An open letter to Max Anstie

GrapeApe
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Mc Kinney, TX, USA
1/19/2026 12:00pm
Bearuno wrote:
Yup, 'Swervin Mervin'.In the 80s / the early 90s, he was quite infamous for his way of riding.From what I'd read in TMX / Dirt Bike...

Yup, 'Swervin Mervin'.

In the 80s / the early 90s, he was quite infamous for his way of riding.

From what I'd read in TMX / Dirt Bike Rider and other Brit mags, he was not that popular with quite a few fellow riders.

Here's a ( Jack Burnicle ?) pic of Merv and Thorpe at the 1985 Farleigh GP. Featured in robgvx's fantastic book. Dave did an epic recovery from this, by the way. 

Rob could perhaps, shed some light on if Merv really was the 'villain' I recall him being reputed to be .

Merv Anstie and Dave Thorpe crash at Farleigh Castle 500GP in 1985 .jpg?VersionId=uLMDpWcufwBN

 I recall also Merv creating quite  few kerfluffles during Max's younger years, both in Britain and the USA.

 Max did a lot of travelling / racing as a youngster, and, he's been doing so for many years now. Good on him, I say.

Max has not lived up to Mervs 'legend'. 

englishman wrote:
I raced with Merv back in the day and often practiced with him midweek. It wasn’t that he was unpopular with the other riders he was...

I raced with Merv back in the day and often practiced with him midweek. It wasn’t that he was unpopular with the other riders he was just a bit “out there” compared to most guys.

He REALLY wanted to win and sometimes rode a bit “strangely” to do so but he never intentionally took a guy completely out.

In a lot of ways he was ahead of his time - he started seeing a sports psychologist in England back when everyone still thought that stuff was all voodoo black magic, he was one of the first guys to start rider training schools etc, etc. 

 

ohh_454 wrote:

Merv the perv is what I’ve heard 

Let he who hasn't knocked up his son's team manager to secure a factory motor package cast the first stone . . .

 

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ohh_454
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1/19/2026 12:06pm
englishman wrote:
I raced with Merv back in the day and often practiced with him midweek. It wasn’t that he was unpopular with the other riders he was...

I raced with Merv back in the day and often practiced with him midweek. It wasn’t that he was unpopular with the other riders he was just a bit “out there” compared to most guys.

He REALLY wanted to win and sometimes rode a bit “strangely” to do so but he never intentionally took a guy completely out.

In a lot of ways he was ahead of his time - he started seeing a sports psychologist in England back when everyone still thought that stuff was all voodoo black magic, he was one of the first guys to start rider training schools etc, etc. 

 

ohh_454 wrote:

Merv the perv is what I’ve heard 

GrapeApe wrote:

Let he who hasn't knocked up his son's team manager to secure a factory motor package cast the first stone . . .

 

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 

125Rider
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Location
Woodbridge, NJ, USA
1/19/2026 12:42pm
chill014 wrote:
Do you just inject pure hypocrisy into your veins every morning or sum? You whine about deegan gently passing schock(his collarbone was already broken btw) and...

Do you just inject pure hypocrisy into your veins every morning or sum? You whine about deegan gently passing schock(his collarbone was already broken btw) and riding kitchen rough after he took him out costing him a championship and causing deegan to ride dirty vs Jo to have a chance. Now you want deegan to get taken out and injured. You are literally insane lol.

So is retaliation a good thing or a bad thing? Or is it only bad when deegan is the one retaliating? Same with aggressive riding. You cheer when Levi takes deegan and himself out, costing deegan a championship when Levi wasn’t even in the hunt. Then you cry when deegan so much as touches a knobby on someone tire 😂

Also, deegan got cross rutted last weekend, but I’m sure you know that.

The majority of people on this forum are full of hypocrisy and hate with obvious mental health problems. They’ll call a rider and his family every name in the book and ramble on how terrible of a person said rider is… 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

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Elbows
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Haleyville, AL, USA
Fantasy
1/19/2026 1:05pm

Do it! Then come back around and do it again. He deserves several paybacks especially after what he did to Jo. 

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The Shop

themx11
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Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
1/19/2026 1:09pm

I have never seen a more crybaby bunch of people in my life. The move was not that bad at all.

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MOTO13
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606
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Location
Elkhorn, WI, USA
1/19/2026 1:16pm

Ins't Max a mutli-time 250 MXGP winner? He's been racing longer than Deegan's been alive probably. Then... he, and some others here, are complaing that friggin 20 year Deegan is pushing him around??? Come on, the real problem here is, Deegan is just better than Max ever was. 

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Andrew314
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Montrose, CO, USA
1/19/2026 1:18pm

What if this whole thing was orchestrated by The General? Tells Max that he going to get taken out to stir up the fans, create the good guy vs bad guy. Slips Max an envelope full of Benjamin's at the farm to keep the polarization of this "feud" going for a few more weeks? What if all you guys that are so upset is exactly what they want?

