The 2025 D.I.D. All Japan Motocross Championship Series came to a thrilling conclusion on November 1–2, with the season finale held at Sportsland SUGO in Miyagi Prefecture.
Heading into the final round, Manaka Kawai (T.E.SPORT / Honda CRF150RⅡ) had dominated the series with six wins from six rounds. With only a top-30 finish needed to clinch the title, Kawai entered the race aiming to complete a perfect undefeated season — a personal goal she had set since the start of the year.
As the gate dropped, Toa Suzumura (Bikers Station Kanazawa Racing with Motul) and Natsuki Kusumoto (Team Hammer) got strong starts, followed closely by Kawai, #Aika Hokari (BLU CRU Tomo Racing), Manaka Kawakami (BLU CRU YSP Osaka Minoo), and pole-sitter Myu Minoura (Team Itomo).
In the opening lap, the fight for the lead was already fierce. Hokari surged ahead through the European Section, with Kawai right behind her. By the start of lap two, Kawai made her move to take the lead, while Minoura and Kawakami battled Hokari closely. The intensity reached a peak when Minoura and Kawakami made contact over the finish jump, causing Minoura to crash and drop out of contention.
As the race progressed, Kawai led with Kawakami and Hokari chasing closely. In the final laps, Kawakami closed the gap to under one second. On the last lap, she seized her moment — diving inside before the “Rumba Rumba” section to pass Kawai and take the lead. Kawakami held her advantage to the checkered flag, taking an emotional victory.
While Kawai’s dream of a perfect season slipped away, she still claimed her fifth career championship title with six wins from seven rounds — a remarkable achievement.
Manaka Kawai: “Because of my injury from Round 6, I hadn’t been able to ride until this weekend. I really wanted to finish the season unbeaten, so losing today is frustrating. I could feel Kawakami catching me, but I wasn’t riding as well as I should have. I realized that even a small weakness can cost you the win. Still, I’m happy to have completed the race and secured the championship. Winning the title for the fifth time isn’t easy, and with everything that happened this year — including the situation with Tofukuji-san — this one feels especially meaningful.”
Manaka Kawakami: “Early on, Minoura was riding really strong and passed me, which honestly shook my confidence. But when both Minoura and Hokari took different lines into the final corner, I saw my chance and went inside. Unfortunately, I slid a bit and made contact with Minoura, but that move put me in second. The gap to Kawai was big, and for a moment I thought she’d pull away again. Then I remembered my brother’s words before the race — ‘If you never give up, you can win.’ I kept pushing and decided to make my move before the Rumba Rumba section, where I felt fastest. I knew it was my last chance. I went for it — and it worked! I’m so happy to win.”
Manaka Hokari: “After crashing in practice, I honestly wasn’t very confident. But I had a podium here in Round 2, so I knew it was possible. I got a poor start but managed to move up using good lines in the European Section. I expected pressure from behind, but I was surprised how quickly they caught me and passed — that was frustrating. Once I was in third and had some space, I focused on staying consistent. I had a big crash in the Rumba Rumba section, but still managed to finish on the podium for the final round. I’m relieved and proud of that.”
