JO SHIMODA - GRIT 240 250SX

GRIT-240 | 250 SX

Honda's Jo Shimoda was seeking to perform at the highest level when the green flag waved for practice on Saturday. Amongst the largest of whoops and longest of gaps to leap, Shimoda was seeking to make a statement; landing on the throttle with the rear wheel spinning, knowing that he could combat the toughest forces who opposed him when nearing the final timing and scoring sensor(s). The number thirty was excelling in every facet, and left the raceway believing that he could display some of his strongest potential of any athlete on the roster as the eventual heat race came to fruition. With his tires meshing into the grate beneath the chassis, the rubber interlocked and would spin with intensity before Jo dove into corner number one. Hopping through the initial lane just near Jordon Smith, Shimoda's ability to maintain focus after the red-flag restart would be immaculate. He maintained a constant pressure of sorts on the rear wheel of the Yamaha rider, slicing through berms with a surplus of RPM while doing his best to try and overtake the North Carolina native. Lap after lap, the two would continue to combat the forces of the opposition...however it was the Honda rider (Shimoda) who exited the raceway in second, while readying his mentality for the main event. The narrative was set for the finalé, as twenty-two of the top West Coast athletes were set to collide amongst a sea of steep obstacles...and Shimoda completed the first few laps near the top-five, and would eventually work his way into fifth as the opening third of the moto was completed. He could see that he was gaining ground on Carson Mumford though, and would make the move with just over nine minutes left on the clock (for fourth) when entering into the opening rhythm section. Patiently, he resided here until Jordon Smith's multitude of crashes were too much for the Yamaha rider to disregard - therefore once into third, Jo would ride comfortably while limiting his mistakes through the white flag lap. Upon surging through the sand section and skimming the final whoop-pad for one last occasion, it was Honda's Shimoda who garnered a much deserved podium finish. Upon exiting the raceway, it was easy to sense that Jo embodied a feeling of accomplishment...and this feat was certainly one to build from before the series returns to action in the coming weeks.

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