But it might not be long. Our Racer X Online poll on Monday asked you who you thought might be the next team to get a win in the 250s. Nearly 70 percent of voters sad Red Bull KTM will get a win soon, while only 17.5 percent expect the Honda and Kawasaki boys to run the table all the way to round 12.
For sure, Ken Roczen has put his orange machine in contention each week, and it seems only a matter of time until he gets a W. If or when Ken does, he’ll be reversing some recent history.
Blake Baggett has helped keep Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki in the winners circle thus far in 2012.
Simon Cudby photo
First, no other team has won a race in the 250 class since 2009, when Ryan Dungey won at Washougal on July 25th on a Suzuki. That’s nearly three years ago. And KTM’s last win in the class came more than six years ago, when Mike Alessi won the Hangtown opener in 2006.
As for the three winners in three rounds thing, well, parity is pretty common in this class. Just as recently as 2010, we saw four different winners in four rounds, with Eli Tomac, Christophe Pourcel, Tyla Rattray and Dean Wilson taking the first four rounds. If Roczen gets a win this weekend, it will tie 2010’s dynamic start, and also break a long dry spell for the Austrian marque.
A little more High Point history shows the way. Over the last decade, the track has hosted quite a few first-time winners in the 250 class. Chad Reed won his first National in the U.S. at this track in 2002. Alessi won his first-ever National there in 2005, Josh Grant did the same in 2007, and Tyla Rattray won his first in America at this track in 2010.
Is someone else next, or has the two-horse race just begun?
