The second round of the SuperMotocross World Championship SMX Playoffs brought some wild racing over the weekend. With moto one winner and 250SMX points leader Haiden Deegan getting taken out by Levi Kitchen on the first lap of the second moto, the overall win shifted into Jo Shimoda’s hands. Shimoda was second behind Deegan in the first moto and brought home a second in moto two behind Tom Vialle. As Deegan rode home a 14th in the moto (without a front brake lever) and moto two winner Vialle collecting tenth in the first race, Shimoda’s 2-2 scored the overall win over Seth Hammaker (3-3) and Nate Thrasher (6-4).
Shimoda was feeling under the weather after the first moto and skipped his TV interview. Still, the Honda HRC Progressive rider fought through his sickness and landed at the center of the podium, having told the broadcast crew he had a fever all week long.
![Jo Shimoda]()
Jo Shimoda Align Media ![Shimoda comes through the checkered flag as Honda's Brandon Wilson and Lars Lindstrom cheer.]()
Shimoda comes through the checkered flag as Honda's Brandon Wilson and Lars Lindstrom cheer. Align Media ![Shimoda said he was dealing with a fever all week. What a gritty ride by the #30.]()
Shimoda said he was dealing with a fever all week. What a gritty ride by the #30. Align Media ![Pure exhaustion.]()
Pure exhaustion. Align Media
It was a huge night because Shimoda’s overall win pairs with Deegan’s sixth overall, to put the Honda rider into the points lead heading into next weekend’s triple points finale. The Japanese rider (92 points) sits with a 10-point advantage over Deegan (82 points) and can clinch the title next weekend with a second-place finish—even if Deegan wins. One round, a ten-point gap, and triple points. Could this be the break Shimoda needs to stop Deegan from earning three-straight 250SMX titles?
Since he was under the weather, Shimoda also skipped the post-race press conference, so we did not get a ton of information on his race day. However, Honda’s post-race report hit our inbox this afternoon, with the following quote from Shimoda:
“Tough day! I haven’t been feeling great; I had a fever going, and I was just trying to manage it. I just wanted to get a good start, ride 80 percent, do nothing crazy, and just finish it off, so I’m very happy with the result going into next weekend. I think it was a good day, for what it is.”
Lars Lindstrom, Honda HRC Progressive Team Manager, said the following in the release:
“I’m super proud of the team! The boys rode awesome, and we were able to take advantage of others’ misfortunes to go into the last round with a super strong chance at winning both championships! We’ll do everything possible to pull that off.”
Said Jo in a social media post:
Very stressful day yesterday, I couldn’t perform at my best due to fever so I had to manage and survive.
Thought I was racing in sauna, head ache, sweating so much, no energy, but still needed jacket to wear😂
Anyway let’s get healthy, and thank you people!
Can Shimoda hold on to claim his first professional title? He has been second or third in a championship a handful of times. Could this be the year he gets it done? It will not be an easy ask, as a fired-up Haiden Deegan will surely come out swinging next weekend as he looks to go out with three straight 250SMX titles.
Could other racers, teammates or not, come into play? And remember, there has been some trash talk lately between Deegan and Shimoda, especially late in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Will these two play it cool? Or could things get scrappy? All bets are off for next weekend's cannot-miss finale at The Strip at The Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Qualifying Points | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan  | 617 | 167 |
| 2 |  Seth Hammaker | Bainbridge, PA  | 408 | 144 |
| 3 |  Tom Vialle | Avignon, France  | 468 | 127 |
| 4 |  Nate Thrasher | Livingston, TN | 307 | 118 |
| 5 |  Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA | 723 | 116 |
