On a Saturday afternoon in 2023, Jo Shimoda won an AMA Pro Motocross race — and made history. He became the first Japanese rider ever to win a race in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship. The significance of that moment extends beyond the scoreboard: it represented the culmination of decades of Japanese manufacturers competing in American motocross, finally delivered by a Japanese rider aboard a Japanese machine.
Born in Suzuka, Japan — the city famous for its Formula One circuit — Shimoda came to the United States as a teenager to pursue professional motocross. The cultural and athletic journey required is extraordinary: learning a new language, adapting to a new culture, racing against the deepest field in the world's most competitive domestic championship. He made it look possible.
"Every race, I want to prove that Japanese riders can compete at the highest level. I want to inspire young riders back home."
— Jo Shimoda · Honda HRC ProgressiveThe SMX World Champion
Shimoda's 2025 season produced the 250SMX World Championship — a global title for the 250 class of the SuperMotocross World Championship. That title made him both the best 250 rider in AMA competition and the best 250 rider in the world series — a double validation of his talent. In 2026, he's the defending champion, and the pressure of that role suits him.
Honda HRC Progressive
Honda HRC Progressive is the factory Honda program competing in AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross. The program supports Jo Shimoda in the 250SX East class with full factory machinery — the CRF250R Works Edition — along with dedicated engineering support from Honda's racing infrastructure. A Round 12 leg injury cast uncertainty over the championship campaign, but the factory program is fully committed to his championship defense.
honda.racing →The Injury and the Return
At Round 12 in St. Louis, Shimoda suffered a lower leg injury in his heat race — a crash that ended his night and cast uncertainty over the remainder of his championship campaign. No bone fractures were found in initial assessment. The defending 250SMX World Champion is not done. Japan is watching. Honda is ready. The sport needs JS30 on the gate.
✦ Jo Shimoda — Career Highlights
- First Japanese rider to win AMA Pro Motocross (2023)
- 2025 250SMX World Champion
- 2× Pro MX race winner
- Honda HRC Progressive factory program
- Suzuka, Japan — F1 circuit hometown
- Round 12 injury: lower leg — assessment ongoing
- CRF250R Works Edition factory machine
- Inspired a generation of Japanese motocross racers