by Aaron Hansel
Insight: Ken Roczen
Monday, January 28, 2013 | 9:50 AM
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Red Bull KTM’s Ken Roczen has been good throughout the early rounds of Monster Energy 250SX, but he stepped up to the great level on Saturday in Oakland. He crushed it in practice, then won the main event after a great battle with Cole Seely. Combine that with trouble for Eli Tomac, and now Roczen is in the points lead. Not much more to say, but we talked to Kenny about it anyway.
Racer X: How did it go?
Ken Roczen: I didn’t have the best start, but I went through the first corner good. There was a lot of bar banging on that first lap and I almost went down before the finish, it was a close call. It was kind of messy, but then I got my crap together and charged all the way through and made the pass. I’m super happy right now, I have the points lead. But I’m not going to celebrate too much, to be honest. I’m going to keep charging.
Roczen (left) was able to chase down Seely (right) late in the race en route to his first win of the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross season.
Simon Cudby photo
When you were behind Seely there, were you just waiting for your moment or were you charging the whole time?
I was just trying to get my crap together. I was mixing up the lines, and I was getting closer, but closing a gap and making a pass are two different stories, and I’m glad I was able to do both good, and that we’re all safe.
Did you know that Tomac had crashed out of the race?
No, I didn’t see anything, I was so focused.
Did your mechanic tell you on your pit board?
No. I was so focused, I didn’t know where Eli was at all.
Coming out of Oakland with the points lead now, does that change your strategy at all?
No. Keep going, stay focused, and charge all the way.
Roczen is the new West Region points leader after Eli Tomac suffered a DNF.
Simon Cudby photo
How was the track?
It was really tricky. It was technical with a lot of ruts, and slippery at the same time. It was a mix of everything, and I think it was a good track. It was a little bit difficult to pass, but overall I liked it. I think there were a lot of crashes today, so that’s kind of a bummer, but overall I think it was good.
You’ve been fast at the first three rounds, but today you were exceptional, both in practice and during the night show. Did you feel any different today?
Yeah. I tried to get my intensity up during the week, and I think that helped a lot. Things just came easy today. A lot of people were saying that the track was difficult, but for me I thought it was the easiest track we’ve had this year. That’s always a good sign, and I made it happen today.
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I am one of the jackasses who said that Tomac couldn't be beat and that the only way Roczen would win this title was if the Geico Wonderboy threw it away.
I am so sorry I said those things, Mr. Roczen. I humbly switch my allegiance to you and your efforts.
The only way anyone is going to beat Roczen is if he throws it away. He is unstoppable. I am the all-knowing fickle fan and I am never wrong.
Just keep pushig on Ken, you CAN do it!
Tomac threw it away big time, but Roczen was in a good place and took advantage.. Too bad one bad race knocked Tomac out of the points lead.. He needs to win out, but he can do it, Tomac is the man in that class..
How may rounds left 3?
Tomac can win all remaining rounds and Ken be a runner up and the German will still edge Eli by 3 points for the 2013 Tittle.
It will be a nice battle, I cant pick one as my favorite. I just hope Eli is healthy and we have a close race for the championship.
Roczen's hard work and diligence finally paid off !! He and the KTM team must feel like a weight has been lifted off of their shoulders.. Helmets off to Kenny!! Congratulations on the win in Oakland!!
Eli is faster in the "eye" test ,but i think Roczen is a more precise,in control rider, both are incredible to watch and can't wait till they lock horns str8 up
Congratulations to Kid-Roc.
Congratulations to tuff blocks for again making the season more interesting by taking out the rider behind the one that hit it. Making said rider ride super aggressive then crash again. Seriously, what is it going to take to address the problem? This happens EVERY week! Put some "RC approved" logos on them, that will make them safer. Not picking on RC, just pointing out Feld wants make SX safer through AX, but won't make SX safer by figuring out the tuff block issue.
mxroots 4 rounds left, Eli is 15 points down still any thing can happen ...Hope to see Kenny and Eli go bar to bar next few rounds ...good stuff.!!!
