Racer X - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X
  • All Series
  • Subscribe Now
  • Supercross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
    • The Vault
  • Motocross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Riders
    • Teams
    • Tracks
    • The Vault
  • SuperMotocross
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • MXGP
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Teams
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • GNCC
    • News
    • Schedule
    • TV Schedule
    • Results
    • Standings
    • Riders
    • Tracks
  • Loretta Lynn’s
    • News
    • The Vault
  • More Series
    • MXoN
    • WSX
    • Australian SX
    • Australian MX
    • Canadian MX
    • EnduroCross
    • Straight Rhythm
  • Features
    • 10 Things
    • 30 Greatest AMA Motocrossers
    • 3 on 3
    • 250 Words
    • 450 Words
    • Arenacross Report
    • Between the Motos
    • Breakdown
    • Deals of the Week
    • GNCC Report
    • Great Battles
    • How to Watch
    • Injury Report
    • Insight
    • In the Mag, On the Web
    • Lockdown Diaries
    • Longform
    • MXGP Race Reports
    • My Favorite Loretta Lynn's Moto
    • Next
    • Next Level
    • Observations
    • On This Day in Moto
    • Open Mic
    • Privateer Profile
    • Race Day Feed
    • Racerhead
    • Racer X Awards
    • Racer X Redux
    • Rapid Reaxtion
    • RX Exhaust
    • Saturday Night Live
    • Staging Area
    • The Conversation
    • The List
    • The Lives They Lived
    • The Moment
    • Things We Learned at the Ranch
    • UnPhiltered
    • Wake-Up Call
    • Where Are They Now
    • 50 Years of Pro Motocross
  • Shop
    • New Releases
    • Men's
    • Women's
    • Youth
    • Accessories
    • Sales Rack
    • Stickers
  • About Us
  • The Mag
    • Digital Magazine Bookstand
    • Customer Care
    • Current Issue
    • Newsletter
    • Store Locator
    • Subscribe
    • Sell Racer X
  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
  • Supercross
  • News
  • Schedule
  • TV Schedule
  • Results
  • Standings
  • Teams
  • Riders
  • Tracks
  • The Vault
  • Subscribe Now
  • Table of Contents
Results Archive
Motocross
Thunder Valley
News
450 Results
  1. Jett Lawrence
  2. Eli Tomac
  3. Aaron Plessinger
Full Results
250 Results
  1. Chance Hymas
  2. Haiden Deegan
  3. Levi Kitchen
Full Results
MXGP of
Latvia
News
MXGP Results
  1. Jeffrey Herlings
  2. Lucas Coenen
  3. Romain Febvre
Full Results
MX2 Results
  1. Sacha Coenen
  2. Simon Längenfelder
  3. Kay de Wolf
Full Results
Motocross
High Point
News
450 Results
  1. Jett Lawrence
  2. Hunter Lawrence
  3. Eli Tomac
Full Results
250 Results
  1. Haiden Deegan
  2. Tom Vialle
  3. Levi Kitchen
Full Results
Upcoming
GNCC
Snowshoe
Fri Jun 20
News
Upcoming
MXGP of
Great Britain 
Sun Jun 22
News
Upcoming
Motocross
Southwick
Sat Jun 28
News
450 Entry List
  1. Cooper Webb
  2. Eli Tomac
  3. Chase Sexton
Full Entry List
250 Entry List
  1. Jeremy Martin
  2. Tom Vialle
  3. Jordon Smith
Full Entry List
Full Schedule
The Moment: High Profile

The Moment: High Profile

March 9, 2021, 11:10am
Jason Weigandt Jason WeigandtEditorial Director
  • Home
  • The Moment
  • Cooper Webb’s Move on Ken Roczen in Turn One at Daytona - Supercross
Daytona, FL Daytona (West)Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship

As aggressive moves go, this wasn’t near the top of the list. Might not really be on the list. We saw more aggressive pass attempts at this very race itself, let alone the other 699 supercross races in history.

But Ken Roczen has a right to be mad, and he’s not the only one who will do some talking.

This is the move everyone wants to talk about. Cooper Webb pushed Roczen high in turn two of Saturday night’s Daytona main event, and it had major implications on the championship. When you multiply this pass by its championship impact and the high-profile of Webb and Roczen you’ve got a recipe for real controversy. That’s what this really is. The move itself isn’t anything big, but what it represents is something much bigger, and that’s why it matters so much.

We’re entering the nitty-gritty here, with two competitors who have clashed in the past. There was that big crash in San Diego in 2018, where Roczen’s arm went into Webb’s wheel. They’ve had some very close races and finishes. Plus Webb’s wife used to date Roczen. That’s just facts, but the moto media is very friendly so we don’t usually report on personal stuff like that. You can form your own opinions on that topic, and it could be meaningless, because these two riders have done all they can to squash any previous beef. In interviews Webb and Roczen have had hundreds of opportunities to say something cross about each other. These guys are pretty unfiltered on a variety of topics, but they have consistently taken the high ground when it comes to talking about each other. Until this:

“I think he’s scared of me and I think that’s why he plays these kinds of games, but little does he know I like to play as well,” said Roczen after Daytona. “So from here on out I’m going to put in that little bit of extra focus, even at home, to be that much better on the weekends. He’s just fueling the fire and I’m ready for it.”

