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Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki Rider Jo Shimoda Finishes Second Overall At SuperMotocross World Championship™ Playoff 2
Foothill Ranch, Calif. (September 17, 2023) - Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Jo Shimoda secured a second place overall finish at second Playoff of the SuperMotocross World Championship™ at the Chicagoland Speedway. Teammates Seth Hammaker and Ryder DiFrancesco finished seventh (9-9) and ninth (12-7), respectively. Team Green™ rider Carson Wood brought home a wire-to-wire win in the Supermini class, and Monster Energy® Kawasaki riders Jason Anderson and Adam Cianciarulo battled to finish ninth (13-6) and 13th (11-12), respectively.
Located just outside of Chicago, Chicagoland Speedway opened in 2001 and actively hosted NASCAR races and in 2010 introduced the IndyCar Series, making it a fitting location for the second round of SuperMotocross Playoffs. During the afternoon rainy qualifying sessions, Hammaker placed his KX™250 into second, Shimoda sixth and DiFrancesco 14th.
At the start of 250 Moto 1, Shimoda launched out of the starting gate in fifth, with Hammaker closely behind. DiFrancesco had a good jump, but unfortunately made a mistake in Turn 1 placing him on the ground momentarily, quickly remounting his machine in the 19th position. Shimoda quickly began making his way through the pack, soon catching the rear fender of the third place rider. The No. 30 Kawasaki made the pass into third and within two laps began battling with second place. After overtaking the second position Shimoda charged for the front, eventually battling with the leader and finishing a close second. Hammaker remained consistent throughout the moto finishing in seventh place. Despite his error, DiFrancesco made an impressive comeback, finishing 12th for the moto.
In Moto 2, Shimoda wasted no time launching his KX™250 off the starting gate, securing a Top-3 start. DiFrancesco had a better start crossing the holeshot line in fourth, and Hammaker in eighth. Shimoda saw himself battling with the leader, where he quickly overtook the lead and began working to expand his gap over second. After losing a few positions, DiFrancesco refused to back down and began gaining back spots each lap. Shimoda continued his lead until a sensor malfunction affected his performance, resulting in him losing time and eventually the lead. Remaining consistent despite the issue, Shimoda would finish second once again. DiFrancesco and Hammaker remained consistent throughout the remainder of the moto, finishing seventh and ninth.
Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green™ rider Carson Wood finished first at the inaugural Supermini All-Star Championship at SMX Playoff 2. Wood set the fastest overall qualifying time despite the undesirable track conditions. In the main event, Wood shot out of the gate claiming the holeshot and never looked back. Wood crossed the finish line in first, 11 seconds over second place, securing the first annual Supermini All-Star Championship win.
Monster Energy® Kawasaki riders, Adam Cianciarulo and Jason Anderson fought challenging track conditions, ultimately securing the fifth and eighth qualifying positions.
During Moto 1 of the 450 Class, both Cianciarulo and Anderson began their races with strong starts within the Top 10. Anderson made a mistake towards the end of Lap 1 causing him to tip over, sending him back to the 20th position. The No. 21 quickly began gaining positions, eventually racing himself in the Top 15 after four laps. After losing a few positions, Cianciarulo carried consistency for the remainder of the moto, finishing 11th. Anderson made an impressive comeback from his Lap 1 mistake, finishing 13th.
In Moto 2, Anderson crossed the holeshot line in the Top 10 and Cianciarulo in 19th. Each lap Anderson continued to move forward in the field, holding a steady and consistent pace. Once he entered the Top 5. Anderson engaged in numerous battles, ending up sixth in the second moto. Cianciarulo began to move up in the standings, eventually remaining consistent in the 12th position where he would finish.