Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Lead in lights was specifically added after Jetts situation in St Louis. Red lights has been there.
It's quiet clear what happen after listening to Mike and the YouTube video from SMX insider.
1. Lead in lights has been there from after Jetts issue 2024
2. It's been communicated in a sloppy way, through Ezra Lusk at media days and him talking to teams and riders.
They will make the lead in lights yellow, as I understood it riders have complained about before.
Yellow lights where added in 2023 to the rule book as alternative to yellow flag, but apparently and by nature hard to see In sun. Maybe SX never run yellow, but others have as AMA sanctioned races and probably that's where feedback was its not great to see, and they made with red for SX (but to complicated).
Honda legitimately needs to take this to court if they wont fix it. Millions of dollars on the line and a clearly defined rule book. Make this a whole fuckin thing.
AMA Pro Racing slogan: “we’re not happy until you’re not happy.”
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Free shipping: VITALMX
Wrong again.
Lead in lights were not added to the finish after Jett’s issue, the complete set of reds (3) were added to the finish after Jett’s issue.
Prior it was just a flag.
Even if they change the lead in lights to yellow the ama still has to somehow learn and instruct the flaggers how to properly operate a set of red lights.
And they would somehow have to learn and instruct their flaggers how and when to properly display a Red Cross flag.
They are incapable of that.
I know I’m not, and others are not flagging with the ama until changes are made.
And I’m not talking changing the lead in lights to yellow.
Just watched Pelletier’s explanation with Weege and JT; he didn’t even seem convinced himself 😂
He said Lusk had done a heap of media about these ‘lead-in lights. Anybody ever seen anything about it?
He also said Tomac, Roczen and Webb didn’t get sufficient warning of the red cross flag. Yet Hunter got it first and managed to see it and roll the finish, and all four riders got waved yellows in the sweeper beforehand.
And to top it off, he said they’ll make sure these new rules NOW get entered into the rule book.
If there wasn’t so much at stake, everyone would be laughing. Honda have fair grounds for appeal imo.
So the real question is. If the light isn't on, because some flag guy forgot to trip the switch but has red cross flag out, and riders jump into another downed rider, and someone gets seriously injured or killed. Is AMA responsible for said? I mean, it's their PR now. They stated it plainly and clearly as a matter of fact. Let's hope it doesn't happen, but it is now a legal fact written for all to see.
I think bullet 6 where it says “Race Director Discretion” is gonna pump the brakes on all you sue happy Nancy’s
He needs to worry about the bookies, not us🤐
I thought he said that Yogi reviewed the lead in light things at media days with the riders. However, Jo was hurt and not there. In fact, I am sure lots of riders weren’t there. Change management failure here by the AMA, you gotta over communicate this stuff or it will get missed when it matters.
Fortunately, we are only talking about a small amount of points and not talking about a catastrophic injury that happened because of the communication failure.
I don't think you understand how courts work. Especially for after fact, for future crashes or injuries. It's all what a jury believes. If 99% of the riders, announcers, and viewers believe it, don't you think a jury would?
Your username is misleading
there are tuff blocks around every square inch of the track. Why not put red LED lights all over the tuff blocks - then control them via "segments"? For examples, this situation was the little double to the finish. If they wanted riders to roll the jumps, they light that segment. You couldn't miss it. It clearly defines the beginning and end. If riders see these lights, there's no confusion = do not jump.
Wouldn't it be this easy to fix? Have one dude with a series of buttons controlling the sections and a headset - "RED LIGHTS ON SECTION 3!!!" and he pushes the button. "OK, all clear!" and he presses it again. Problem solved?
FFS, can we not suggest courts and lawyers…
According to Mike, lead in light function didn't exist until after Jetts issue. There was lights, but not in the function of lead in which is different from how it's been used previously.
Are you saying that the function of lead in lights to warn about a coming red cross already existed? The lead in has no penalty in itself. That's what's new.
