Bruce Anstey (born 21 August 1969 in New Zealand) is a professional motorcycle road racer. He is a former lap record holder on the Snaefell Mountain Course with a time of 17 minutes 6.682 seconds, at an average speed of 132.298 mph (212.913 km/h) set during the 2014 Superbike TT Race. Anstey was signed to race for the Padgett's Honda Racing Team having previously ridden for TAS Suzuki Racing, Valmoto Triumph and DTR Yamaha. For thirteen consecutive seasons, from 2002 - 2015, Bruce Anstey secured a top three finish at the North West 200, the Isle of Man TT and the Ulster Grand Prix.
On 10 April 2018, Anstey stated that due to illness he would not compete during the 2018 racing season. He did however ride a parade lap on board a Honda RC213V-S during the 2018 Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling in late August. Anstey announced a return to competitive racing in July 2019 stating he would compete at the Classic TT, and secured a victory in the 250 cc event.
In a BBC Sport interview in September 2021, Anstey stated his intention to resume racing at the 2022 Classic TT.
Anstey was inspired to take up a career as a motorcycle racer after watching Mike Hailwood's comeback victory at the 1978 Isle of Man TT Races. He made his competitive debut on Boxing Day, 1990, at the Cemetery Circuit, Whanganui in his native New Zealand, competing on a Suzuki RGV250.
Anstey made his Isle of Man TT debut at the 1996 event. Riding a Yamaha he finished in 29th place in the Lightweight TT before retiring in the Senior TT.
Due to illness, Anstey did not participate at the 1997 TT, with his next appearance being at the 1998 races. Again featuring in the Lightweight and Senior races, Anstey took his Yamaha TZ250 to a 26th-place finish in the Lightweight and followed this by taking 20th in the Senior TT, being the third 250cc mounted rider to finish behind Gavin Lee and his fellow New Zealander, Shaun Harris.
Campaigning in the same classes as the previous year and riding the same Yamaha TZ250, Anstey's form continued to improve in 1999, with him securing his first top-ten finish by claiming seventh in the Lightweight and following this up with 24th in the Senior.
The 2000 Isle of Man TT saw Anstey gain his first podium place at the event, finishing second behind Joey Dunlop in the Lightweight TT. The second race of his week saw him again riding the DTR Yamaha TZ250 in the Senior where he took the Denis Trollope machine to the highest place of any 250cc machine in the race, 14th.
The 2001 Isle of Man TT was cancelled as a precaution against the Foot and Mouth Outbreak reaching the Island. Racing resumed in 2002, with Anstey being entered in five races.
He retired in the week's curtain raiser, the Formula 1 TT, however his fortunes improved as race week progressed. In the Ultra-Lightweight TT, Anstey took his DTR 125cc Yamaha to tenth place and then followed this with third place in the Production 1000cc class. He then secured his maiden victory at the TT taking the honours in the Lightweight TT on a DTR 250cc Yamaha. Anstey then recorded a second-place finish in his final race of the week, the Production 600cc.
At the 2003 meeting, Anstey competed in four categories. Opening his account with the runner up position in the Production 1000cc race, he followed this up with a victory in the Junior TT aboard the Valmoto Triumph Daytona, giving Triumph its first TT win in 27 years. In the Production 600cc class, Anstey managed an eighth-place finish for Triumph and completed the racing programme with seventh place in the Senior aboard a 1000cc Suzuki.
Signed by TAS Suzuki in 2004, Anstey finish on the podium in all the races he entered at the TT. A third place in the opening Formula 1 was followed by victory in the 1000cc Production race. A trio of second-place finishes then followed as Anstey took the runner up spot in the Junior 600cc, the Production 600cc and the Senior TT respectively.
Anstey once again was entered in five races at the 2005 Isle of Man TT, producing mixed results. Problems with his TAS Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike saw him retire in both races in which the machine featured. On the plus side Anstey took victory in the Superstock TT. Following this he took 4th place in the opening Supersport race but retired in the following one. Anstey's week ended with his retirement in Friday's Senior.
In the 2006 TT practices, Anstey achieved the unofficial current top speed record for the Mountain Course of 206 mph (332 km/h) at the end of Sulby straight on a Suzuki 1000cc machine. This speed value was registered by the on-board datalogging equipment and so is not an official record.
At the Centenary TT of 2007, Anstey failed to finish in the opening Superbike Race, but claimed victory in the Superstock event winning by 40 seconds over John McGuinness. Anstey missed out on a podium place in the Supersport race finishing fourth, which was followed by another retirement in the highlight Senior TT.
In 2008, Anstey opened his account by claiming the runner up spot in the Superbike race. This was followed by an initial victory in the opening Supersport only for Anstey to be subsequently stripped of the 1st place. Having defied a heavy cold to win the race, he was disqualified following an inspection of his machine, which found the exhaust cam did not meet regulations. However just two days later on Wednesday 4 June, Anstey won the second Supersport Junior race in which he was involved in a dice on corrected time with Ian Hutchinson. Following over 150 miles of racing, Anstey came home in a time of 1'13:35.71 at an average speed of 123.041 mph. On his second lap he also broke the lap record for the race with an average speed of 125.359 mph.
The Senior TT again proved a disappointment for Anstey, with him posting a retirement.
To celebrate his Supersport Junior TT win, Suzuki released a GSXR-600 K8 replica of Anstey's Relentless by TAS Suzuki race bike.