Max Anstie Addresses Supercross Red Flag Ruling in Controversial Detroit Finish

In the closing seconds of the 250SX East Main Event in Detroit, AMA officials waved the red flag for a hard crash by Cameron McAdoo. A multi-second lead by Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Max Anstie was erased as a restart would be declared to determine the finish of the second round of the 250SX East class.

That decision did not come without controversy as Anstie would finish second when the checkered flag officially waved.

“I thought the rule was 90 percent and it was done,” Anstie stated during a postrace press conference.

The red flag rule was recently updated in the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross official rulebook and carried over into 2025.

In 2023 and years before, the rule referenced was Section 4.25b (Race Rules and Procedures – Restarts) which stated, “The race is stopped (with 3 laps completed by the leader and less than 90% of the total distance completed by the race leader…” In the 250SX races, the Main Event is timed at 15 minutes plus a lap, meaning once the clock expired, the next lap by the leader would be the white flag lap. 90% was simply a reference to the clock, so if the red flag was waved with 1:30 or less remaining on the clock, the race would be declared official based on the last completed lap by each individual rider to determine the final running order.

But in 2024, AMA updated the wording of the rule requiring the clock to be fully expired.

Section 1.8.11 (AMA Supercross Rules – Restarts and Red Flag Procedures) now states, “When a race is stopped after the leader completes three (3) laps but prior to time expiring on the race clock, the following procedures will apply,” with a step-by-step process of reorganizing the grid in preparation for the restart.

For Anstie, he knew work still had to be done and stayed focused on the task at hand.

“In that situation, it was very tough because I’m sitting there thinking, ‘I’ve got two very good sprinters and strong guys behind me, as in R.J. (Hampshire) and Levi (Kitchen),” reflected Anstie. “I knew I had two laps to go, so I was doing all the safe lines. I had mentally, for a couple of laps, decided that I was just not gonna do anything crazy, hit my marks and do the doubles and not do anything crazy. And then the red flag, and I was like, ‘Oh no, you’ve got to send it again.’ And I called on the radio to the guys on the team, ‘Where shall I go in the sand?’ Because I knew that was going to be a point and I had only taken outside the whole main, and it was just a safe line for me. It might not have been the fastest, but it was a little blown out by the end there.”

Despite not getting the result he wanted and was on pace for before the red flag, he was still pleased in being able to maintain pace with Kitchen and Hampshire to finish between the two competitors.

“I’m pleased in a way that I didn’t do anything silly in those last few laps,” Anstie continued I still came out of it with a second, good points. And at the end of the day, it was still a really fun race. I was just, to be honest, really happy that I was able to run that pace and feel comfortable at that pace. It was good.”

Anstie still leads the 250SX East Championship Point Standings over Kitchen by nine points after two rounds. His win in Tampa maintains his red plate when the series heads to Daytona Beach in two weeks. Gate drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET live on Peacock.

Related: The Motor City Stirs the Pot! Webb / Kitchen Win, Detroit Supercross Recap & Results