Feld is a promoter of "entertainment experiences" which includes racing. That is, until it interferes with other revenue streams. I'd bet (har har) that the AMA was directed to make the trackside ruling stand because lots of bets would have to be recalled/reneged/etc.
Yes, the red lights have always come in threes.
If I remember right, there was one time on the bridge years ago, There were only two.
In the 10 years I’ve been involved, red lights always had three.
Yellow lights come in pairs
This sort of thing happens almost every year. Does anyone recall the new red flag restart rules that even the broadcast team didn't understand?
Do teams (or at least team managers) not fully understand the rulebook, or is the the rulebook intentionally vague to give the AMA/Race Director leeway in a lot of these instances? I understand that there is typically a discretion or "out" clause with regards to officiating in all motorsports, but procedural things like lights vs. flags should be spelled out even if the Race Director can decide whether or not a penalty is applicable.
Pit Row
Yes THIS, been saying it for years!
Good thing ama cleared it up! Its not in the rule book, but rules are rules!
The AMA: these lights, flags, and rules are here for safety
Jo: rolls to be safe
The AMA: ha! you dumbass, you should have jumped to keep the position. sucks to suck
The whole of "race direction" has lost the confidence and respect of most fans and athletes.
just shit can the light and flag BS. Install pyro charges at strategic points all over the track that riders would see right in front of them. Distribute charge placement maps to all teams before anybody rides the track & display the charge map as a graphic on the Jumbotron at intervals all night. Make track workers wear Slipknot masks so they can be anonymous when they hit the pyro charge ignitor.
My guess is, they just forgot to put this in the rules, it's been revised since 2023 and communicated every year the incremental changes.
You could hear on Mike it wasn't good handled, but he didn't try to hide from the fact that they need to do a better job. Incremental changes are dangerous, because it goes from nothing to big bang when it tips over.
I can tell from my own experience, including that I have done work inside national associations, that unfortunately it's no the top graduates that end up in those org. It's a bit harsh, but these org are cheap by nature since it's financed from membership fees. It's partly our own fault. While other employers spend money to keep employees onboard, a org like this turns cent upside down and inside out to see if there is a better option. Add in that you work on pretty much every weekend during year. Limited options for recruitment. There is always a handful that does 80% of the work but also means it's easy to miss things.
I would say we should be happy we have people like Mike there. Go back before this org and ask yourself if we want that back, because that's more the standard.
And to your point, I have had national riders go out and jump all jumps during first lap, even though it has been decleared it's mandatory red cross status during first lap even if flags is not out. The problem is for sure not only one-sided
I agree with the AMA's ruling. I'm sorry Jo rolled, but it is absolutely unacceptable to penalize Pierce if he was following the rules.
For Tomac and the other guys - the entire reason the lead-in lights were created was to warn of a pending incident. Hunter on Pulp says he rolled because he both saw the lights and the red cross flag. Tomac and others didn't have the lights on so AMA (correctly) said there was insufficient warning. You can argue the lights should have been on as the red cross flag was out for Tomac, but it wasn't.
There isn't alot of ownership by the teams if they feel Ezra's communication was "sloppy". He is overcommunicating the rules - they should know them. Gaslighting him saying he hasn't done enough is BS. There is never enough communication when someone isn't accountable.
All this so they don't have to employ a full time crew of trained flaggers.
AMA Racing = CalvinBall
Here's what I consider to be the main issue:
Mike P said, in that interview, that lead lights are NOT currently part of the rule book.
The rule book says to NOT jump on a red light.
The light that flashed, was red.
Lead in or not, is irrelevant, the rule book says red light.
So, by not enforcing any penalties, they are essentially ignoring their own rule book. This cannot be a thing in a professional sport, or have we officially converted to a circus?
It's not part of the rule book, but still part of the rules. Big difference.
aees, your comment is the dumbest comment i have read on this forum in 2026.
The rule book are the rules, there are no such things as rules outside of the rule book ffs.
Post a reply to: Team Honda HRC Progressive responds to AMA ruling