Pro Circuit Race Team ~Race Recap

February 21, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's McAdoo Kicks Off West Championship with Runner-Up Finish

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Cameron McAdoo had a great day inside Camping World Stadium to start the Western Regional 250SX Championship, scoring a heat race win and a second-place finish aboard his Kawasaki KX250. Rookie Seth Hammaker impressed in his first-ever professional race, grabbing second in his heat and riding strong in the main to start the season off with a sixth-place finish. Teammate Jordon Smith took away several positives from the day, despite retiring early from the main event following a crash, scoring him 20th.

There are always unknowns about where you stack up when showing up to Round 1, but McAdoo was confident he was capable of turning out a podium finish. He battled with his teammate Hammaker in his heat, where he would take the win.

In the main event, McAdoo got out to a great start in second, but a red flag forced a full restart. On the second start, he was pushed back to fifth after the first turn and quickly pushed his way up to second by Lap 3. He tried to make a push for the leader but was a little too far back by the time he got to second and had to settle for runner-up.

"Tonight was a great way to start the season and we are in a good position going forward," said McAdoo. "It feels good to see all our hard work pay off. We'll keep at it over the next two weeks and come out swinging in Daytona."

In his professional debut, Hammaker was turning heads as he showed both speed and composure on the track. That speed was highlighted when he led the first few laps of his heat race where he would finish second behind his teammate McAdoo.

Even with all the chaos in the opening laps of the main event, Hammaker was right there with the front runners and putting in good laps. On the restart he was seventh and used the race to find a good rhythm to keep. He went down on Lap 4 due to another rider, but managed to get up and keep pushing to race to a sixth-place finish in his debut.

"I can't say I wasn't nervous with it being my first supercross race, but I felt like I handled it well," said Hammaker. "I felt good all day and qualified second which I was happy about. It was nice to be able to get the holeshot and lead some laps in my heat race where I got second. The main event was wild and I already had to do my first restart. I got a decent start in the main and then got taken out on Lap 4. I got up and never gave up to get back up to sixth. Not bad for a fall and working my way up. Definitely something to build off of."

The opening round was going to be a test for Smith who had hurt his wrist in the off-season. He felt good all day and finished his heat race in fifth. Smith's first start wasn't what he hoped for and nearly escaped the carnage after the first turn. Smith's second start was perfect, almost grabbing the holeshot and sliding into second. He was running with the leader but on Lap 3 went down in the whoops and was unable to return, scoring him 20th in the night.

"The end result wasn't what I was looking to accomplish in this first round, but thankfully I'm okay and just a little banged up," said Smith. "The whole day was going great and I just lost some of the needed strength for the whoops. I have a lot of positives to build on and I'm thankful I was able to walk away okay."

250SX Class Western Regional Main Event Results - Orlando West

1. Justin Cooper (Yamaha)
2. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki)
3. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha)
4. Jalek Swoll (Husqvarna)
5. Hunter Lawrence (Honda)
6. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki)
7. Kyle Peters (Honda)
8. Chris Blose (GasGas)
9. Robbie Wageman (Yamaha)
10. Jace Owen (Yamaha)

250SX Class Western Region Points Standings

1. Justin Cooper (Yamaha), 26
2. Cameron McAdoo (Kawasaki), 23
3. Garrett Marchbanks (Yamaha), 21
4. Jalek Swoll (Husqvarna), 19
5. Hunter Lawrence (Honda), 18
6. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki), 17
7. Kyle Peters (Honda), 16
8. Chris Blose (GasGas), 15
9. Robbie Wageman (Yamaha), 14
10. Jace Owen (Yamaha), 13

February 14, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Shimoda Heads Into Break with Solid Fourth-Place Finish

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda closed out the opening rounds of the Eastern Regional 250SX class with a solid ride to fourth-place at Camping World Stadium. While torrential rains in the area looked to bring a mud race, the track dried out nicely for the evening. Shimoda's consistency over the past seven rounds helped him enter the break sitting third in the championship standings with two rounds remaining for the east coast riders.

In his last effort before the 10-week break, Shimoda started the evening with a second in his heat race. When the gate dropped for the main, Shimoda wasn't able to put his Kawasaki KX250 up at the front and was forced to make his way through the pack from 10th at the holeshot line. He made quick work of his competition and was into fourth just a few minutes later. Shimoda put in clean laps and finished 14 seconds ahead of fifth place.

