Image: Octopi Media.

Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Jo Shimoda has kept his title hopes alive with a maiden 250SX East victory in Salt Lake City.

It was a must-win situation for the Japanese talent in the penultimate round of Monster Energy Supercross and that’s exactly what he did tonight.

Shimoda grabbed the holeshot from Thomas Do (KTM), Michael Mosiman (TLD Red Bull GasGas), Joshua Varize (KTM) and Jett Lawrence (Team Honda HRC), while points-leader Colt Nichols (Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha) slotted into 10th.

Lawrence got by Varize on lap two as Nichols made his way to sixth place. Mosiman then made a quick pass on Do and set out after Shimoda, who was just over one second ahead. Lawrence and Nichols soon jumped past Do, Lawrence making a mistake and allowing Nichols to close up quickly.

Meanwhile, out front Mosiman caught Shimoda and the duo began to battle for the lead. Mosiman made a pass around the outside on Shimoda, but Shimoda quickly grabbed the inside and put himself back into the lead. Mosiman again attempted a pass but was forced to miss the triple and again dropped back nearly a second.

All the while, Lawrence worked his way toward the leaders with Nichols just two seconds back while setting the fastest lap, over a half-second quicker than those in front of him. Mosiman again closed the gap to Shimoda, now with Lawrence just behind.

Lawrence grabbed second from Mosiman and set out after Shimoda. Nichols then closed up on Mosiman, taking third place with Mosiman making a mistake over the triple. With one minute to go, Shimoda had a two-second lead over Lawrence, with Nichols a second further back from that.

Shimoda, in lapped traffic, allowed Lawrence to close with two laps to go. In the end Shimoda captured the first win of his career ahead of Lawrence and Nichols on in the final podium positions.

Mosiman took fourth ahead of Do, as sixth went to Varize, with Logan Karnow (Kawasaki), Australian Geran Stapleton (Honda), Hunter Schlosser (Yamaha) and John Short (BarX Chaparral Ecstar Suzuki) taking the final spots in the top 10.

Nichols now carries a 23-point advantage over Shimoda when Rice-Eccles Stadium will host the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross finals next Saturday, 1 May, for the second-straight weekend in Utah.

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