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No Penalties Issued for Incidents in Arlington Supercross Races
Honda HRC team manager criticizes AMA's decision not to penalize riders for jumping through affected sections
Published on Feb. 23, 2026
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The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) did not issue any penalties for potential rule violations during the 250 East and 450 Supercross races in Arlington, Texas. The 250 East race saw a red warning light displayed, while the 450 race had a red cross flag shown, but the AMA determined that riders did not violate rules by jumping through the affected sections. Honda HRC team manager Lars Lindstrom criticized the AMA's decisions, arguing they should have penalized the riders for not following the rules.
Why it matters
The AMA's decisions not to penalize riders could have significant implications for the Supercross championship battles in both the 250 and 450 classes. The 250 incident involving Jo Shimoda losing the lead and Pierce Brown's subsequent win could impact the 250 title fight, while the 450 incident involving Hunter Lawrence, Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, and Ken Roczen could affect the 450 championship standings.
The details
In the 250 East Main Event, a red warning light was illuminated on the track, but the AMA determined that riders were allowed to continue jumping since no additional flag signals were displayed. This allowed Pierce Brown to take the lead and win his first Supercross race. In the 450 class, a red cross flag was shown at the finish line jump, but the AMA ruled that riders were already committed to the jump and did not violate the red cross rule, allowing Hunter Lawrence to take the win.
- The 250 East Main Event incident occurred on Lap 5 of the race.
- The 450 class incident involving the red cross flag happened at the finish line jump.
The players
Jo Shimoda
A rider in the 250 Supercross class who was leading the 250 East Main Event when the red warning light was displayed.
Pierce Brown
The rider who took the lead and won the 250 East Main Event after Shimoda lost momentum due to the red warning light.
Hunter Lawrence
The rider who won the 450 Supercross class race in Arlington despite the red cross flag being displayed at the finish line jump.
Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, Ken Roczen
Riders in the 450 Supercross class who jumped through the section with the red cross flag displayed.
Lars Lindstrom
The Honda HRC team manager who criticized the AMA's decisions not to penalize riders in both the 250 and 450 races.
What they’re saying
“I mean we've definitely been penalized for red cross flags more than any other team and I've always accepted that when the red light's flashing right before the finish line, Jo did the right thing and he rolled and then I feel like now is the time for them to stand by the rule book and do the right penalty, which is loss of a position for the position gained and then five championship points.”
— Lars Lindstrom, Honda HRC Team Manager
“I'm going to be going [to the AMA hauler] right after this, but that one is clear-cut. I don't see there's any question on that one. So I mean, they're going to be losing some points on that one, and I don't think they gained any position, so I guess they won't get that. But that definitely helps us out. I mean I think it's five points, so I think a lead went from four points to nine points now, which is significant. So I got to check on that one, but I can't see that one being a question.”
— Lars Lindstrom, Honda HRC Team Manager
What’s next
The AMA stated they will carefully review their current lights procedure to ensure it continues to provide the highest level of safety and clarity for all participants.
The takeaway
The AMA's decisions not to penalize riders in these incidents have raised concerns about consistent rule enforcement and rider safety in Supercross racing. The impact on the championship battles in both the 250 and 450 classes could be significant, leading to further scrutiny of the AMA's officiating and lighting procedures.
