Slaw Dog
It’s crazy to think that a pitboard changed the course of the 250SX West Region. The odds of Jo Shimoda hitting it again and suffering two broken fingers is highly unlikely. But here we sit three rounds into the series with Jo barley hanging on.
It was truly a race-time decision if Shimoda was even going to compete Saturday at round 3 in Anaheim. He didn’t ride all week and was going to attempt practice and decide then.
Although he only qualified 23rd, he easily advanced through his heat to the main event. Somehow, some way, Shimoda gutted through to a sixth-place finish, keeping his championship hopes alive.
“I’m honestly just hanging onto the bike; it’s really tough on me,” Shimoda said after the race. “It was a tough night again with my hand, but I put good effort in the main event to try to score some points. I just don’t want to let this [championship] go; I feel like I’ve got to stay in it. Next week hopefully I’ll be a little better and stronger, to keep this thing alive.”
With Julien Beaumer finishing runner-up to Haiden Deegan, Shimoda now trails by 13 entering Glendale this weekend. The bad news: it is the first Triple Crown event, meaning he will have to race three times with every race counting.
The good news, the West Region goes on an extended break following Glendale.
“I’m so proud of Jo for surviving the night, and hopefully next weekend he’s just a little bit better and can then take the next three weeks to let his hand completely heal and come out swinging for the rest of the series,” said team manager Lars Lindstrom.
Whether he is able to stay in the championship fight is unknown, but Jo has certainly earned new fans by trying.
Images: @octopi.media
