Phoenix Honda "disagrees wholeheartedly" with Evan Ferry Penalty, Provides Cullin Park Injury Update
Unfortunately, another injury update to report on this morning: Cullin Park suffered a dislocated shoulder in the Birmingham 250SX East/West Showdown.
Park was 13th after the first lap of the main event but suffered a DNF after a wild go through the whoops section. The Phoenix Racing Honda rider had finishes of 9-8-9 before his 22nd in Alabama.
The team's other rider, Evan Ferry, had an interesting night, getting fined and penalized for taking out Pierce Brown in the 250SX East heat race. That penalty actually put Ferry's season total into the negatives. More on that later in this post. The third rider, Gavin Towers, was sidelined for this round due to a shoulder injury.
The post-race team release said the following:
Cullin Park opened the day with a fifth in the first qualifying session, marking his best qualifying result of the season so far. He ranked tenth overall across both 250 divisions. Carrying that momentum into the night show, Park secured a ninth-place finish in his heat race, earning a direct transfer to the main event. An incident in the whoops on the opening lap of the East/West Showdown unfortunately cut his night short. The extent of his injury is still being evaluated. He remains optimistic with hopes to return quickly.
Cullin Park: “I had a good day in Birmingham with my best qualifying result of the year so far. The team and I put in a lot of work during the weekend off, and we made some solid improvements to the bike, which felt much better. I got off to an okay start in the heat race and was able to transfer straight through. I felt good in the heat and was fired up for the main event. I came out ready to get into the fight early, but unfortunately, on lap one, the rear end kicked out at the end of the whoops. It ripped my foot off the peg and dislocated my shoulder before I even fully crashed. Right now, I’m not sure of the extent of the injury, but I’ll be working hard to get back as soon as I can. The team is doing an amazing job right now, and I want to give them a big thank you. I hope to be back soon.”
Park posted on Instagram:
"Not the ideal way to finish the day off in Birmingham😅
Had a solid day going, best qualifying of the year and was having fun all day. I was stoked for the E/W shootout, I know they’re great opportunities. Main event didn’t get the best of start, came around on the first real lap and the rear end fell into the rut at the end of the whoops. It caught my right foot, so when I landed out of the whoops, it jerked my shoulder out of place before even hitting the ground.
I’ll have an update soon but hey the sun still comes up, spirits are high and we’ll be back. Thank you to everyone apart of @phxracinghonda team, and the people in my small circle. Haven’t shown what I’m capable of yet🖖🏼"
Cullin Park 2026 250SX East Results to Date
| Position | Race | Class | Date | Bike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Supercross Birmingham | 250SX Showdown | March 21, 2026 | Honda CRF250R |
| 9 | Supercross Indianapolis | 250SX East | March 7, 2026 | Honda CRF250R |
| 8 | Supercross Daytona | 250SX East | February 28, 2026 | Honda CRF250R |
| 9 | Supercross Arlington | 250SX East | February 21, 2026 | Honda CRF250R |
As far as the Ferry penalty goes, this is what the team release said:
Ferry’s Improved Performance Met by Controversial Penalty
Evan Ferry showed improved speed once again in Birmingham, qualifying well in a stacked and combined 250 class for the first East/West Showdown of the season. His heat race, which features the same cast as a normal East region main event, was where he shined the most. Running inside the top ten throughout the majority of the race, until he was passed for the final transfer position. After this, Ferry did everything in his power to regain the position, ultimately placing an aggressive pass on Pierce Brown that culminated with both riders on the ground. While the results is not what the team and Ferry had hoped for, the marked improvement up until that point is what the basis of the next round will be built upon.
As for the penalty associated with Evan’s move, the team disagrees whole heartedly with the decision as there is no meaningful difference between the attempted pass compared to what we see on a near weekly basis. Secondly, the team wasn’t informed of penalty against Ferry and was discovered via social media as friends and fans sent it to the team. Overall, a disappointing end to an otherwise bright evening when it comes to the #751.
Evan Ferry: “I had a really good day overall, qualifying first in my group and showed strong speed all day. I got off to a good start in the heat and had a solid race going. Obviously, everyone has seen the video or the report about me being fined for aggressive riding. I’m still wrapping my head around the whole situation. Could I have executed the pass better? Yes. But I felt like I did everything I could and left it all out on the track. I’m really happy with the bike and the progress we’ve been making, and I can’t wait to keep showing it. See everyone in Detroit.”
Gary Schlentz (Team Manager): “East/West Showdowns are easily the most stressful races of the year for a team in our position. However, Evan and Cullin took a lot of that stress off the team with strong qualifying times, putting us in a position to have both of our Honda CRF250Rs in the main event. From there, though, the night went a bit sideways. Ferry gave it everything he had in the heat race, and while we were disappointed in the outcome of his move on Brown for the final transfer spot, we’re even more frustrated with the lack of communication and clarity from the AMA. Finding out about the penalty through social media wasn’t ideal, and neither was the explanation that followed. As for Park, we’re hoping for the best news, but no matter what, the team has his back. Once we know more about his condition, we’ll make further plans.”
