Honda Manager Lindstrom on Safety Infractions in 250 and 450 Main Events: “Now is the time for them to stand by the rulebook and do the right penalty” [Update]
![Honda Manager Lindstrom on Safety Infractions in 250 and 450 Main Events: “Now is the time for them to stand by the rulebook and do the right penalty” [Update]](http://rxi.iscdn.net/2026/02/323183_20260220145449.jpg?ar=3:2&fit=crop)
There appear to be two racing incidents under review by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) from the Arlington round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross: one from the 250SX main event and one from the 450SX main event.
Towards the end of the 250SX main event, Derek Kelley got cross rutted, sent right, and landed in the space of the finish line double while facing the wrong direction. He used the back of the finish line as a berm and exited the section back to the next lane as quickly as possible. While Kelley had been cleared of the section, the red lights were still out on the small double before the finish line when Jo Shimoda came around shortly after, which resulted in him not jumping the double nor the finish line jump. Pierce Brown, right behind him, jumped both the double and the finish, and passed Shimoda on the landing of the finish line as Shimoda was rolling the landing. It appears Brown jumped the first double with the red lights still on.
Brown would go on to take the win—the first 250SX main event win of his career—as he got redemption from the 2025 Tampa SX crash just over a year ago. Shimoda came through second.
In the post-race media scrum, Honda HRC Progressive team manager Lars Lindstrom gave his honest opinion about the red light situation regarding his rider, Shimoda, and Yamaha’s Brown. With a pass being made while a red light is flashing, Lindstrom says that is a direct violation of the rulebook and the penalty is loss of positioned gained and five championship points (as well as purse money worth two positions). One thing to consider is that the light was only on for the double before the finish, and Brown actually passed Shimoda on the next jump (the finish line) which did not have a light on or a red cross. However, Shimoda said he couldn't jump the finish because he had lost too much speed rolling the double before it.
Again, the situation is under review and there are no updates at the moment.
Said Lindstrom when asked on what he expects to happen:
"Just go by the rule book. 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 flags flashing right before the finish line. Jo did the right thing, and he rolled. And then I feel like, you know, now is the time for them to stand by the rulebook and do the right penalty, which is loss of a position for the position gained, and then five championship points."
Lindstrom is so confident of his stance that he actually started his post-race media by saying "We won both classes tonight, I'm not sure if you know that. Jo got the short end of the stick on the red cross thing which I'm protesting right now."
The incident is clearly shown in the post-race video highlights below.
As far as the 450SX main event, Honda’s Hunter Lawrence was leading the race when he saw the red cross flag waving on the finish line jump and rolled it, similar to what happened with Shimoda. Positions two through four—Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, and Cooper Webb—all looked to have jumped the finish line with the flag waving, which would mean a penalty. Webb was already taking off the finish line jump when the flag was being pulled back at the very last second, meaning he had committed to the jump with the flag clearing waving. However, since there were no positions gained in this situation, this would be, per the rulebook, just a five-point penalty for those three riders that jumped.
Lindstrom, again, did not hold back.
"That one is clear cut, I don’t see how there’s any question on that one, they’re gonna lose points. That definitely helps us, it’s [the penalty is] five points, I think Hunter’s lead goes from four points to nine points. I gotta check on that one but I can’t see that one being in question."
The 450 situation is also currently under review. Here's a look at the rulebook in regards to flags and lights:
After the media scrum was over (well after the race was done), I checked in the with AMA officials for an update on the situation. I saw team personnel from both Honda and Yamaha meeting with the AMA and waited patiently for them to complete meetings before asking for an update. At this time, the incidents are both under further review, but we will expect to hear more in the next day. However, I would not be surprised to learn about a penalty/penalties, upon watching the highlights and checking the rulebook.
Update on Sunday, February 22, 2026: "No violation was determined" in Either Situation
The SMX Public Relations Media team released their post-race notes on Sunday, that include incidents reviewed by the Race Direction crew of AMA officials.
According to the release, neither situation saw a violation. Below is what the post-race notes on the incidents said:
Race Direction conducted routine reviews throughout qualifying and racing sessions.
- 250 Main Event: Lead in warning light and finish line red lights were reviewed. No violation was determined.
- 450 Main Event: Red light/red cross flag incident involving the leaders at the finish line jump was reviewed. No violation was determined.
Update on Monday, February 23, 2026: AMA Releases Statement
As expected, the AMA released a statement on Monday at 12 p.m. Eastern explaining the situation.
