Preparation. Consistency. Results. Those three words summarize any championship caliber race team’s mission statement. When the plan is properly executed, success comes naturally.
While success may not always be defined as victory, a good night can take on the form of a quiet second-place finish. And, a top 10.
Such was the case for Ken Roczen, Broc Tickle and the RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing Team in Saturday night’s Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at AT&T Stadium. Roczen finished second to championship leader Ryan Dungey. Tickle finished ninth.
While the top-two effort left him one step below the top of the box, Roczen felt good with the result but was quick to point out that second won’t be enough to close the deal at season’s end.
“I need to work on my starts,” explained Roczen following the race. “I’ve been working hard on trying to be better, I just have to get out front. Ryan (Dungey) was pretty much gone after two laps and I made one big mistake after the finish line but overall, it was a decent race. We got second again and we’ll definitely take the podium.
“It’s still a long season but I have to work on my starts so I can be out front. Ryan is a really good starter. I just need to get holeshots. Third and fourth out of the gate isn’t going to be good enough. We need to win races and can’t make mistakes. Obviously, there are enough guys who can win. You just have to go in the main, get that holeshot and ride smart. You have to win.”
Roczen finished second for the third time this season but still lost three points to Dungey in the championship standings. In the first seven races of 2015, the 20-year-old German rider has won twice, finished second three times and has only one finish (Oakland) worse than fourth.
Tickle’s evening wasn’t quite as straightforward. A red flag halted his heat race, forcing the AMA to restart the night’s first 450SX qualifier. Shortly after the ensuing restart, the Holly, Mich., rider tangled with Jimmy Albertson and Jason Anderson, forcing him to race his way through the semi where a gritty last-lap performance secured him a starting spot in the main event.
Despite starting deep in the field and the constant nag that comes with the lingering effects from a back injury, Tickle rode a smart, consistent race during the main to come away with a respectable ninth-place showing.
“We had a red flag during the heat race,” recalled Tickle. “I think someone went down in the rhythm section so they red-flagged the race about halfway through and we had to restart. I got a decent start, that time. I think I was fourth or fifth. Then (Jimmy) Albertson lost control and (Jason) Anderson ran into him and I ran into Anderson, so that caused a big pile up. Pretty much finished almost last in the heat race.
“Went to the semi and had a bad gate pick. Thought I had the holeshot for a second but I got pushed a little wide. The last lap of the semi was pretty hectic. I made a couple of mistakes at the end but it turned out for the best because it got my intensity level up. I’m not stoked with my riding, 100 percent. I kind of felt like I did last weekend where I wasn’t totally comfortable. I need to work on some stuff this week so I can get better. Working on the little things is going to help me a lot.”
RCH co-owner Carey Hart was at AT&T Stadium for the race and in the team’s post-race debrief after the checkers waved. Hart pointed out consistency will make or break his team’s pursuit of the ultimate goal, the Monster Energy Supercross title.
“It was a great night,” offered Hart. “Ken had a good day in practice and qualifying. He was solid through the night. We have to keep banging out first- and second-place finishes to stay in this championship hunt. It was just one of those nights. (Ryan) Dungey got a clear start and had a clean track. Ken had to work through three or four guys to get to second and by then, Dungey had already set the pace and pretty much checked out. Broc’s still feeling it in his back but he finished ninth so it was a solid night all around. The only unfortunate part is that Ryan won and we lost a few points. There are 10 races left so we have to keep grinding.”
Roczen, Tickle and the rest of the Monster Energy Supercross crew continue east this weekend when the series visits Atlanta for the first of back-to-back weekends at the Georgia Dome. Round 8 of the 2015 Supercross Championship will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 Saturday, Feb. 21 beginning at 4 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, 7 p.m. Eastern.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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