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1/19/2026 1:29pm
Andrew314 wrote:
What if this whole thing was orchestrated by The General? Tells Max that he going to get taken out to stir up the fans, create the...

What if this whole thing was orchestrated by The General? Tells Max that he going to get taken out to stir up the fans, create the good guy vs bad guy. Slips Max an envelope full of Benjamin's at the farm to keep the polarization of this "feud" going for a few more weeks? What if all you guys that are so upset is exactly what they want?

Let us know if we need to send help to get you back down to Earth.

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1/19/2026 1:34pm
MOTO13 wrote:
Ins't Max a mutli-time 250 MXGP winner? He's been racing longer than Deegan's been alive probably. Then... he, and some others here, are complaing that friggin...

Ins't Max a mutli-time 250 MXGP winner? He's been racing longer than Deegan's been alive probably. Then... he, and some others here, are complaing that friggin 20 year Deegan is pushing him around??? Come on, the real problem here is, Deegan is just better than Max ever was. 

Señor bagger of sand they call him 

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Zerofear66
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Anaheim, CA, USA
1/19/2026 1:37pm

I've never seen so many "Hidden due to down votes" 🤣

Good times indeed

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Trickamoto
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Beverly Hills, CA, USA
1/19/2026 2:30pm

that pass was legit and mellow. and if you disagree you're most likely a wet noodle lib that's never been competitive at anything in your life except for bitching at real men online.

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vdrsnk04
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1/19/2026 2:33pm
Flatliner wrote:
Not a Deegan guy, but he sure af gets a lot of grief around here, while a guy like Barcia gets glazed over when he would...

Not a Deegan guy, but he sure af gets a lot of grief around here, while a guy like Barcia gets glazed over when he would slam into people constantly.

Couldn’t be more inaccurate. Bam got major hate on Vital for years when he truly was BamBam all the time lol.

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1/19/2026 3:57pm

Dear Max,

There is a reason Haiden just turned 20 and is already a multi time champion and you are old enough to have grandchildren yet still racing schoolboy. See he thinks like a champion and doesn’t settle for merely passing his rival and gaining a point or two. No like the champion he is he seizes opportunity and puts as many riders as possible between himself and his rival maximizing points gain. Haiden thinks like a champion and races like a winner, you think like a racer and race like a chump. 
Anyway all the best. 

Sincerely,

The Vitards

P.S next time you apologize for being too nice could you be a little more humble? You are after all addressing the champ. 

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MXMattii
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BE
1/19/2026 6:09pm Edited Date/Time 1/19/2026 6:14pm

It is sad that he feels the need to do it over and over again. But off course daddy' PR-idea made him "Dangerboy" so he needs to act & ride dangerous. Create diehard fans who are blind for the flaws and the wrongdoing from their star and proudly buy shirts, merch, look at the vlogs, eat his shit if he sells it in cans... The new money machine from Metal Mulisha! I'm looking forward to the day that someone serves him a nice big piece of humblepie!

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vdrsnk04
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1/19/2026 6:29pm

You should edit every one of those videos into one highlight reel. That way whenever all the Deegan lovers don’t understand why it’s ok for Sexton or Lawrence or whomever to do it once in their career we can share the Deegan highlight reel of how he does it non-stop. They still wouldn’t get it though lol.

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Tyler D
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La, CA, USA
1/19/2026 9:09pm
MXMattii wrote:
It is sad that he feels the need to do it over and over again. But off course daddy' PR-idea made him "Dangerboy" so he needs...

It is sad that he feels the need to do it over and over again. But off course daddy' PR-idea made him "Dangerboy" so he needs to act & ride dangerous. Create diehard fans who are blind for the flaws and the wrongdoing from their star and proudly buy shirts, merch, look at the vlogs, eat his shit if he sells it in cans... The new money machine from Metal Mulisha! I'm looking forward to the day that someone serves him a nice big piece of humblepie!

gonna need a dedicated thread for these real soon

4
1
Paul333
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Location
Virginia Beach, VA, USA
1/20/2026 4:56am
MXMattii wrote:
It is sad that he feels the need to do it over and over again. But off course daddy' PR-idea made him "Dangerboy" so he needs...

It is sad that he feels the need to do it over and over again. But off course daddy' PR-idea made him "Dangerboy" so he needs to act & ride dangerous. Create diehard fans who are blind for the flaws and the wrongdoing from their star and proudly buy shirts, merch, look at the vlogs, eat his shit if he sells it in cans... The new money machine from Metal Mulisha! I'm looking forward to the day that someone serves him a nice big piece of humblepie!

BINGO!!!!

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chill014
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Loyall, KY, USA
1/20/2026 9:43am
Elbows wrote:

Do it! Then come back around and do it again. He deserves several paybacks especially after what he did to Jo. 

