Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Shimoda Remains in Hunt for Championship with Runner-Up Finish in Chicago
Chicagoland Speedway Highlights:
- Shimoda only three points out of the championship lead
- Shimoda finished 2-2 for second overall
- Hammaker finished seventh overall (9-9)
- DiFrancesco came back from a first turn crash in Moto 1 for 9th overall (12-7)
- Mumford and Forkner are both out for the remainder of the season
Joliet, Ill. (September 17, 2023) – Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda kept himself in the championship fight after an impressive showing inside Chicagoland Speedway to claim second overall (2-2) at the second of three rounds of the SuperMotocross World Championship. The rain-soaked track provided unique challenges for the riders, but Shimoda’s teammates also rode solid and came away with top-10 finishes. Seth Hammaker rode to a 9-9 moto score for seventh overall, while Ryder DiFrancesco claimed ninth overall with 12-7 finishing scores.
The riders were challenged all day by the long track layout and the rain that came down throughout the day. Shimoda’s streak of good starts continued when the gate dropped for the first race, where he filed into fifth and kept the front runners in sight. With the track not having many places to pass, Shimoda had to be creative and, after passing into fourth late in the race, caught third and second quickly but wasn’t close enough to challenge for the lead with the time remaining. Shimoda made up for that in the second race when he got out to a quick lead on Lap 2 and was seemingly on his way to victory when he was forced to slow his pace because of a bike issue. Once he got comfortable again, he maintained a good gap over third and brought home second overall.
“I don’t know exactly what happened with the bike, but I thought I felt something and decided to play it safe,” said Shimoda. “I wish I could have kept it out front, but in the end we’re still in it for the final race. You never know what will happen, and I’m just thankful we have a shot after a long year. My team has been giving me a great bike all year and I’m ready to get to L.A. for the last race.”
The day started as it has been for many weeks for Hammaker as he found himself with a good qualifying result in second. Knowing he had good speed, he lined up and was seventh off the start. Hammaker maintained that position for much of the race, but a few mistakes cost him and pushed him down to ninth at the checkered flag. The second moto was quite similar to the first, with an eighth-place start. Hammaker raced back and forth around eighth, ultimately finishing ninth for seventh overall.
“I started the day feeling really comfortable on the track but wasn’t able to make many passes happen,” said Hammaker. “It was tough to pass and I wasn’t able to showcase the speed that I thought I had for this one. I’m hoping the track next week will provide more options for passing but I’ll also be working on my starts to get a chance to be up with the front from the beginning.”
After a breakthrough race last weekend, DiFrancesco was ready to take that confidence to Chicago. Unfortunately, the first race only saw DiFrancesco come through the pack after being collected in a first-turn crash and starting next to last. He had made it up to 15th by the second lap, but the passing wasn’t coming as quickly after that and he settled for 12th in the opening race. The second moto was much better for DiFrancesco, who started fourth and was able to hold on to seventh at the end of the race for ninth overall.
“It’s not really the position I was hoping for,” said DiFrancesco. “I was a bit deflated after going down in that first race and using up a lot of energy to get through the pack as far as possible. I know I’m capable of more and have one more round to showcase it.”
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250SMX Class Overall Results – SMX Playoff 2
- Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 1-1
- Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 2-2
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 3-3
- RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna), 5-4
- Max Vohland (KTM), 8-5
- Jordon Smith (Yamaha), 10-8
- Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki), 9-9
- Levi Kitchen (Yamaha), 6-12
- Ryder DiFrancesco (Kawasaki), 12-7
Jalek Swoll (Husqvarna), 7-13
250SMX Class Points Standings
- Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 89
- Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 86
- Haiden Deegan (Yamaha), 82
- Levi Kitchen (Yamaha), 63
- RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna), 62
- Jordon Smith (Yamaha), 62
- Max Vohland (KTM), 59
- Tom Vialle (KTM), 54
- Ryder DiFrancesco (Kawasaki), 54
Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki), 49
Team Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki uses WRP Titanium Fasteners
