250 Words: Salt Lake City
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 | 2:00 PM
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A few issues ago in Racer X, we ran a feature story on Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen and his amazing season of racing 250 Lites West as well as the MX2GPs. The 17-year old German kid isn’t fazed by much, and right now, he’s the wild card that just might determine the West Lites SX Championship. Roczen’s real quest is to win the GP crown this year and then, no matter what, he’s moving to America to race full-time in 2012.
So far, he was dominant at the first GP, and in the sand of the second round, he wisely took a second behind his teammate Jeffrey Herlings who was at his home track and a sand master. Roczen is leading the points over there. Over here, his Salt Lake City supercross ride was great as he took second.
Roczen is a major wild card heading into Vegas.
Photo: Simon Cudby
Although he’s only seventh in the points, Roczen’s ability is in the top three and his podium at Anaheim 2 and again here served notice that he’s for real. Roczen’s presence in these last two races really throws a monkey wrench into the title chase. His ride in Salt Lake helped Eli Tomac gain an extra two points, but this weekend in Las Vegas the very opposite could happen. He may just help out Tickle in one form or another. He’s got nothing to lose and has no pressure on him to do anything but his best.
And that might be enough to sway this title chase one way or another.
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Ginormous turnaround for KR in terms of SX tactics. Although I do miss his spectacular crashes.
Hypothetical situation - IF Roczen wins, Tomac finishes second and Tickle third, Tomac makes up 2 points on Tickle, wins West Coast championship in a tie breaker based on number of season wins. Has any AMA or Supercross championship been decided using the tie breaker before ?I can't remember
Mike: The 2005 Eastern Regional Lites title was decided with a tiebreaker. Langston and Hansen tied with 143 points each, but Langston had three wins and Hansen only had two.
Ha - I forgot that Hansen lost that one in 05. Thats funny. He's a loser.
Billy, thanks. I hadn't realized that about '05 cause I was depoyed at that time and wasn't following it. Interesting....
So how will the east coast lites finish and who will spoil the results. Its going to be a great race for sure. Anyone know if its going to be Live??? Can't wait
You still can't count out "Take'm High Hanny". Now that he lost the championship, he'll be going for wins to redeem his worth.
Cmon Matthes... KR is all you got on the 250 lites? I can't believe that more people aren't bagging on Lil Hanny. All you have to say about Eli is that KR helped him?
I for one am totally counting "Take em high Hanny" out. He is done and if he has a good race he still wont finish in the top 5.
The dude is nails for racing with his hand all busted up, but he is also a loser for trying to take Tomac out like that.
Am I the only one that thinks the move Hanny tried to pull on Eli was bull$hit ? Just asking. I did not really like him much anyway but that was rookie move not a veteran. But I guess that's why he won t amount to much to dumb from all the weed he has smoked. But I did enjoy the out come. Nice move so early in the race. DILL WEED !
Roczen did well as a roolkie. but the best rookie is Tomac, this is his rookie season in supercross also. s killing it for a rookie and can win the west coast title. And Hansen dug his grave I think for future racing prospects. He looked likem a clown with the move he tried to make. He has been making those moves all year, and it bit him hard. He got what he deserved.
This piece should have just been a short video clip of Hanny flailing around like a little girl when he was stuck under his bike. Loop that and let it play for a minute straight. That was by far the best part of the Lites race last weekend.
If Josh Hansen isnt proof that smoking weed fries your brain, what is? How about Jason Lawrence? Good things usually happen to good people. Hence, Hansen losing the title for trying a punk move instead of just passing the guy. Im sure that Mitch is thinking "not my finest hour as a team owner." Perhaps Hansen can learn about class from Pourcel, Langston, Windham....nah, never mind. He's too stupid.
monster, one of the first rules of critical thinking is not going off of other people testimonies in deciding what is right or wrong. if JLAW smoked all day everyday and his performance was near perfection would you say that it is sure proof that pot doesn't affect your performance what-so-ever?
people who are upset over the Hansen move obviously haven't been around the sport long enough, you don't know the true nature of the sport, maybe you haven't raced at a high level. You guys don't have any good points. This is for a title, anything goes. Do you remember the moves that have been put on him in the past? Just because you may like Tomac doesn't make what Hansen did automatically wrong. Use your head. Hansen is obviously hurt and knows Tomac is the guy that is going to win the title. So hansen isn't sitting back and watch his title slip away from him. Get em boys that isn't cool!
good thing it's racerx's championship week, Matthes just talks about Roczen instead of a sweet title match, well done, maybe you can put more time into your pulp show sucking tits. really classy, legendary. Is there more slutty, whores, I mean pornography actors coming into to talk about Kenny Watson's colored tattooed dick that he loves to show off. Or maybe some more racist, homo material that pulpmx.com love to promote. yeaah mondays, you guys are doing so much for the sport, it's no wonder the greatest of all time supports your show.
@serious, really? I actually have raced for over 30 years. So I have been around racing before. And the Hansen move was total crap. that wasnt aggressive racing, it was a garbage attempt tp take the guy down. Not a pass. Mitch Payton has forgottemn more about racing than both of us. And he said it was stupid. Hansen had a good chance to make a good pass, and blew it trying to knock the guy down. It was dumb. And yes Hanny is sitting in the dirt watching his title slip away, with his foot stuck under his bike.
Hansen has been bump happy lately & it bit him. Nice try but in the end it was his inability to sit in the top 5 for even a lap or two before bumping. Seriously, learn some race strategy -- winning sometimes means knowing when to sit & watch your prey. But it never should mean riding a mile wide on the first lap, that's rookie. Especially when you are hurt. He did well this season but he is no champion.
Hanson is a complete joke to the racing org. Hes ?????, and if I was Mitch I would remove him from the team for that act. What a complete JOKE. Hanson if you read this, go look at yourself in the mirror, Your not very smart, and your going no where.
I have been hoping Hansen would win this title up until his move on the weekend. That was one of the worst riding incidents I have seen. Opening laps? No need for it.
hansen,i watched the monster energy rig video he made..and i completely hate that guy..ive never liked the "god"...hes really really "stuck up",they wont let me put the "c" word...ive seen guys fall every race and get up and strive for more,and congratulate other riders,or not have a attitude...hansens just rubbed me wrong on that statement
serious..... How many times did you see the GOAT choose to take someone out instead of passing him???? Yeah thats what I thought.
The GOAT punted John Dowd off the track in order to gain control of the 125 outdoor title, but he made up for it by becoming the GOAT!! LOL
dude, hanny made a mistake and he admitted it. this is the toughest sport in the world and all the little kitties posting here should get back to whatever lame job it is they do for a living because hannys life is still 100x better than yours.