I mean you can do that, just don’t be surprised when deegan is able to save it, then catch your guy and take him out.

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Kenny Banyan
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Seattle, WA, USA
1/20/2026 10:25am
themx11 wrote:

I have never seen a more crybaby bunch of people in my life. The move was not that bad at all.

👊🏻💯

1
5
1/20/2026 10:32am
umagumadog wrote:
Dear Max,There is a reason Haiden just turned 20 and is already a multi time champion and you are old enough to have grandchildren yet still...

Dear Max,

There is a reason Haiden just turned 20 and is already a multi time champion and you are old enough to have grandchildren yet still racing schoolboy. See he thinks like a champion and doesn’t settle for merely passing his rival and gaining a point or two. No like the champion he is he seizes opportunity and puts as many riders as possible between himself and his rival maximizing points gain. Haiden thinks like a champion and races like a winner, you think like a racer and race like a chump. 
Anyway all the best. 

Sincerely,

The Vitards

P.S next time you apologize for being too nice could you be a little more humble? You are after all addressing the champ. 

Go Fish!!!!

 

1/20/2026 11:59am

When I was growing up I often heard the term "rubbing is racing". I guess those days of being a man about it are over. When someone would take you out you'd just do it back if given the chance and it would be expected. We called that "Racing" 

Side note: Spending your time to create a photo for your profile picture about hating on a 20 year old kid is the gayest thing I've ever seen. 

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ACBraap
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Location
Seattlish, WA, USA
Fantasy
1/20/2026 2:16pm

Deegan.  Fast enough to win cleanly.  Immature enough not to.

I picture him as a kid being giving energy drink like the plants in idiocracy, with the same result.

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Gordon Liddy
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Butte, MT, USA
1/20/2026 2:48pm Edited Date/Time 1/20/2026 2:49pm
Kindasmoky wrote:
When I was growing up I often heard the term "rubbing is racing". I guess those days of being a man about it are over. When...

When I was growing up I often heard the term "rubbing is racing". I guess those days of being a man about it are over. When someone would take you out you'd just do it back if given the chance and it would be expected. We called that "Racing" 

Side note: Spending your time to create a photo for your profile picture about hating on a 20 year old kid is the gayest thing I've ever seen. 

Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a damaged bike.

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1/20/2026 2:59pm
Kindasmoky wrote:
When I was growing up I often heard the term "rubbing is racing". I guess those days of being a man about it are over. When...

When I was growing up I often heard the term "rubbing is racing". I guess those days of being a man about it are over. When someone would take you out you'd just do it back if given the chance and it would be expected. We called that "Racing" 

Side note: Spending your time to create a photo for your profile picture about hating on a 20 year old kid is the gayest thing I've ever seen. 

Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a...

Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a damaged bike.

I'm sure he's anticipating that. We'll see Saturday. Hopefully Max can get a good start so that he's in the battle. 

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Gordon Liddy
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Location
Butte, MT, USA
1/20/2026 3:07pm
Kindasmoky wrote:
When I was growing up I often heard the term "rubbing is racing". I guess those days of being a man about it are over. When...

When I was growing up I often heard the term "rubbing is racing". I guess those days of being a man about it are over. When someone would take you out you'd just do it back if given the chance and it would be expected. We called that "Racing" 

Side note: Spending your time to create a photo for your profile picture about hating on a 20 year old kid is the gayest thing I've ever seen. 

Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a...

Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a damaged bike.

Kindasmoky wrote:

I'm sure he's anticipating that. We'll see Saturday. Hopefully Max can get a good start so that he's in the battle. 

I would  love to see them in this order after the first turn at A2

Max

Deegan

Kitchen 

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Johnny Ringo
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Location
Tombstone, AZ, USA
1/20/2026 3:24pm
Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a...

Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a damaged bike.

Kindasmoky wrote:

I'm sure he's anticipating that. We'll see Saturday. Hopefully Max can get a good start so that he's in the battle. 

I would  love to see them in this order after the first turn at A2

Max

Deegan

Kitchen 

Max will get a good start for sure

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1/20/2026 3:53pm
Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a...

Hopefully Max does exactly that, and PUNTS Dirty Deegan over a berm at A2 causing him to lose 5 positions and have to finish with a damaged bike.

Kindasmoky wrote:

I'm sure he's anticipating that. We'll see Saturday. Hopefully Max can get a good start so that he's in the battle. 

I would  love to see them in this order after the first turn at A2

Max

Deegan

Kitchen 

Would probably be the most entertaining 250 race of the year

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defeatist45
Posts
785
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Location
Raleigh, NC, USA
1/20/2026 5:17pm

What if he doesn't open this?

Then I guess he doesn’t open this?

Paul333
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2235
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Location
Virginia Beach, VA, USA
1/21/2026 6:58am

I'd love to see real evidence dirty riding and paid for social media followers/likes has done anything for the sport....

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