Racer X - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X

  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News

Racer X - Motocross & Supercross NewsRacer X

  • One Click Sign-In

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    OR

    Sign in with your username and password

    • Sign In
  • 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 Moment
    • Things We Learned at the Ranch
    • UnPhiltered
    • Wake-Up Call
    • Where Are They Now
    • 50 Years of Pro Motocross
  • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Galleries
    • The Weege Show
    • Racer X Films
    • Video
    • SX Preview Shows
    • Factory Tech Tip
    • MX Preview Shows
    • Behind The Bars
    • Racer X Rapid News
  • Races
    • Series Schedules
    • TV Schedules
    • Results
    • Champions
    • 2023 Numbers
    • Teams
  • Results
    • Points Standings
    • Race Results
    • Riders
    • The Vault
    • Loretta Lynn's Vault
  • Shop
  • About Us
  • The Mag
    • Digital Magazine Bookstand
    • Customer Care
    • Current Issue
    • Newsletter
    • Store Locator
    • Subscribe
    • Free Stickers
    • Sell Racer X
  • Table of Contents
  • Subscribe Now
  • Latest
  • Features
  • Breaking News
Results Archive
Motocross
Fox Raceway
Articles
450 Results
  1. Jett Lawrence
  2. Chase Sexton
  3. Dylan Ferrandis
Full Results
250 Results
  1. Hunter Lawrence
  2. Haiden Deegan
  3. R.J. Hampshire
Full Results
GNCC
Mason-Dixon
Articles
Overall Results
  1. Craig Delong
  2. Layne Michael
  3. Ricky Russell
Full Results
XC2 Pro Results
  1. Liam Draper
  2. Angus Riordan
  3. Ruy Barbosa
Full Results
Motocross
Hangtown Motocross Classic
Articles
450 Results
  1. Jett Lawrence
  2. Dylan Ferrandis
  3. Cooper Webb
Full Results
250 Results
  1. Hunter Lawrence
  2. Justin Cooper
  3. Haiden Deegan
Full Results
MXGP of
Latvia
Articles
MXGP Results
  1. Jeffrey Herlings
  2. Jorge Prado
  3. Romain Febvre
Full Results
MX2 Results
  1. Kay De Wolf
  2. Roan Van De Moosdijk
  3. Thibault Benistant
Full Results
Upcoming
Motocross
Thunder Valley
Sat Jun 10
Articles
Upcoming
MXGP of
Liqui Moly Germany
Sun Jun 11
Articles
Upcoming
Motocross
High Point
Sat Jun 17
Articles
Full Schedule
450 Words: Crucial Result for Roczen
Kellen Brauer

Kellen Brauer

450 Words Crucial Result for Roczen

August 15, 2021 12:00am
by: Kellen Brauer
  • Home
  • 450 Words
  • Ken Roczen Claims Pivotal Victory at Unadilla National

Yamaha off-road competition bikes are designed to turn enthusiasts into the best riders possible – to help them become one with their machine and win races – and to put them in the Victory Zone, atop the podium. From exciting youth models like the YZ65 and YZ85, to the legendary YZ125 or YZ250 two-strokes, and the championship-winning YZ250F and class-leading YZ450F with the industry-exclusive Power Tuner app, all Yamaha motocross bikes have one thing in common: winners choose them. Learn more at YamahaMotorsports.com

Advertisement | Advertise with Us
New Berlin, NY Unadilla AMA Pro Motocross Championship

As Ken Roczen battled illness at the Washougal National three weeks ago, he also watched a close title fight had fully dip into a massive chasm. Dylan Ferrandis finished 5-1 at Washougal while Roczen went 6-10 and the Frenchman took a 47-point championship lead into the longest in-season break in years. Roczen, a former two-time series champion, had practically watched his title hopes dashed in a few hour timespan.

“I haven’t actually gotten ill like that in a while,” said Roczen on his struggles at Washougal. “I’m just not able to recover very quick anymore and it took me at least a week after Washougal to slowly feel somewhat normal.”

