It's Official: Shimoda To Honda HRC
T
he Honda HRC team officially
announced the signing of for-
mer Monster Energy/Pro Circuit
Kawasaki rider Jo Shimoda, who
will race a 250 alongside team-
mate Chance Hymas.
The 21-year-old Shimoda is
the first Japanese rider to sign a
factory contract with American
Honda, although Honda has
fielded top Japanese racers in
MotoGP, World Trials and even
Formula 1.
"I'm super-stoked to join Hon
-
da's factory team," Shimoda said.
"I feel like I've progressed a lot
since I was with Factory Connec
-
tion, and I hope that I can take
the next step in my career, to
win an AMA championship. I'm
friends with the Lawrence broth
-
ers since we were teammates at
Factory Connection, and they've
shown that the bikes are capable
of winning at the highest level.
We've already started testing
for 2024, and I can't wait for the
season to start."
CN
WIND
IN THE
P28
Jo Shimoda is Honda's
first Japanese-born
factory racer.
KTM, Antonio
Cairoli Part Ways
K
TM announced that the company's
longtime partnership with Antonio
Cairoli has come to an end as the two
parties "will separate to pursue new
professional goals for 2024."
Cairoli joined the KTM Factory Racing
effort in 2009 and won the MXGP crown
in 2010 and another four consecutively
on the KTM 350 SX-F. Another champi
-
onship came in 2017 on the KTM 450
SX-F before Cairoli eventually retired at
the end of the 2021 MXGP season.
He then transitioned into a Team
Manager role for Red Bull KTM Factory
Racing for 2023 but has now decided to
take his post-racing career in a differ
-
ent direction. The strongest rumors in
After 14 years together,
KTM and Antonio Cairoli
have officially cut ties.
the paddock link Cairoli to a new
deal with Ducati, as they look to
enter the motocross market in
the near future.
CN
