SUPERMOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

September 20, 2025

Jett Lawrence

Joe Shimoda

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Joe Shimoda and Jett Lawrence, congratulations to you both. Joe, we'll start with you. Assuming it's had a second to sink in now, we've talked about your race on the podium, but what was it like hearing those fans chant your name, Joe, over and over again at the podium?

JOE SHIMODA: I can't be any happier, very, very stressful race. Glad to be all done, to be honest.

THE MODERATOR: It's been a long season. This is his first SuperMotocross World Championship.

Jett, for you, million dollar pass. You had to earn this thing all the way through playoffs, but that's really what it came down to. Up until that moment when you made that pass into second, what was going through your mind?

JETT LAWRENCE: A lot of data, to be honest. HJ and Eli were riding really well. I honestly had a good few laps to try to catch them, and halfway through the moto I caught him a smidge and made a mistake and lost all that ground. I kind of not give up, but I'm like, dude, I honestly don't think I can catch them. I got four laps or three laps to go, and I'm just like, well, I'm going to go as hard as I can. If I crash, it's going to hurt. If not, hopefully I can get close enough to make a pass.

Thankfully I put a few good laps together and I was able to get close. As soon as I got behind Eli, I made a pass straight away. I was able to make it stick, and super happy.

THE MODERATOR: Brilliant race. His third SuperMotocross World Championship for the Premier class.

Q. Joe, can you just take us through that race? I thought it would be maybe one pass, but it was just a series of passes. I was right there at the finish line when you guys both went down. Can you guys take us through what that was like from your point of view?

JOE SHIMODA: I think everyone and myself, we all knew what was going to be there. Honestly, I was just ready for it.

Today he had better pace. All these three rounds, he was fast. If I start in front of him or behind him, like I knew we're going to end up finding each other at some point. So I was just ready.

But I'm not mad about it. I understand his situation. It's a little sketchy. Like I said, glad it's over. It was really stressful.

Q. Jett, what's it like to win this title again and then have your teammate win the 250 class? I think you guys have known each other for many years going back to GEICO Honda.

JETT LAWRENCE: It's awesome, honestly. I think I was stressed in the truck, like I was watching my brother out there. I was sick to my stomach, and I was hoping he'd do good because I don't think anyone else deserves that title as much as Joe or Seth. Seth rides in our compound as well. So I was going for both of them.

Joe rode well. He got that hole shot on that first and put his head down and just went for it.

No, I'm super stoked. Obviously Joe and I have been friends for a long time since Geico days, and it's cool we're both sitting up here. It's awesome for the team. He deserves it. I'm just super happy for him.

It's been a long time coming for him, I feel like. He's put a lot of good years together and has come up shy all those years, but this year was finally his one. He put in three really good rounds, and I'm super stoked for him.

Q. Jett, congratulations on a third straight 450 SMX Championship. As this, the playoffs, the final series builds, this is year three now, does winning this championship mean that little bit more each year? Obviously to have three in a row now is massive.

JETT LAWRENCE: Yeah, it's an extra million in the bank. Of course that means a lot. It's kind of nice because it's a shorter series, three race weekends, if you do well, you can get a championship bonus. It makes it exciting for the fans because no matter what happens you always have two people that has a chance of winning it no matter how well you do at the first two.

It's exciting. I love it.

Q. Joe, I heard there were some words exchanged between you and Deegan on the gate. Can you enlighten us about those particular words? And what are you going to blow the $500,000 on?

JOE SHIMODA: You're asking me what did he say actually?

Q. I don't know if you can say or not, but just elaborate as much as you can.

JOE SHIMODA: It was actually not bad. He said, You're never going to know what's about to come, and I said, I don't speak English.

(Laughter).

I mean, dead serious.

Q. (No Microphone).

JOE SHIMODA: We go straight to because double or nothing.

Q. Jett, congratulations on a third straight. It brings me the question we got to see a lot of Haiden Deegan throughout the last few months, the way he portrays himself. You're going to get to deal with that next year. You would have grown up with the James era of this rivalry. Are you excited, or are you like you can't play like that in the 450 class? What's your thoughts on that whole thing as Haiden Deegan will be on the 450 in 2026.

JETT LAWRENCE: Honestly, he's got a lot of other people to worry about than me. I've got to worry about Hunter, Chase, and Eli. Honestly he's not really on my radar. I'm focused on the guys I'm racing right now because they're racing really well. It's a different league in the 450, and it's hard to back up the answer that Joe gave.

Q. You won't say no to a rivalry though, will you?

JETT LAWRENCE: It ain't much of a rivalry if you keep beating the kid.

Q. Joe, once you got into third and you were behind Seth, did you realize that you had the championship won? And did you consider not passing him and just staying behind him?

JOE SHIMODA: I kind of knew already, but honestly I kind of just wanted to win. That was my goal. Like I said, I need to work on my speed a little bit more to make the quicker passes and stuff. Yeah, I already knew what position I was in, but today we just wanted to go and try to win the motos.

Q. Jett, what did you say to Hunter right when you guys pulled off the track, like right after the finish line?

JETT LAWRENCE: Probably along the lines of just like, yeah, you rode well and probably sorry again.

(Laughter).

Q. Jett, it's rare that a talent comes into this sport, and for lack of a better word, has somewhat become untouchable. What are you chasing? Every time you get on the track even from last weekend to this weekend, it seems to be one line, but you're able to come through the pack. Like are you chasing records? What motivates you now? You know you have everyone's number hypothetically.

JETT LAWRENCE: I'm chasing a ghost in front of me really. I'm just trying to catch that ghost, and that's all I'm trying to do each race.

Q. Joe, does winning this title -- I'm not aware of your '26 plans right now. Does winning this title confirm, change, any extra thought for your '26 plans?

JOE SHIMODA: No, not really.

Q. Joe, talk about the pressure that was kind of under you performing to get this championship done. Was it different than how you kind of carry yourself in the regular season or Supercross, Motocross? And were you able to lean on somebody who's right next to you that has quite a bit of championship experience? Tell me about the differences of the two.

JOE SHIMODA: For me it's the same kind of pressure. I know it's only a three race series. In my case, I just needed to -- I just wanted to accomplish something, just have the No. 1 place. It doesn't matter what series am I in, I just needed to finish it off, and today I was able to do it. I'm really stoked on this. It means a lot to me.

Q. Jett, any plans for the million dollars?

JETT LAWRENCE: Not yet. Either put some more money down on my house, or I don't know. Might buy some more property. We'll see.

Q. We've seen the Rolls. We've seen the Ferrari. Nothing like that?

JETT LAWRENCE: I'm looking at a Ferrari F8 in Atlanta. That's more so for the outdoor championship. We're going to wait for that bonus to kick in, and then it's going to go -- it's not going to stop. It's going from my account to the dealership's account.

Q. Joe, you're the first Japanese champion in the series, and you're also of course winning for Honda, which say Japanese brand. What does that mean to you?

JOE SHIMODA: It's a difficult question. Sick, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, you have so much to be proud of. Joe Shimoda, your 250 SMX champion, Jett Lawrence, your 450 SMX champion.