Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/656086
SUPERCROSS MONSTER ENERGY AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES, AN FIM WORLD ROUND 11 / MARCH 19, 2016 DETROIT, MICHIGAN / FORD FIELD P58 450SX II DUNGEY WINS, ANDERSON WINS Over the course of most supercross seasons, it's incredibly rare for racers to be seriously penalized. Most seasons go by entirely without the officials deciding main-event positions after a race is over. But in 2016, not only have race officials done this more than once, they've actually changed 450SX main-event podium finishes twice now for the exact same reason and under very similar circumstances. And both times, the ruling has penalized the racer with the red plate on his motorcycle (the 450cc points leader coming into the race). The first time was at round two in San Diego, where points leader Jason Anderson finished third after a terrible start, but was docked two positions for jumping after getting the red- cross flag. In Anderson's case, he was coming through a 90-degree right-hand turn and the red-cross flag was being rather lazily displayed on the right side of the first jump out of the turn. The position of the flagger relative to where a racer, in his position, is looking was trouble- some, as was the lazy manner in which the flagger was displaying the flag. But he wasn't penalized for jumping that first jump. Instead, he was penalized for doubling the triple later down the same straightaway (even though the red lights had gone out before he got there). In Ryan Dungey's case, he was already over two and a half seconds clear of his teammate Marvin Musquin on the seventh lap of the main event when he went through a 180-degree right-hand turn and, once again, the red-cross flagger was standing on top of the first jump out of the turn on the far right side of the trackâex- actly where Dungey can't be expected to be looking. And according to his team, the flagger was holding the flag at approximately waist level when Dungey came by. (The flag was for RCH Suzuki's Jake Weimer, who had crashed out of the race on the finish line straightaway.) "We were penalized two positions per the rule- book but the problem is that Ryan's line was on the outside and his line of sight could not see the flag- ger who was on the inside holding the red cross flag at waist height," said Red Bull KTM Team Manager Roger DeCoster. "There were the yellow lights flashing, which means to use caution, and Ryan could see there was no bike or rider on the track and jumped as he didn't see the flag. After Ryan Dungey (1) and teammate Marvin Musquin (25) battled for the lead early in the main event.