The American Motorcyclist Association reviewed two red-light/red-cross flag incidents from Round 7 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross in Arlington and concluded that no rules violations occurred, preserving the race results and upholding Race Direction’s rulings.

In the 250SX Main, Race Direction said a single red lead-in warning light had been displayed but that a lead-in warning alone does not prohibit jumping. Officials found no additional flag signals or directives that would have barred riders from jumping, allowed competitors to maintain race pace through the affected section and assessed no penalties; the on-track sequence included Derek Kelley crashing, Jo Shimoda rolling and Pierce Brown jumping a small double and the finish-line jump to pass Shimoda for his first career 250SX victory. A circulated photo that appeared to show Brown jumping on a red indicator was reviewed and did not result in a finding of an infraction.

In the 450SX Main, Race Direction noted a red cross flag visible at the finish stand while no corresponding red lights or advance flags had been illuminated on the approach to the jump and, citing Rule 1.6.14(e), concluded riders were already committed and issued no penalties. The incident involved Honda HRC rider Hunter Lawrence rolling when the red cross flag was displayed and several riders — including Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb — appearing to clear the finish. Honda HRC Progressive team manager Lars Lindstrom publicly contested the AMA rulings, saying penalties (including loss of position and five championship points) should have been applied. The Race Direction office in Pickerington, Ohio, published the findings, clarified how different signals are intended to be used and said the AMA will review procedures; it has already adjusted lighting operations and flagging procedures to improve on-track communication and safety and reduce the chance of similar confusion in future rounds.

A first-turn, domino-effect crash at the Arlington Supercross 250SX East season opener — initiated when Cole Davies bumped Seth Hammaker from the far inside — disrupted the main event early and took down several riders. Three of the four Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing riders were involved in that pileup, and competitors including Marshal Weltin, Coty Schock, Luke Clout and Bryce Shelly were also taken down. Seth Hammaker stayed upright and avoided the crash; both Davies and Hammaker had won heat races earlier (Davies won heat one; Hammaker won heat two).

Despite the early incident, riders recovered and the race finished with Brown securing his first 250SX main event victory. Cole Davies charged back from the crash to finish fifth, gaining 13 positions and posting the second-fastest lap behind Hammaker. Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, who had returned from shoulder surgery, posted the fastest lap and finished fourth but called the result “not where I want to be.” Teammate Drew Adams escaped the early crash, worked his way up during the main but was passed late by Davies and was classified sixth. Nate Thrasher recovered to 11th, and rookie Caden Dudney finished 13th in his first professional 250SX main. Reporter Steve Matthes spoke with Hammaker and Adams after the race; coverage framed Arlington as an early measuring stick for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki riders and highlighted recovery and race execution as immediate storylines to monitor going forward.

Daxton Bennick entered this season as a rider who often posts strong opening-round results but struggles to carry that speed through a full year. He made his debut for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna after two pro seasons with Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing, reuniting with team manager Nathan Ramsey; he’s training at the Baker’s Factory and cited his KTM amateur background and prior work with trainer Aldon Baker as part of the move.

Bennick finished third in the 250SX East opener at Arlington. He started the main in third, finished less than 1.5 seconds behind winner Jo Shimoda and spent the race fending off pressure from Seth Hammaker. Bennick said he “struggled pretty bad all day” in the heat and called the main the roughest he’d experienced. Husqvarna entered round one as a single-rider 250 team after teammate Casey Cochran fractured his collarbone.

Statistically, his knack for opening rounds is clear: third in Detroit (2024), second in Tampa (2025) and third in Arlington (this season), an average opening-round finish of 2.7. By contrast, his overall 250SX résumé shows less consistency: in 13 non-opening main events he has no podiums, nine top-10s, three top-5s, a best finish of fourth at the 2024 Philly SX and an average finish of 10.4. Team members and observers point to durability issues as a key factor; Bennick suffered a concussion the week after his second-place finish in Tampa last year, and a training crash and resulting injury between an opening round and round two last season are cited as reasons he has sometimes been unable to convert early speed into season-long momentum.

SMX Insiders ran an SMX Insider EXTRA segment following the Arlington Supercross weekend in which hosts Jason Weigandt and Jason Thomas interviewed AMA director of racing Mike Pelletier to clarify officiating decisions that affected the 250- and 450-class main events.

Pelletier explained how the AMA arrived at its rulings, reviewed specific calls from the Arlington races, and answered questions about the rationale behind the decisions and their impact on riders and event standings.

The segment focused on explaining outcomes rather than announcing policy changes, serving as a concise post-event review that gave fans direct access to the AMA’s perspective and highlighted the interaction between sanctioning officials and media when communicating result determinations.

Highlights from Arlington, Texas captured the standout moments from both the 250SX and 450SX classes, emphasizing decisive maneuvers, turning points and notable incidents rather than full race results or extended analysis.