So much for taking the high ground.

Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen Align Media

So now we’ve got “the move” and “the interview” which will fuel this week’s (at least) story.

Earlier in the evening, Hardy Munoz attempted to go mega low on Ryan Sipes in a 250 heat race. Sipes got straight center punched and tossed off of his bike. He hurt his hand. But that’s just the crazy kids of the 250 class, Munoz the latest in a long line of aggressive young talent (Sipes, a veteran, unfortunately on the receiving end). Sipes posted on social that his old man body was very sore because supercross is no joke. He didn’t talk any trash on Munoz.

That was just a 250 heat race. It was way more aggressive but everyone moved on. Webb v. Roczen also wasn’t even close to the countless privateer v. privateer moments in the last chance qualifier. Almost weekly, violent crimes are both legal and celebrated. In the case of a LCQ all incidents are classified under “just a racing incident.”

That changes with high profile of two factory superstars fighting for a championship in a main event. Webb’s move—he went high in turn two and moved Roczen up, taking Kenny from a holeshot to about seventh—really impacted the race. Webb didn’t even really make contact, but the intent was clear. Roczen had to make up big ground and he did. He got all the way to Webb’s fender a few times, so one could argue he was the faster rider on the night, but in the end Webb got away with his usual late-race wizardry. Somehow on the last lap Webb even passed Aaron Plessinger (who out rode him for 99 percent of the race), putting another rider and some more points between himself and Kenny. Roczen might have been faster at Daytona, but Webb gained four points. This stuff matters.

As soon as the race ended, Roczen rode up to Webb and gave him an ear full.

  • Cooper Webb
    Cooper Webb Align Media
  • Ken Roczen
    Ken Roczen Align Media

“Yeah, when we got back, he was running his mouth, but I didn’t really hear what he said on the podium or anything,” said Webb. “He wasn’t too pumped, but I’m not too sure why. I saw an opening and went for it. He’s really focusing on himself this year, and clearly, he showed how much he’s focusing on himself.”

Once you’re into this type of stuff you’re playing Webb’s game. His 250 years were packed with mind games. This is an arena where he excels. So now you’ll hear accusations where Webb is in Kenny’s head. Honestly, though, Kenny rode awesome in the main and caught up to Webb from pretty far back. It’s not like Kenny fell apart after the turn-two incident, crashed a few more times and finished 12th. He rode with fire and he rode well. Long term, he might be better served to go back to what usually works for him, but in the heat of the moment, he got hot.

That’s okay. A title is on the line. Is he supposed to smile about this? Just not notice or care? If Kenny is getting heat for appearing like Webb is in his head, how much criticism would he get if his response was passive or non-existent? I will never criticize a guy for acting like he cares. We ask for riders to show personality and emotion but are too quick to criticize when they do. While Kenny has played the calm and casual mental game this year, he can only go so far. As always, when riders say they’re not overly focused on results, it’s only because thinking that way actually makes the results better. The results are always important, but the more important the results, the more important everything else becomes.

Supercross

Daytona (West) - 450SX Main Event

March 6, 2021
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona, FL United States
Rider Time Interval Best Lap Hometown Bike
1 Eli Tomac Eli Tomac 18 Laps 1:09.393 Cortez, CO United States Kawasaki KX450
2 Cooper Webb Cooper Webb +03.856 1:10.259 Newport, NC United States KTM 450 SX-F
3 Aaron Plessinger Aaron Plessinger +04.523 1:09.423 Hamilton, OH United States Yamaha YZ450F
4 Ken Roczen Ken Roczen +07.755 1:09.326 Mattstedt, Germany Germany Honda CRF450R
5 Malcolm Stewart Malcolm Stewart +10.538 1:09.638 Haines City, FL United States Yamaha YZ450F
Full Results

Don’t Miss a Moto!

 

Sign up for our newsletter to get headlines, info, and scoops as soon as they break. As a bonus, you’ll be entered into our weekly giveaways too!

TGI Freeday - Newsletter Giveaway
By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy. Must be 18 years of age or older to win.
Forms on this page are protected by reCAPTCHA, its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Previous Next
Gallery: Daytona Tue Mar 9 Gallery: Daytona Fly Racing Racer X Podcast: Bob Rathkamp Wed Mar 10 Fly Racing Racer X Podcast: Bob Rathkamp
Read Now
August 2025 Issue Now Available
Get Racer X on your iPhone
Check out all the exclusive content this month on any device!
Read Now
The August 2025 Digital Issue Availalbe Now

Motocross & Supercross News - Racer X

122 Vista Del Rio Drive, Morgantown, WV 26508 | 304-284-0084 | Contact Us
©1999 - 2025 Filter Publications LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Preferences | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
designed at: Website Design at Impulse Studios
New stories have been posted