GRIT 303 — 250SX — 2nd — Jo Shimoda

As practice took place on Saturday, Jo Shimoda would propel forward as a standout amongst the 250SX category. He was in total control of the chassis, and could move the machine around as desired, while weaving through the rutted course in the LoneStar State. He could link together lines with ease, and made the flow throughout the landscape seem effortless. This led to a myriad of strong lap-times being registered, and his outlook for heat number two was superb. Moments later, he and the rest of the field would storm into the opening corner. There wasn't much room for error at this point in the contest, and as he powered to a standing of first (following a phenomenal start), he would prove that he had returned from his devastating injury! However, the divisional round was red-flagged, forcing all in the field to restart in unison! Though Shimoda would do it once more (i.e. claiming the hole-shot) following the forthcoming gate-drop as well! But Kawasaki's Seth Hammaker. quickly surpassed him in a rhythm lane, moving Jo to second in the earliest of stages. From there, he would do his best to stay within striking distance of Seth Hammaker. But the Kawasaki competitor was almost flawless on this technical canvas. Shimoda, with a veteran mentality, remained composed and could examine the bigger picture per se, while knowing that seat-time and an optimal gate choice. In the end, the crowd would applaud, as

Shimoda's return to the racetrack equated to a notable score of second! In the main event, Jo would avoid a disastrous first-turn sequence, and emerge from the initial bend with the lead! He was stellar, and would defend his standing from Pierce Brown until an instance of lessened speed over the finish line jump (with eleven minutes on the clock) would deter him from the race lead! However, Shimoda hopped over the landing ramp and immediately tucked-into a flow that was just behind, Yamaha's Brown. In the laps that followed, Shimoda relentlessly hounded the presence of the Utah native. This led to a near climactic moment, with less than a minute remaining on the clock where lap-traffic had slowed, the pace of Pierce... though the block-pass which Shimoda put forth, amid a bowl turn, was a bit too passive. Thus, Jo remained in second. From there, he kept a hard charging Daxton Bennick at bay — and claimed the silver medal accolade, as the final flag was thrown!