The Monster Energy AMA Supercross 250SX East Division has seen three different winners in three rounds. What’s even more exciting is that only two points sit between the top four in the championship. Pierce Brown struck first in Arlington, then Seth Hammaker dominated Daytona. In Indianapolis it was Cole Davies turn as he swept all three races in the Triple Crown. Meanwhile Jo Shimoda has been consistent in his return to racing going 2-4-2. Jo now sits fourth in points, tied with Brown and only two points out of the lead.
As Shimoda’s Honda HRC Progressive teammate Hunter Lawrence is proving in the 450SX class, consistency is key in a championship. Maybe even more important in the shortened, ten-round 250SX championship. So far, the top four (Davies, Hammaker, Shimoda, and Brown) all have had one round where they finished off of the podium. Mistakes are going to have to be minimized for one rider to break away from the rest in this championship. In the Triple Crown format, it is extra important to be consistent over all three mains as Shimoda said in the post-race press conference:
“Well, my goal was to try to get a good start and just try to run up front on each three races," Shimoda said. "But I felt like I made my personal mistakes a lot tonight. I mean, the track was the track. It was difficult, but few moments I had. I just needed to be better.”
His competitor on the night was Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker, who struggled with that consistency due to a crash in the second main.
“I think just the rebound from main two, bouncing back from that and getting a second place in the last main," Hammaker said. "So, to put myself in a position to get on the podium overall. And yeah, I was definitely frustrated at myself after that second main crash in the whoops and still rode good after I got up, but just can't put yourself back like that, especially on the opening laps. I had to come through, literally was picked my bike up in last and yeah, I'm happy with the bounce back, but other than that, starts were not on it tonight and yeah, just wasn't upfront to start with.”
Hammaker and Shimoda had a hard-fought battle in the third main, with Hammaker making a pass stick on the last lap to take second place. Both riders spoke on the pass, starting with Shimoda:
“Yeah. I looked back the video and I kind of messed up the section before it and I had to do a double on tabletop to single. I thought I showed him enough that I'm going to go in the left side, just jumping a table to the left, but I guess he was a lot more left than me. So, honestly, I was just surprised. I thought he was going to be on the right side. But yeah, it was a close call for sure.”
Hammaker explained the close pass from his point of view:
“You had to pick your passes kind of carefully tonight. And with how this track gets, not that anybody tries it, but you just kind of cross over a little bit. The ruts kind of grab you and you go one way, so it's kind of tough. But yeah, with Jo there, I think he thought I was on the right. He even looked over on that double, but I was actually on the left and, yeah, secured that spot. Didn't really matter for the overall, but it still felt nice to pass and make a run for the win in that third one.”
The Daytona and Indianapolis rounds of the series are known for being two of the most treacherous tracks on the circuit. Not losing points at these rounds is almost as important as winning them. With these rounds in the rearview mirror, are any of these top four riders going to be set themselves apart from the rest, similar to Haiden Deegan in the 250SX West Championship? Or is it going to be an all-out drag out fight all the way to Salt Lake City for the East title again?
Indianapolis - 250SX East
March 7, 2026| Rider | Hometown | Motos | Bike | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cole Davies | Waitoki, New Zealand  | 1 - 1 - 1 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| 2 |  Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan  | 2 - 2 - 3 | Honda CRF250R Works Edition |
| 3 |  Seth Hammaker | Bainbridge, PA  | 3 - 9 - 2 | Kawasaki KX250 |
| 4 |  Daxton Bennick | Morganton, NC | 4 - 4 - 7 | Husqvarna FC 250 Factory Edition |
| 5 |  Pierce Brown | Sandy, UT | 10 - 3 - 4 | Yamaha YZ250F |
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cole Davies | Waitoki, New Zealand | 64 |
| 2 | Seth Hammaker | Bainbridge, PA | 63 |
| 3 | Pierce Brown | Sandy, UT | 62 |
| 4 | Jo Shimoda | Suzuka, Japan | 62 |
| 5 | Daxton Bennick | Morganton, NC | 55 |