I think their are 5 rounds left. They count Vegas as a the 250 final round now right? West has (I Think. Someone correct me please if im wrong):
Anaheim3
San Diego
Seatle
Salt Lake City
and Vegas
Which if Tomac won all of them and Roczen places 2nd at each Tomac and Roczen would tie (Since Tomac is down 15 points) with Tomac edging because of more wins.
I could be wrong about the schedule but if I'm not this 250 West will be closer than ever and come down to the final round.... Well "IF" the Stars align the way I said above
@FoundWood; Too Funny! Never say never, in this sport of SX, in my opinion. Would things have been different if Eli had not had his two unfortunate issues??? Clearly he (Eli) has this 250 class where he wants it, and...it's still his series to lose, in my opinion.
That said, the age old adage of, "You need to finish the race to win." holds true. I will say, however young Ken Roczen has been schooled this 2nd (full) year in the 250 Class by the best, and he is a quick study. He still has room to improve at 18 years old, and for those who think he doesn't have more advancement under his belt, then they are the ones who are deceived. The same goes for Eli. This freshman class moving up to the big show will make their mark.
I just like to see clean racing, which both Eli and Ken (and Cole for that matter) all portray. They are all good young men, on the move...
Thanks for your comment...
I am an admitted ET fan, but it is going to be tough for him to bounce back from this one. Yes, last year he DNFed at San Diego and came back to win the title, but Wilson also had a bad race in the first 6 (LA or Oakland? He was 16th or so). ET is going to need some bad luck from Roczen to close things back up. But hey, it's SX and anything can happen!
Treylenzy I am not sure, but I don't think Vegas counts towards the championship. West coast has 8 rounds, east coast has 8 rounds, to decide the champions. At Vegas, they run a west coast heat and an east coast heat to see who makes it into the E/W Shootout..Tomac and Barcia each were sporting red plates with the big #1 on them last year at Vegas..
good ride for ken..!!.speed was never a problem for him to beat tomac...
@treylenzy - I think you are right. It's 5 rounds left. I think they are doing the both-coasts-and-the-shootout thing at Las Vegas again this year. So Roczen can't just take second to Tomac every race and still win the championship.
2caseypons: Posting our opinions on this forum has become "The Sport Within The Sport."
Nowhere else in life am I afforded the opportunity to change allegiance to brand, rider, and potential outcome than here at the RacerX forums at no expense other than to my own dignity.
Roczen will win this championship because his level of ability (matched with his maturity, and support of the wizard-like genius of Roger DeeCoaster) are finally in sync with my premonitions.
I am the fickle fan, and I am never wrong.
2caseypons: Not "are", but "is" in sync with my premonitions. I am the fickle fan, and I made a mistake, but I am never wrong.
speed totally missed the highlight of the night when roczen landed on the hay bales got ejected up the face of the finish line jump, held onto the bars and ran besides his bike on the downside of the jump then regrouped and caught seely and passed him. The announcers just said something like roczen was having a hard time matching seelys time. Seriously how do you miss an attempted pass gone wrong for 1st place!!!!!!
@BD25 Remember that year Broc won over Tomac..... That was at Vegas. Last year Tomac and Barcia had the title rapped up by then (Dean crashed with Tomac and hurt his shoulder, next race Dean crashed out I believe. Barcia had one bad race with a 3rd place finish). But i believe they are still running the last round for both classes at Vegas and then the top 10 from that race go to the Shootout. I could be wrong though. Someone from RacerX correct me on the schedule this year.
Ken got a needed win and Cole was tearing it!!
Anybody who states that they are never wrong, about anything, has got be some type of sociopathic, sarcastic, lonely person lacking self-worth.
Tomac definitely had his problems on this night, but even if he hadn't, I'm not so sure he would have beaten Roczen. Roczen was a visible cut above the rider he's been at the first three rounds.