"It would have been nice to land on the podium one more time before the break, but I am still happy with how I rode," said Shimoda. "Just needed a little bit better start. At the start of the day, we didn't really know what kind of track we were going to get after all that rain so to leave healthy and third in the points is good."

250SX Class Eastern Regional Main Event Results - Orlando East

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
3. Christian Craig (Yamaha)
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki)
5. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda)
6. Joshua Varize (KTM)
7. Kevin Moranz (KTM)
8. Joshua Osby (Honda)
9. Hunter Schlosser (Yamaha)
10. Logan Karnow (Kawasaki)

250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings

1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 166
2. Christian Craig (Yamaha), 158
3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 138
4. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 128
5. Joshua Osby (Honda), 103
6. Michael Mosiman (GasGas), 97
7. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda), 91
8. Joshua Varize (KTM), 81
9. Thomas Do (KTM), 74
10. Grant Harlan (Honda), 71

February 7, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Shimoda Back on Podium With Career-Best Finish of Second

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda earned his second podium of the season, this time one step higher on the podium in second at the final round hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium. The finish was a career-best and he rose in the championship standings to third.

Shimoda started the day feeling comfortable with the track, qualifying fourth. He took that comfort and showed confidence in his heat where he caught and tried to pass for the lead, but got pushed too far over on the rhythm lane and hit a tough block. Shimoda still finished third in the heat and was ready to put in a great effort in the main event.

When the gate dropped, Shimoda shot out to a fourth-place start and quickly made it up to third on the second lap. He was patient for a few laps before passing into second, maintaining that position for the remainder of the race with a seven-second gap over third.

"My last podium didn't really feel like I deserved it because of the circumstances, but this time I passed into second and rode a good race," said Shimoda. "I can't control what goes on in front of me or behind me. I just have to ride my race and put in my best effort. I'm really happy to be back up here and hope we can do it again in Orlando."

250SX Class Eastern Regional Main Event Results - Indianapolis 3

1. Christian Craig (Yamaha)
2. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki)
3. Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
4. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda)
5. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
6. Joshua Osby (Honda)
7. Hunter Sayles (KTM)
8. Devin Simonson (Kawasaki)
9. Thomas Do (KTM)
10. Luke Neese (Kawasaki)

250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings

1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 143
2. Christian Craig (Yamaha), 137
3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 119
4. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 102
5. Michael Mosiman (GasGas), 97
6. Joshua Osby (Honda), 88
7. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda), 73
8. Thomas Do (KTM), 65
9. Grant Harlan (Honda), 64
10. Joshua Varize (KTM), 64

February 3, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Shimoda Salvages Fourth After First Turn Carnage in Indianapolis

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda overcame being caught up in a first turn crash to come back and finish fourth at the second round inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The fifth round of the season proved that Shimoda was able to overcome adversity and helped him maintain his fourth place in the points standings.

Coming off his first podium finish, Shimoda was determined to keep up the momentum in Indianapolis and started off well with a third in his heat race. In the main event, he got a good jump but a rider in front of him went down and collected Shimoda along with him. Thankfully he bounced back up quickly and started to make up ground.

He came through on Lap 1 in 15th and was into the top 10 just a few laps later. Each lap he picked off another rider and another, passing for fourth on Lap 10. At this point in the race the front runners had already opened up a gap, forcing Shimoda to settle for fourth.

"I have been able to avoid being involved in any crashes so far on the start, but it got me this time," said Shimoda. "All I could think was to get up as fast as I could and just start putting in solid laps. The track was tough in spots and I just did my best to not make any mistakes. I won't know if I would have been up there able to pass for the podium, but we get another chance in Indy this weekend. I definitley want another podium so we'll be working to get back up there."

250SX Class Eastern Regional Main Event Results - Indianapolis 2

1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
2. Christian Craig (Yamaha)
3. Michael Mosiman (GasGas)
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki)
5. Grant Harlan (Honda)
6. Jeremy Hand (Honda)
7. Joshua Varize (KTM)
8. Joshua Osby (Honda)
9. Logan Karnow (Kawasaki)
10. Kevin Moranz (KTM)

250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings

1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 122
2. Christian Craig (Yamaha), 111
3. Michael Mosiman (GasGas), 97
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 96
5. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 83
6. Joshua Osby (Honda), 71
7. Joshua Varize (KTM), 57
8. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda), 54
9. John Short (Suzuki), 54
10. Grant Harlan (Honda), 52

January 31, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Shimoda Grabs First Career Supercross Podium in Indianapolis

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda started the stint of rounds inside Lucas Oil Stadium with a memorable moment, earning his first career supercross podium. His third place was well deserved as he put himself in position to capitalize on others' mistakes and took home third. Teammate Austin Forkner opted to sit out the rounds in Indiana to focus on recovering from his injury.

