Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda raced to a near overall victory for the second straight race after claiming his third moto win of the season at Round 10, giving him enough points from his runner-up finish (3-1) to move into second in the championship battle. The track at Budds Creek MX Park was not for the faint of heart and Cameron McAdoo — in only his second race back — claimed 10th in the first moto to finish 14th overall (10-17). Both Seth Hammaker and Ryder DiFrancesco stayed off the track at Budds Creek to get in some extra recovery from minor injuries suffered during the last round at Unadilla but are targeting Round 11 for their return.
After much talk about rain coming into the area on Saturday, it ultimately stayed dry for the Pro Motocross riders. Shimoda had a good qualifying session to earn third but couldn’t make the start stick once the gate dropped for Moto 1. He came around the opening lap in 11th and had to put in a big charge from the start of the 30 minutes plus two-lap race. Shimoda never backed down, moving into the top five after just six laps, but had to push for the final two spots, ultimately passing into third with two laps to go.
Shimoda’s third in Moto 1 set him up for a good overall finish, and thankfully his start in Moto 2 was much better, coming around the first turn in fourth. He pushed quickly into second by the end of the first lap and set his sights on first. Shimoda remained patient and made a good pass for the lead on Lap 6, never looking back. His 3-1 narrowly missed out on his second-straight overall, but a solid day pushed him into second overall in the title fight.
“I had to put a lot of energy into coming back in the first moto, but I’m happy it came together in the second,” said Shimoda. “I felt like I had to sprint the whole first moto. Justin gave me a good battle for the lead. I was really hoping I had another overall, but moving into second overall is pretty cool for me and the team.”
McAdoo took some time to get comfortable with the southern Maryland track, qualifying 14th. He got a decent jump to start Moto 1, coming around in 15th. He pushed as hard as he could, making it up inside the top-10, but ultimately McAdoo collected 10th. The second moto was not what the Iowan was looking for, starting a tough 34th. He didn’t let that start deter him from riding a solid race and was able to make a good run to the top riders, finishing the long race in the points in 17th.
“For not being able to gel much with the track, I was thankful to grab the top 10 to start the day,” said McAdoo. “Unfortunately the start in Moto 2 was not what I wanted and we were basically last place to start. I really think I rode well considering having to race through the pack, but it was frustrating to not be up racing for a top 10. We’ll get back to work this week and hopefully have a good showing next weekend.”