@Aaron Hansel; You just moved to the top of KR94's Christmas card list with that comment. If you were track side (which you probably were) you had a better vantage point than I to call Kenny's overall performance for the evening. He is a great personality for the sport, a talented rider, well raised, clean rider, and 18 going on 30 based on his overall maturity coming from a foreign country, to The States, and it seems, is more Americanized that most Americans.
That said; Eli had a not/so good night, and young Ken had a very good night, in this sport of more variables to contend with in any given event, than quite possibly any other sport. Controlled chaos and the one that manages to cross the line first on any given night is a fortunate SOB. It's a rough crowd to do a routine for on "Saturday Night Live."
@singletrackizwhereitsat: it was a joke referring to the fact that some people will defend their opinions to the death on the RacerX forums, so much so, that they "are never wrong." My opinions have been proven wrong because they were based on my desire to see my favorite rider(s) do well. Sociopath, no. Sarcastic, yes. Too much self worth to allow a harsh response to go unanswered.
Roczen by 1 point in the 250's. Millsaps (please, God) in the 450's by 5.
Congrats to Kenny! So there is 4 races left for the west coast series, hopefully Ken will keep it all together and not throw anything away. Too bad for Eli, after watching the race, it appeared it was not his night.
ET looked out of sycnch in practice
Its coming together for KROC ...now if he beats Tomac straight up....
JimM
Pala374
"Straight up", the most controversial ideas since "arm pump".
Still a lot of racing left. Tomac is faster than him. He has to not have a bad night himself. Will be something if he wins this.
trreylenzy On the Monster site it does not list Vegas as an east or west coast event, but on the AMA site, going into the schedule, it does say that Vegas will be a combined east/west points paying event...YOU are correct, I bow down before your knowledge....
"Straight-up" The favorite punchline of sad fans whose unbeatable rider gets beat. C'mon people, that's why it's called RACING, and the reason they keep dropping the gate. A lot can and does happen throughout the course of a season. The person who puts it all together, is ultimately the most consistent, and may not even be the "fastest," another subjective argument, is called CHAMPION!!!
Next topic we'll discuss is *'s, as some "expert" will bring that up as soon as someone accomplishes the goal above.
well well....now we got a race!!.... tomac seemed to have half a sec average per lap on kroc at the 1st 3 rounds....but rd 4 kroc devo stepped it up
half way through the race tomac posted a 56.0 lap half sec faster than what kroc was doing....however 2nd to last lap... kroc through a solid 55!! he had already dropped seeley yet still was pushing that hard...
Kroc has found some pace to race tomac....he had 2....now tomac has got 2 win the rest of the races...with a faster kroc...
food for thought....i wounder if MM25 can match kroc at the test track...could KTM get both west/east???
Amazing racing from both riders. Eli is just a machine. Ken is just as fast, but to get past Eli he has to be faster...... A hard job to do when you both a pushing the limits, Fantastic for us fans, Big supporter of both riders. Great season so far.
Vegas counts for both east and west Championship. Each coast qualifies during timed practice. Then each coast has a main event of like ten laps i think. Those count for the championship. Top nine in both main events go to the east west shootout. Then they have a lcq for the last two spots in the shootout. Correct me if im wrong,
@crfman450:
Almost 100% correct, except the laps. At Vegas the East and West mains are regular 15 lap affairs and there are no heats, the top 20 for each coast come out of practice times. From each main the top 9 go the E/W Shootout and there is a LCQ that combines both the East and West non-qualifiers to take the final 2 spots the E/W Shootout. The Shootout is 10 laps.
Straight up. Its a pity Eli and K-Roc dont get to line up on a starting gate or something. Maybe someday we'll have a way to compare two different riders.
My eyes tell me Tomac is going to be a championship contender the rest of his long azz career. Those same eyes also marvel at Roczens' SX talent. He is to indoors what Baggett is to outdoors. Incredible to watch.
It is 5 rounds to go. If Eli wins out he wins. Ken needs to finish in front of him at least one time if, and it's a big if, then all he needs is seconds. But I think he will try to beat him straight up. But the gate does drop at the same time for everyone, so isn't every win straight up?
Every win is straight up, pretty simple.