A three-way championship decider fell the way of Jason Anderson in South Africa this evening as the Pipes Motorsport rider clinched a thriller in Cape Town to lift his first SX1 trophy.

One point divided Jason Anderson, Joey Savatgy and Christian Craig in the run-up to the first-ever World Supercross South African GP and the pursuit of the 2025 SX1 World Championship. When the chequered flag fell on the third and final race Saturday evening it was Anderson who grasped the overall victory across the Cape Town hard-pack and therefore the bigger prize. The American went 1-1-1 in front of a determined Savatgy and the pair scraped plastics in a tight and tense outing.

Each of the protagonists had their own story coming into a tense closer. Savatgy is a seasoned World Supercross campaigner compared to his rivals. Anderson was the World Supercross rookie as well as a fresh recruit to the Pipes Motorsport team [as well as to Suzuki RM-Z450 machinery]. Craig was also a newcomer to WSX and still with a point to prove in SX1/450SX competition.

Anderson’s third win of the season came in the first Sprint and was backed-up by the fourth in the second, giving him a 2 point gap over Savatgy. The Quad Lock Honda man was unstoppable in the second Sprint to blast back from 6th to 2nd and drive the narrative to Race 3 as the 20,000+ fans were then rewarded with the ultimate showdown.

The South African air was thick with noise and expectation. The entertainment ramped-up as Savatgy led early on and Anderson chased; the Suzuki man loose, ragged and utterly watchable. The pair swapped positions and cut the track centimetres from disaster and glory. With four laps until the flag, Anderson seemed to have done enough but Savatgy managed one last but unsuccessful lunge into the penultimate corner.

“Man, that’s racing!” said Anderson. “Joey kept me on my toes. Two 8s [minutes] and a 12: that’s a lot of intense racing. I’m pretty exhausted but I just want to thank the team. It’s cool to win this for Suzuki and for Pipes Motorsports and all my guys. I’m excited.”

“We had an amazing crowd; it was definitely the loudest this year,” Savatgy reacted. “I’m glad we got to put on a show. It’s unfortunate … but I tried my best. I should have picked a better point to make a strike. The fact that we were as close as we were on a track that was not my favourite … I’m happy. We were good tonight but not quite good enough.”

Craig crashed in the first Sprint. He then tumbled on the first lap of the second, needing to trail through the pack and managed 9th. Craig redeemed himself with a P3 in Race 3 but Colt Nichols built the better scorecard to walk the third step of the last podium of the year.

In other news, Jorge Zaragoza and Vince Friese nailed starts in the second Sprint to run 2-3 on the Stark VARG; the Spaniard earned a noteworthy first top three for the team while Friese incurred a ‘energy tolerance’ penalty and was relegated to P10. The Teams Championship was signed and sealed with Australians Quad Lock Honda heading the table thanks to the accumulation of points throughout the season in both divisions.

The British ace confirms his second SX2 world championship after finishing 2nd to a dominant Shane McElrath in Cape Town.

SX2 series leader Max Anstie completed the formality of his 2025 world championship in South Africa. The #99 scored three 2nd positions and ranked as runner-up behind Shane McElrath across a loose and dusty track in the buzzing metropolis of Cape Town this evening. Thanks to his points, Anstie conquered the series at the first ever South African World Supercross GP in front of a busy and noisy crowd at the DHL Stadium and capped a dominant campaign in the class.

The 32 year old stamped the #1 with a solid ride behind outgoing champ McElrath in the first Sprint race; P2 was all Anstie needed to begin the celebrations. On the night however McElrath proved tough to beat. The North Carolinian seized three clean starts and set the pace ahead of the Brit.

The South African dirt was slick in sections but McElrath was largely faultless as Anstie applied pressure in the second Sprint and then was less than a second from the rear wheel of the Quad Lock Honda until a small slip on the last lap of Race 3.

“We persevered and it was an uphill battle,” said McElrath, immediately after his first overall triumph of the season. “We learned a lot this year as a team and [me] also personally. The fans here in South Africa have been a real treat and I’m proud to hear the American anthem. We’re excited to end-up on top tonight.”

Anstie, SX2 champion in 2023, added another gold medal to his collection after a typically resolute term of consistency and high standards. Max earned 11 race victories in a row, was ever-present in podium ceremonies and bagged his second FIM title as a consequence.

“Pretty awesome! it’s been a great season and so cool to be able to visit all these countries and be a part of this world championship,” he said, moments after inking the history books. “I cannot give it up enough to my wife and little son and the whole Star Yamaha crew back in America. The bike never missed a beat and, of course, Serge and all the guys at the GSM team here. It’s awesome to make this whole collaboration work. Supercross felt like such a dream … and it took me so long to get to the top. I’m in a solid spot in my career.”

Enzo Lopes was holding provisional 3rd position going into Race 3 but Coty Schock’s ride to 3rd behind McElrath and Anstie on the track was enough to put the Rick Ware Racing rider onto the box and also for the bronze medal for the season. “There are a lot of things I should feel happy about but the last weekends have not gone my way,” he said. “3rd on the night, 3rd for the season though: I felt we made progress on the bike and it showed.”