up, and it definitely was nice to be in the race; I’ve got to get out of the gate faster this next weekend in Budds Creek and we’ll be back at the sharp end with the guys. We’ve definitely made progress so I’m happy.”
450-class rookie Hartranft continued to impress and battled through the heavy roost to put his Suzuki into the top 10 in the first moto. Hartranft nearly repeated the feat in Moto 2 when he ran into trouble, but still managed a strong overall finish when both moto’s scores were combined.
“It was a pretty good day. We’re getting better every race,” expressed Hartranft. “Qualifying went pretty well, I was 12th overall. In the first moto I had a pretty good start; I tucked into the inside of the first turn and would’ve had an even better start if another rider hadn’t crashed after the first turn. At the end I was battling for ninth and ended up with a strong 10th place finish in the moto. I’m stoked on my progression and I’ll just keep working hard and we’ll have good results.”
“It was a good day at ‘Dilla,” reported Twisted Tea H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki Team Manager Dustin Pipes. “I think the bike changes we made during the last few weeks have been good and it showed out on the track. Max was close to being in the top five in the first race and Brandon was in the top 10 pretty handily, so I think it’s a great indication of growth as we head to Budds Creek and towards the end of the season.”
Coming off of two moto wins and two overall podiums at the Loretta Lynn’s AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship the week prior, Preston Kilroy made a strong entry into the 2021 pro series. The young rider, with only two pro races to his credit in 2020, banged bars with the fastest riders in the world. Thanks to a strong start in Moto 2 and impressive endurance the young racer and his Suzuki RM-Z250 netted a top 10 finish in the final moto of the day. Scoring good points in both motos dropped Kilroy directly into 26th position in the title points after only contesting a single round.
“Overall today was pretty good,” said Kilroy. “Moto 1 started a little rough with a bad start off the gate, but I was able to squeeze on the inside of the first two turns and make a few moves. I rode a little tight midway through so I tried to take good lines and not make any mistakes. In the second moto I got off to a pretty good start and was up with all the fast guys. I was able to see the fast lines and I got some good laps in. About halfway through the moto I struggled a little bit to find my flow, but then started to use some lines that were working. I was able to put in some good laps and ended up 10th. I’m excited to keep learning and keep building each weekend and am relieved to have my first National of the year under my belt!”
After a career-best 250 moto and overall finish at the previous round, eyes were on Schwartz. The rookie racer had the speed, though a setback early in each moto prevented a repeat of his top 10 finish. Schwartz likely passed more riders than any other racer at Unadilla and his talent and composure brought home two remarkable charge-through-the-pack rides.
“I don’t think I could’ve made Unadilla any harder for myself,” admitted Schwartz. “I crashed on the first lap in both motos and had to come from dead last. But I’m happy with my riding and fitness to be able to end up with 15-12 moto scores, and I really enjoyed how technical the track was. Hopefully I can keep it on two wheels next weekend and get better results.”