Jo Shimoda’s Lap 11Moto 2 crash in the Unadilla National in New Berlin, New York, resulted in a broken collarbone for the 250 rider, according to Honda HRC Racing.
Shimoda was coming off three podium finishes in the past four rounds and was in striking distance of another top-three result before the crash occurred. Shimoda finished fourth in Moto 1.
He contested for the lead early in Moto 2 and rode second to Levi Kitchen when the accident occurred.
Shimoda crashed off the side of the track and was carted to the Alpinestars medical hauler with a sling immobilizing his arm.
“It felt great to be up front and battling for the lead, but unfortunately the battle didn’t end the way we wanted it to,” Shimoda said in a release. “I ended up with a broken collarbone, and I’ll have to get a plate put in. Obviously, that’s not how we wanted the day to go, but we’ll come back stronger once I’m healed.”
The team did not provide a return date for Shimoda, but injuries of this type typically take three to six weeks. Depending on the severity of the break, riders have been known to return much earlier; Coty Schock returned to action a mere five days after collarbone surgery in the Monster Energy Supercross series this spring.
Shimoda sits fourth in the combined SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) and will be guaranteed a starting position in the feature races if he can return in time. Shimoda is not in jeopardy of falling out of the top 20 in points, and once seeded, riders retain their guarantee into future rounds.
The SMX playoffs begin September 7, 2024, at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina.
“I’m really bummed for Jo; he was riding really good, and I have no doubt he was going to win that second moto,” said team manager Lars Lindstrom. “On a positive note, his break is relatively simple, and he should be able to heal relatively quickly.”
It was a difficult day for Honda’s 250 riders. Chance Hymas suffered a crash while leading Moto 1 by a commanding margin. He was cleared to race in Moto 2 but pulled off the track on Lap 5 and failed to finish.
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