SuperMotocross 250 Countdown: No. 5, Jo Shimoda keeps Honda hopes high

Jo Shimoda had big shoes to fill in 2024. A year earlier, the Honda HRC team won Supercross championships with Hunter Lawrence in the 250 East division, Jett Lawrence in the West and Chase Sexton winning the 450 title. There was literally no way to improve the team; the only thing they were hoping for was to match the historic feat in 2023.

The bike and the team were capable, so expectations were high. They were high, not only because of the Lawrence brothers’ success in the 250 division, but also because Shimoda was coming off a great 2023 season.

MORE: Jo Shimoda’s first 250 Supercross victory

In 2023, Shimoda was Honda’s biggest challenge as he rode with the powerful Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. That year he finished third in Pro Motocross points and second in the inaugural SuperMotocross World Championship after winning the series opener at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina and finishing second in two other rounds. Haiden Deegan took the title by five points, but many would argue that Shimoda was just as strong.

SX 2024 Rd 02 San Francisco Jordon Smith wins 250 West.JPG

For most of his career Jordon Smith has been the best in Supercross and he needs to repeat that success in 2025.

The point difference between first, second and third – the podium positions – was decisive. Shimoda took three podiums in six motos in 2023 to Deegan’s four. In the end, the championship came down to fine points: Shimoda had the advantage in terms of consistency with a worst result of fourth, but he won that three times. Deegan finished fifth twice.

It took a few rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross Series for Shimoda to get comfortable. He narrowly missed out on the podium in the opening round at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, finishing two tenths behind third-placed Levi Kitchen. He crashed and didn’t finish Round 2 in the hampering muddy conditions in San Francisco, and then scored a pair of fourth-place finishes.

SMX 2024 Rd 1 zMax Dragway Pierce Brown close-up with helmet.JPG

Pierce Brown went from strength to strength as the SuperMotocross season progressed and finished the 2024 playoffs in third place.

By most measures, Shimoda was doing well, but he was still being compared to the Lawrence brothers. As Shimoda settled into his rhythm and eased the pressure, his results improved. Glendale, Arizona, and Seattle, Washington finished in third place. St. rose one more place. Louis, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee to finish second.

There was only one place left. In the penultimate round of the 250 West division, Shimoda beat Kitchen to the line and won his first Supercross race. A last fourth place finish followed, giving Shimoda a near sweep of the top five.

Shimoda showed the same progression in Pro Motocross. He was sixth in the season opener at Fox Raceway in Pala, California and then fifth at the next round of the Hangtown Motocross Classic. Shimoda finished fourth in the next two rounds, then finished third in three of the next four starts.

SX 2024 Rd 10 Indianapolis Cameron McAdoo.jpg

Cameron McAdoo had finished first or second in five straight races before suffering injuries in Nashville, Tenn.

Not even an early crash in Moto 2 at the Spring Creek Nationals could slow him down. Another crash in the second race at Unadilla MX Park in New Berlin, New York, and the realization that he needed to heal for the SuperMotocross World Championship, finally forced him to come to terms with reality. He missed the last two Motocross races.

Still feeling the effects of his two crashes, Shimoda wasn’t 100 percent in the playoffs, but he still got a podium (at Texas Motor Speedway), and was fourth in the other two rounds, which was good enough for fourth overall.

Expectations remain high in 2025. The key to Shimoda’s success will be podium finishes early in the Supercross and Motocross divisions. If he can do that and avoid injury, Shimoda will compete for the championships.

2024 Statistics
Feature start: 22
Average feature finish: 5.14
Earnings: 1
Podiums: 9
Top five: 18
Top 10: 19
Best Finish: Win (Denver SX)
SMX ranking/payout: fourth/$100,000

2024 news
Jo Shimoda posts fifth fastest practice at zMax Dragway
Shimoda breaks the shock in the Unadilla accident
Shimoda scores his first 250 win in Denver
Shimoda is riding well, making smart decisions with back-to-back podiums

450 countdown
5. Aaron Plessinger
6. Lawrence the Hunter
7. Jason Anderson
8. Ken Roczen
9. Justin Cooper
10. Justin Barcia
11. Malcolm Stewart
12. Dylan Ferrandis
13. Christian Craig
14. Shane McElrath
15. Dean Wilson