Pierce Brown completed a comeback at Arlington, winning the 250SX East opener and ending a 378-day absence from competition. The victory — his first career 250SX win — came nearly a year after he fractured his T5 vertebra while leading the Tampa main event on Feb. 8, 2025. Brown and his Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team called the result a milestone in a long recovery that included a brief, ill-fated return at the Ironman round of Pro Motocross and an infection the previous year.

Brown said the result “hasn’t sunk in yet,” added that he had been “hungry every day,” and called Arlington “the first race of ten,” describing 2026 as a year to “put it all together.” He said he planned a long-game approach focused on maximizing points and staying consistent over the remaining races while cleaning up mistakes. Arlington SX at AT&T Stadium produced a chaotic night: a first-turn pileup, a messy heat in which Brown initially struggled in the whoops before dialing them in, and differing accounts of how he took the lead. Some outlets reported he seized it on the gate (a light-gate lead), while others described a late pass on Jo Shimoda; Brown ultimately finished 2.4 seconds ahead of Shimoda and rode aggressively after the chaotic start.

Reports also varied about qualifying — some sources said he qualified P1, others that he struggled — but he nevertheless left Arlington holding the red plate. Daxton Bennick reached the podium for the third consecutive season opener, underscoring the depth of the field. The night was clouded by a warning-light controversy after video showed Brown and Bennick jumping with the warning light on; the AMA ruled no penalties, stating, “the presence of the warning light alone does not prohibit riders without accompanying flag signals.” The event also prompted public comments about safety and race control from Honda HRC Progressive Team Manager Lars Lindstrom after two separate red cross-flag incidents were called during the night.

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