Honda HRC announced they will fight “hard to have [AMA’s decision to not penalize four riders for violations] overturned,” after learning of the sanctioning bodies decision regarding two separate incidents involving potential red light and red cross flag infractions in Round 7 of the SuperMotocross World Championship in Arlington, Texas.
Riders jumped in a section that had either a red light or red cross flag displayed. The full account of the incident and AMA’s decision can be found here.
In both incidents, a Honda HRC rider rolled the jump, per the AMA rulebook, while the riders behind them did not. The move cost Jo Shimoda the lead of the 250 East divisional race as Pierce Brown passed him in that segment of the track before going on to win his first Supercross race.
Hunter Lawrence did not lose the lead in the 450 class, but Honda believed the riders behind him should have been docked the mandated five points for the infraction.
“This was a huge morale boost for the team, but it was another bittersweet night even though the result was fantastic,” Lars Lindstrom, team manager for Honda HRC, said in a news release. “The bittersweet part is being on the short end of the stick when it comes to other riders jumping on red flashing lights and red-cross flags. In the past, we’ve been penalized more than any other team for this—some deserved, some we didn’t agree with at all.
“In this case, it was clear to us that there were penalties necessary, which should have given us the win in 250s, and dramatically increased our 450 points lead. The team, Honda management, and I are absolutely infuriated that there wasn’t more done in this situation after what has happened to us in the past for the same things. I am very disappointed with this decision, and we will be fighting hard to have it overturned.”
Earlier in the week, AMA Race Director Mike Pelletier joined Jason Weigandt and Jason Thomas on a special edition of SMX Insider to explain the decision.
In the 450 incident, there were no lights or flags leading up to the finish line jump, where a red cross flag was displayed. According to Pelletier, the rule book allows Race Direction to make a determination of whether there was a “blatant violation” and the actions of Eli Tomac, Cooper Webb, and Ken Roczen were not “egregious” enough to warrant the prescribed five-point penalties.
Pelletier explained that the red flashing light in itself is not the signal for a rider to roll the jump unless there are accompanying flags. The rule was put in place after Jett Lawrence was penalized for jumping in that same scenario in a Supercross race in St. Louis in 2024.
Pelletier’s complete explanation can be found in the video below.
The explanation was insufficient for Honda, who described the decision as being filled with “tortured explanations about nuanced situations.”
“First of all, congratulations to Hunter and Jo,” Brandon Wilson, Manager, Racing & Experiential Marketing for Honda HRC said. “They both rode amazingly, and they made perfect, high-stakes, split-second decisions in the heat of battle. They should receive every benefit that they’re entitled to. Instead, their accomplishments are being partially diluted by mistakes or poor decisions outside their control.
“In the past, our team has been on the losing end of red-flag-related penalties more often than we would like. While that was frustrating, we could at least understand that the rules were being applied. Now, suddenly the rulebook is being ignored in favor of tortured explanations about nuanced situations. Moving forward, we must get to a place where the rules are being enforced consistently, regardless of the rider or team involved. For the safety of all riders, and to ensure that our sport is respected as a legitimate, professional operation, we are committed to being a part of the solution, and we will work with all relevant parties to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
