06/08/2026
I just want everyone to know that I wish the family that filed the protest was in this picture as well.
Not because I'm upset with them.
Not because I think it's crazy for someone who finished 8th to protest the top finishers.
But because this protest was handled exactly the way protests are supposed to be handled, and I think it's an example our sport can learn from.
For those that weren't there, the family of a rider who narrowly missed a qualifying position filed a protest on the top finishing bikes regarding possible crankcase modifications.
And honestly? That's fair.
When your child has worked that hard and come that close to earning a ticket, wouldn't you want to know they had a fair shot? Wouldn't you want to know they weren't being beaten by illegal modifications?
The family didn't start drama. They didn't start a shouting match. They followed the rules, paid the protest fee, filed the proper paperwork, and openly acknowledged that they were the ones filing the protest.
CycleWorx built the 2nd place bike involved in the protest. The protest required a complete teardown to bare case halves. With AMA officials present, we tore the engine completely down and handed the cases over for inspection.
The officials inspected the cases, the protesting family was allowed to inspect them as well, and the bike was cleared with no modifications found.
Handshakes were exchanged. Questions were answered. Respect was shown on all sides.
The other protested bike was inspected and cleared as well.
Congratulations to the Puglisi family on the overall win at Gatorback.
Most importantly, this is exactly how the protest process is supposed to work.
The rules are written in black and white. If you're following them, you shouldn't be afraid of a protest. In fact, it's often a compliment. It means your rider is running up front and people want to be sure everything is legal.
And let's not forget something important:
Sometimes it's not a "cheater bike."
Sometimes the other kid simply rode better that day.
These are kids. Some days they're on. Some days they're off. That's racing.
The protest process exists to ensure every rider gets a fair opportunity, and this weekend showed exactly how that process should work.
No drama.
No accusations.
No hard feelings.
Just competitors following the rules and respecting the outcome.
That's an example worth sharing. 👊
