No time like the present. The old adage couldn’t ring truer for RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing riders Ken Roczen and Broc Tickle as the Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, rolls into Atlanta for the first of consecutive weekends at the Georgia Dome.
Roczen is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes at the series’ last two events in San Diego and Arlington, Texas and currently sits second in points to leader Ryan Dungey. In the first seven races of 2015, the 20-year-old German rider has won twice, finished second three times and has finished outside the top four only once (Oakland).
The 20-year-old sophomore standout has good reason to be optimistic this weekend considering he earned his second career 450SX win last season in Atlanta. But, with 10 Supercross races remaining on the 2015 schedule, Roczen knows that every race becomes more important than the last.
“We’re deep in the season and we have to stay on track with our goals,” said Roczen who also has one Supercross East Coast Lites start in Atlanta where he finished sixth. “With the exception of Oakland, we’ve had really good results. Starts and holeshots have played such a big part in the outcome of these races that we know getting out of the starting gate third or fourth isn’t going to work. We need to get holeshots and win races. If we do that, the points should take care of themselves. Atlanta is a great track. I won there last year so it’s obviously a race I’ve been looking forward to. Hopefully, if everything goes according to plan, we’ll be on top of the box Saturday night.”
After a solid start to the season, Tickle had his own issues in Oakland. After sitting out Round 5 in Anaheim, the 2011 Supercross West Coast Lites Champion was back on the seat of his Suzuki RM-Z450 at Petco Park in San Diego two races ago and put together top-10 finishes in Rounds 6 and 7.
Despite being sidelined for Anaheim Three, Tickle is 11th in points, just eight markers behind 10th-place Justin Barcia.
“The last couple weekends haven’t been my best and it’s frustrating,” explained Tickle. “We all know what happened in Oakland. It’s been tough getting through all 20 laps of the main since I got back on the bike but we haven’t made it any easier by having to race our way through the semis. We just need a good, solid weekend where we transfer into the main straight out of the heat race so I don’t have to put in any more laps on my body than necessary. I need to focus on getting good starts, riding smooth and being consistent. That’s the goal. At least for the short term.”
RCH team co-owner Ricky Carmichael is confident that Roczen and Co. have their Suzuki dialed in for a run at the series title but knows that a stacked field won’t make it easy. With four different winners in the first seven races and 10 to go, Carmichael concedes the title is up for grabs.
“Ken had a great night in Atlanta last year so I’m sure that will give him some extra confidence going into this weekend, knowing he’s been successful there in the past,” said Carmichael who claimed his first victory as a professional at the Georgia Dome in 1997. “Broc needs to keep pushing and improving each weekend. It’s a tough field so it won’t be easy but, on the other hand, he knows he has room to be better. I think at this point in the season, it’s crunch time for Ken. Over the last few weeks, there haven’t been many points taken or given. Now is the time where he needs to start logging some wins and cutting into that point deficit. At the very least, we need to beat that orange bike.”
Before the gate drops at the track, Tickle will meet fans and sign autographs on Friday, Feb. 20, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Mountain Motorsports. Located just 20 minutes north of downtown Atlanta in Marietta, Mountain Motorsports is one of the largest powersports dealerships and service centers in the nation and currently operates seven dealerships that represent 12 of the world’s leading brands of motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles and personal watercraft. Mountain Motorsports began as and remains to this day, a family-owned and -operated business.
The Georgia Dome plays host to Monster Energy Supercross Saturday night when Roczen, Tickle and the rest of the RCH crew visit Atlanta for the first of back-to-back weekends at the home of the Atlanta Falcons. The eighth of 17 races on the 2015
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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