The 450SX highlights package focused on the 450SX class in Arlington, Texas, condensing the round into its most notable moments for viewers seeking a quick, viewer-friendly recap. It paired short clips of decisive maneuvers and key incidents with commentary or captions to underline standout sequences.

The AMA Supercross Championship Official article titled “250SX Highlights | Arlington, Texas” centered on the 250SX class at the same venue, compiling consequential on-track moments — including decisive passes, standout performances and notable incidents that shaped the race weekend. The write-up noted track conditions and the event atmosphere and prioritized moments with the biggest impact on outcomes and championship implications, serving fans who wanted key visual and narrative high points without exhaustive statistics.

Round 7 of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship — the 250SX East Division opener — will take place Saturday, Feb. 21 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Peacock will carry U.S. coverage: Race Day Live at 1:00 p.m. ET, a Pre‑Race Show at 6:30 p.m. ET and the Night Show at 7:00 p.m. ET. International streaming is available via the SuperMotocross Video Pass. Former Women’s National Champion Sarah Whitmore will host the weekend preview, which focuses on the 250SX East opener and includes a track report from Jason Thomas describing conditions and layout features.

The injury report and entry list reshaped the weekend outlook. Christian Craig is scheduled to race despite fractured ring and pinky fingers suffered in a first‑turn Seattle crash with Jason Anderson, and Jo Shimoda is expected to race following a neck injury. Several riders are ruled out: RJ Hampshire (foot) and Jorge Prado (shoulder) are out for Arlington, and Casey Cochran is out of 250SX East with a broken collarbone. Gage Linville has sustained severe torso injuries and is aiming to return before the season ends.

Jordon Smith will return to make his 2026 and 450SX debut at Arlington after missing the first six rounds with a prior shoulder injury. The Arlington entry list also omits Justin Barcia, Benny Bloss, Cade Clason, Austin Forkner, Logan Karnow, Jett Lawrence, Max Miller and Mitchell Oldenburg. A full text version of the injury report is available for readers.

The stop also carries 450SX championship implications: Hunter Lawrence holds a one‑point lead over Eli Tomac, while Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb are tied for third, 11 points behind the leader. With the 250SX East opener and these 450SX battles converging at AT&T Stadium, Round 7 shapes up as a consequential weekend for teams, riders and viewers alike.

Eli Tomac’s victory in Round 7 at Arlington immediately reshaped the 450SX title fight, cutting the gap to red‑plate leader Hunter Lawrence to a single point and turning the championship into an even tighter duel.

Tomac’s Arlington win was his third of the season, his 112th SMX victory and his 56th 450SX win. The result also helped KTM reach its 75th 450SX‑class victory and its 194th total SMX win. The Arlington event marked Tomac’s 375th SMX start and his 190th 450SX start, a milestone that tied him with Larry Ward and Justin Brayton for fifth on the all‑time 450SX starts list.

Other outcomes at AT&T Stadium underscored the championship ripple effects and season storylines. Hunter Lawrence finished fourth and retained the red plate; Cooper Webb posted his third straight podium and sat 11 points off the lead following a 7‑8‑5 start to the season. Justin Cooper capitalized on a two‑rider collision to take his first podium of the year — his sixth 450SX podium and 66th SMX podium overall. Chase Sexton notched his 65th 450SX top‑5 and his 150th SMX top‑5, Malcolm Stewart moved into the top‑25 all‑time in 450SX starts with 127, and Aaron Plessinger reached his 100th 450SX start.

Preview coverage from SMX Insiders hosts Jason Weigandt and Jason Thomas framed Round 7 as a pivotal moment for the 450 class, breaking down points scenarios, flagging key storylines and offering practical notes about the Arlington venue and event schedule. The Arlington round was the 48th DFW Metroplex Supercross and the 19th held at AT&T Stadium, which will not use a Triple‑Crown format this season — a scheduling detail that will shape how the remainder of the season’s narrative unfolds.

Two teams in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Division released roster photo galleries as visual previews ahead of the season opener. The galleries emphasize team identity, equipment, riders, and new graphics packages rather than race results, serving as promotional previews for fans and media.

The Dirt Legal Dirt Bike Depot WMR KTM Racing Team released a dedicated photoshoot featuring high-resolution, clickable thumbnails that open full-screen; credited photographer Tyler Hughes (Instagram: @Handheldty) produced the images. The gallery highlights the team’s riders as well as their bikes, riding gear and custom graphics, underscoring team branding, sponsors and the manufacturer partnerships embedded in the full team name. Hereafter the outfit is referred to as Dirt Legal WMR KTM.

MX6 Racing Kawasaki unveiled its roster and team photos in an Align Media–produced gallery that showcases Kawasaki bikes, riders’ gear and new graphics packages. The gallery doubles as a roster reveal and a visual promotional preview; individual riders were not named. Align Media and MX6 presented the images to introduce fans and media and to build anticipation for the upcoming 250SX East races.