So you set yourself up for easy points on your previous lives to gain a score record in your final life? It's hard to track, but it's legit. The precedent here is Sonic Rush and Sonic Rush Adventure scores: you can perform stunts to maximize your trick bonus, then die and restart the level without losing it, and since the bonus isn't counted until the end of the level, the points technically aren't counted from the start of the final life used.