The track was technical and slippery, forcing the riders to stay at the top of their game. Shimoda found himself in the top five at the start and kept it steady for the majority of the race. His speed allowed him to keep pace and see the riders in front of him and it paid off when two riders got tangled before the finish, handing Shimoda his very first podium with his third place.

"This wasn't really how I wanted to earn my first podium, but I'm still thankful we made it here," said Shimoda. "I eventually want to earn it on my own and prove to myself that I am capable of being up here with these guys. I have a lot of positives to take away from this and hope to be in the running for the podium on Tuesday."

250SX Class Eastern Regional Main Event Results - Indianapolis 1

1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
2. Michael Mosiman (GasGas)
3. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki)
4. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
5. Christian Craig (Yamaha)
6. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda)
7. Thomas Do (KTM)
8. John Short (Suzuki)
9. Joshua Osby (Honda)
10. Grant Harlan (Honda)

250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings

1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 96
2. Christian Craig (Yamaha), 88
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 83
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 77
5. Michael Mosiman (GasGas), 76
6. Joshua Osby (Honda), 56
7. John Short (Suzuki), 54
8. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda), 51
9. Thomas Do (KTM), 47
10. Max Vohland (KTM), 46

January 25, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Shimoda Ties Best Finish of Fourth in Houston

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda continued his string of consistent results in Houston, tying his season-best of fourth to close out the events held inside NRG Stadium. With his consistency, Shimoda sits fourth in the championship points standings. Teammate Austin Forkner sat out of the racing on Saturday due to injuries he suffered during a crash in qualifying. He will be evaluated this week to find out a possible return date.

It was another day of Shimoda riding quietly into the top five. His consistency is paying off for the young rider, who has now finished either fourth or fifth in the first three races. Shimoda had been having trouble finding his groove early in the race, but in Saturday's main event he made quick work of his competition and moved from his sixth-place start up to fifth on Lap 2. He moved up to fourth, and after moving back to fifth at one point, found his way back into the top four to close out a great week of racing in Houston.

"My main event start was better than the first two rounds, but I should have made a few better decisions on the first two corners because it cost me a few spots," said Shimoda. "I did feel much better this race from the start, but I couldn't get comfortable in the whoops and it was causing a little arm pump. It takes a lot of energy out of you so that will be something I need to fix for the next race."

250SX Class Eastern Regional Main Event Results - Houston 3

1. Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
2. Christian Craig (Yamaha)
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki)
5. Michael Mosiman (GasGas)
6. Max Vohland (KTM)
7. Joshua Osby (Honda)
8. John Short (Suzuki)
9. Kevin Moranz (KTM)
10. Thomas Do (KTM)

250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings

1. Christian Craig (Yamaha), 70
2. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 70
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 64
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 56
5. Michael Mosiman (GasGas), 53
6. Max Vohland (KTM), 46
7. Joshua Osby (Honda), 42
8. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki), 40
9. John Short (Suzuki), 39
10. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda), 34

January 20, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Shimoda Scores Another Top-Five Finish in Houston

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Jo Shimoda and Austin Forkner finished fifth and sixth, respectively, at the second round of the Monster Energy Supercross at NRG Stadium. Shimoda put in another solid effort to grab his second straight top-five finish, while teammate Forkner overcame a fall to cross the finish line in sixth.

The track changes for Round 2 brought with it a very fast-paced track with lap times clocking in even faster than that of Saturday's opening round. With that the intensity was high and riders were tasked to make little to no mistakes to keep it at the front. After finishing fifth in his heat, Shimoda made the best of his gate pick and rounded the first lap of the main event in 10th. Once he settled in, he was able to put in solid laps and make his way towards the front runners. When the checkers flew, he was just three seconds back of fourth place, claiming fifth for the night.

