Ken Roczen Weathers Three Frustrating Rounds…So Watch Out in Indy! - Speedway Digest

For outsiders to the world of Monster Energy Supercross, Ken Roczen at a glance is just another top athlete. His graceful style and confidence on and off the track does not betray the brutal obstacles he’s encountered and the tough road he’s travelled to nearly win two of the first three 2021 Monster Energy Supercross races.

In 2017 Roczen dominated the first two rounds, leading the title points until round three, where a terrifying crash [Ken Roczen – 2017] injured his left arm; it was thought he might never race again. But Roczen pushed through the recovery to rejoin the pro ranks at the same high level in 2018. It was at round six in San Diego that he tangled with another rider – Cooper Webb – catching his right arm between the swingarm and wheel of Webb’s bike [Ken Roczen – 2018]. The injury should have been another career-ender, but the German rider, fluent in English other than the word ‘can’t,’ put his heart back into a full recovery.

2019 was another heartbreaker, with what looked like a return-to-the-top win in Arlington, snatched away by a final-turn pass by the racer who would win that title that year; it was again Cooper Webb. Roczen missed that return-to-winning milestone by.02 seconds, a loss indiscernible to the naked eye and the closest ever in the history of the sport.

In 2020 all the hard work came together at round two in St. Louis with his first Supercross victory since his injury in 2017. Roczen had made the final step. He would win again. And the 2021 season, a full 17-round undertaking made possible by the rapid adaptation of series promoter Feld Entertainment, looked like it could be his title run. At the opening round Roczen hounded the leader, making several side-by-side pass attempts, but the German rider didn’t force the issue, and settled for second.

Going into round three this past Saturday he would have been leading the points but for a controversial (from Roczen’s perspective) points deduction at round two. No matter, he had learned to channel frustration into race performance. And he did. A great start and an early pass on the leader – Cooper Webb – soon turned into more than a three second lead in the 20-minute plus one lap Main Event.

But Roczen got slowed by a lapper he could not get around, and as the white flag came out, Webb was back to his rear tire. Four corners later, with Roczen out of his flow trying again to pass the lapper…Webb cut to the inside, crossed over the corner exit ruts, and snagged the spot away. It was like a nightmare replay [Houston – Round 3 450SX Class Highlights].

Roczen was furious on the podium but vowed he would re-direct his frustration into track speed at the next round, Saturday January 30^th inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The limited attendance, pod-seated crowd cheered his spirit, knowing they’d see Roczen turn his fury into race aggression there. He goes into that round as the points leader, just a single point separating him from two other riders; one is Cooper Webb.

450SX Class Results

1. Cooper Webb, Newport N.C., KTM

2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda

3. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki

4. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS

5. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki

6. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha

7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, Yamaha

8. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Husqvarna

9. Zach Osborne, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna

10. Justin Brayton, Charlotte, N.C., Honda

450SX Class Championship Standings

1. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Honda (60)

2. Cooper Webb, Newport N.C., KTM (59)

3. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (59)

4. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki (54)

5. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (51)

6. Justin Brayton, Charlotte, N.C., Honda (51)

7. Malcolm Stewart, Haines City, Fla., Yamaha (51)

8. Dylan Ferrandis, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Yamaha (50)

9. Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM (48)

10. Zach Osborne, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (40)

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
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.