To have any hope at winning this title still, Roczen needed to come off this lengthy break in a big way and he was greeted with perhaps the best track to do so. When we last raced at Unadilla in 2019, Roczen was on a different planet as he qualified nearly three seconds faster than anyone else and cruised to a 1-1 performance. It was arguably the best race he had since his gruesome arm injury in 2017 and was one of those races where we saw every bit of the old Ken Roczen still in there.

“I honestly don’t know!” Roczen admitted after being asked why he gels well with Unadilla. “With these long ruts, I don’t know what it is if it’s with something that I grew up on. My track [in Germany] is clay and hard packed but when it rained it was always really good and it would get these long ruts. For whatever reason, it just suits my style and I think I set up my bike so it works well there. I definitely don’t come here thinking I’m going to be three seconds faster than everyone, but Unadilla has just been good to me.”

Ken Roczen certainly feels the flow at Unadilla.
Ken Roczen certainly feels the flow at Unadilla. Align Media

So, could he repeat that feat right off a lengthy break this time through? Roczen qualified fastest again at Unadilla, though it wasn’t quite the same massive margins from 2019. That didn’t seem to matter once the gate dropped in the first moto as Roczen was quick to get out front with only Aaron Plessinger going with the German. Plessinger pushed with Roczen all the way up until 20 minutes in when AP suffered a frightening crash that ended his day. Roczen cruised to the moto win and followed it up with a similar performance in the second moto as he passed his teammate Chase Sexton and took off with the win. The 1-1 performance was huge for Roczen and coupled with Ferrandis’ ever steady 2-3 scores, Roczen sliced the championship lead down to 39.

It’s still quite the gap in points, but Roczen surely would have seen any slim hope he still had in the title drift completely away had Ferrandis managed to extend his championship lead at Unadilla. Ferrandis needs to be leading by 51 points to wrap the title up early. For now at least, it appears Roczen has spoiled that premature celebration as momentum shifts back in his favor.

“My bad weekends unfortunately, like Millville was a little out of my control, but Washougal, they’re always just really bad,” Roczen said as he reflected on his championship hopes. “I need to eliminate that to get a championship. It seems like there’s always a lot of eyes on me and a lot of fingers pointed but in the end, I’m always out there doing my best and when things line up, sometimes we have a day like today and sometimes we just don’t.”

Roczen celebrates after finishing off his 1-1 performance at Unadilla.
Roczen celebrates after finishing off his 1-1 performance at Unadilla. Align Media

On the flipside, Ferrandis is making a habit of being by far the steadiest rider in the 450 class. Through eight motos, his worst finish is still just a fifth and it’s also the only two times the Frenchman didn’t finish on the podium in a moto. That means it’s been 14 of 16 for top three finishes so far for Ferrandis, and the ball just kept on rolling at Unadilla, even though he admitted openly on this day he had nothing for Roczen  

Now that Roczen has pushed the ball back towards his side of the court, Budds Creek next weekend becomes all the more interesting. If Roczen is able to put on a similar display to what he had at Unadilla he can pull the points deficit closer to just one moto back, the pressure ramps up on Ferrandis to remain mostly flawless from here on out.

Motocross

450 Standings - 2021

PositionRider Hometown Points
1Dylan Ferrandis Dylan FerrandisAvignon, France France531
2Eli Tomac
Eli Tomac
Cortez, CO United States458
3Ken Roczen Ken RoczenMattstedt, Germany Germany446
4Cooper Webb Cooper WebbNewport, NC United States358
5Chase Sexton
Chase Sexton
La Moille, IL United States342
Full Standings
  • 250 Words: On The Jetts 250 Words: On The Jetts 9:15pm
  • Saturday Night Live: Unadilla Saturday Night Live: Unadilla 2:00am
Presented by:
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Website
Read Now
July 2023 Issue Now Available
Get Racer X on your iPhone
Check out all the exclusive content this month on any device!
Read Now
The July 2023 Digital Issue Availalbe Now

Motocross & Supercross News - Racer X

122 Vista Del Rio Drive, Morgantown, WV 26508 | 304-284-0084 | Contact Us
©1999 - 2023 Filter Publications LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
designed at: Website DesignImpulse Studios