"I wasn't able to find my pace the first few laps but once I settled in, I put in some good lap times and was able to make some passes," said Shimoda. "I know that I will get better with each gate drop and I'm thankful for the great team behind me pushing me to improve each round. It will be nice to have a few extra days off and we'll be back to see if we can keep up the good finishes."

The end result for Forkner wasn't what he had hoped for, but was still able to take some positives away from the day. He had good speed throughout the round and ultimately is in good position to fight for his first championship.

In the main event, he got a great start and was running second, but fell back to third after saving a near crash in the whoops right before the finish line triple. He steadily worked to get close enough for a pass on second, but as he made his move the rider collided with Forkner and both riders went down. He was able to remount quickly into sixth. With the pace still high in front of him, it was difficult to make up time, ultimately settling for sixth on the night.

"That wasn't how I wanted tonight to go, but I have to be thankful that I was able to get up quickly and still earn some solid points in the championship," said Forkner. "The track was really fast and if you didn't get up there right away, it was going to be hard to get close enough to pass. There wasn't a ton of opportunity to pass and when I saw my shot, I had to take it. There is still a lot of racing left and we'll see how the next round goes."

250SX Class Eastern Regional Main Event Results - Houston 2

1. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
2. Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
3. Christian Craig (Yamaha)
4. Michael Mosiman (GasGas)
5. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki)
6. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki)
7. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda)
8. Max Vohland (KTM)
9. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
10. Joshua Osby (Honda)

250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings

1. Christian Craig (Yamaha), 47
2. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 44
3. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 43
4. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki), 40
5. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 37
6. Michael Mosiman (GasGas), 35
7. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna), 32
8. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda), 31
9. Max Vohland (KTM), 29
10. Joshua Osby (Honda), 26

January 17, 2021

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Forkner Starts Season On The Podium in Houston

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Austin Forkner kicked off the 2021 season with a great ride aboard his Kawasaki KX250, finishing runner-up inside NRG Stadium. His ride displayed both impressive speed and composure on the rough, challenging track, setting him up for another great ride on Tuesday for Round 2. Teammate Jo Shimoda enjoyed many great moments at the opening round and finished off the night just off the podium in fourth.

It was a big night for Forkner, who came into the season opener with a lot of eyes on him and how he would bounce back after over six months away from the start gate. He quickly proved he was back and a serious championship contender with a heat race win just ahead of his teammate. Forkner didn't get the great start he has become accustomed to, but that didn't seem to bother the multi-time race winner. He kept up a high, consistent pace, made solid passes and found himself in second just over halfway through the race.

"It's amazing how great I feel for getting second," said Forkner. "I overcame a lot this past year with my injury and letting a championship slip away. It was exciting to come back to a brand new bike and put in the work off the bike. My start wasn't what I was hoping for, but my goal was a podium. To work my way up to second, I had to make some solid passes and ride consistently, so all in all, I'm really happy with how the race went."

The young rider out of Japan wasted no time in showcasing the power under the KX250. He grabbed the heat race holeshot and led several laps before his teammate made the pass. In the main, Shimoda raced out to another good start but wasn't able to get into a rhythm like he did in the heat and it pushed him back a few spots. He still kept the pace high and was able to be in a good position when the riders in front of him started to make mistakes, eventually pushing him up to fourth by the checkered flag.

"The race started out pretty good and I ended up being really nervous for the first five laps or so, which cost me a few spots," said Shimoda. "Once I got looser and looser as the race went on, I put in solid laps and was able to get past some guys who were making mistakes in front of me. In the end, fourth is nice considering it was a tough start. Now that we have one race under our belts, I see Tuesday being even better."

250SX Class Eastern Regional Main Event Results - Houston 1

1. Christian Craig (Yamaha)
2. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki)
3. Colt Nichols (Yamaha)
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki)
5. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna)
6. Jett Lawrence (Honda)
7. Michael Mosiman (GasGas)
8. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda)
9. Max Vohland (KTM)
10. Joshua Osby (Honda)

250SX Class Eastern Region Points Standings

1. Christian Craig (Yamaha), 26
2. Austin Forkner (Kawasaki), 23
3. Colt Nichols (Yamaha), 21
4. Jo Shimoda (Kawasaki), 19
5. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna), 18
6. Jett Lawrence (Honda), 17
7. Michael Mosiman (GasGas), 16
8. Mitchell Oldenburg (Honda), 15
9. Max Vohland (KTM), 14
10. Joshua Osby (Honda), 13