The #94 plate Ken Roczen may not have raced the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross Championship, however, he has shown up to the SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) geared up and grinding toward that title. With a lot at stake—money and pride—the 450 class has seen some interesting action thus far into the series. The top three riders, Chase Sexton, Jett Lawrence, and Ken Roczen, are each taking turns on top of the podium. Who will prevail at the finale next weekend in Los Angeles? Roczen is prepared for whatever may come his way. See what he had to say about it all at the post-race press conference below.
Ken, take us through the final laps. We were looking at the board calling the action and it was two seconds, then it got down to one second, then you were able to get past. I remember earlier this year in supercross when we were in Indianapolis, the crowd went absolutely nuts when you won that one. How did it feel to get back up on the top step of the podium here in such a momentous, historic race?
Ken Roczen: It was amazing. It was a dream race, really. I had to make a couple of passes happen early on, and then me and Jett just went at it. We were really close there for a bit and then kind of just yo-yo-ing. He was better than me in one part of the track, and then I’d reel him back in on the other half of the track. I was trying to figure it out. I think I got better towards the end because I was able to close the gap in this part, but stay close on the back half as well. I just really kind of had to figure that one out and ended up doing it. It was just a hard battle throughout the whole thing. We were doing quite different lines throughout the entire track. I was basically opposite the entire time, kind of wherever he was going, I was just opposite. So I ended up switching to the inside in the sand. But at the same time, I ate a lot of dirt just because of him hitting some of the inside rollers, especially after the finish line jump over here going into the sand. I would just get a face full of dirt, so it was tough. But I just felt like this little ankle-biter Chihuahua that didn’t let go. It was super fun racing and I just never gave up ‘til the end. Overall it was just a dream race. It was awesome. We were going fast. I think it was the best scenario for the fans.
Your fitness has been fantastic. You missed most of outdoors, I think you had one race outdoors and here you are, looking in great shape, holding it out for both twenty-plus-one motos. What have you been doing for fitness?
I feel extremely racy, even though I haven’t been racing besides these two races. It’s been a minute since I’ve raced, but at the same time I kind of do my own thing and kind of know just how to ramp it up. Once we go to the races, light up the fast twitch muscles. That’s just kind of how I’ve always been. I’m glad to be able to come and be in it right away. We made some bike adjustments throughout the day. I wouldn’t have been able to go as fast in the second one if I had my first moto setup. I just was not comfortable in the first one and wasn’t able to go fast enough, but that really changed with the second one. So I have to give a big shout-out to our suspension guy because he really nailed it on the head. We made a little tweak after the sight lap. I was able just to race so much harder. I also have to say that the track was way gnarlier in the races than it was in practice. I felt like it was a freeway both days and wasn’t really sure how much track work they were going to do. Obviously they put some man-made bumps in. It was just a way gnarlier track, way more technical track in the motos. That’s for sure.
Ten points. Nine would be right in there. You have your future totally in your hands. Now you practically do. What are you thinking about for next week?
Next week is obviously going to be the interesting one, right? There’s going to be triple points. So, just one position will make a huge difference. Obviously a little bit of a handicap, which is my fault coming into the first round last week and just being down on points. But it will be interesting. Obviously I’m the one that’s the farthest behind out of us three. But, it’s not over until the fat lady sings. It’s just fun for me to be in the mix.
It seemed like right after the finish, those few corners was where Jett was maybe getting away from you in that second moto, but then you were gaining on him coming into the mechanics area and through that first little section. Was it just the change going to the inside of the sand, or did you find other stuff through there, too?
I feel like, actually after the finish line, around that turn, I hit that middle line. I was going double-double after that the whole moto. I feel like that was actually better. But I was just trying to go wherever he was not going because I was eating so much roost. That sand section was tricky because the inside looked like a perfect berm, but it was so slippery and we don’t have a paddle tire, so it just sticks. I was trying to make the outside of the sand work. Basically there from the sand on, all the way to the back of the stadium–or speedway–is where I feel like I got pulled. Everywhere else on the track was where I was reeling him in. So, I had to switch up my lines to go behind him and go inside on the sand. That just allowed me to be that little bit of an inch closer. Then I just was able to latch on. I was able to race some of the sweepers better than I did before and I was able to just keep it somewhat close. Then I figured out where you kind of go up the speedway. I just sliced and diced through there really quickly. I actually caught my foot peg on that little inside roller one time and my leg came off. So, I was just pushing so hard to keep my wheels on the ground and find as much traction as I possibly could, without doing swap. When we go that fast, that little swap is just that little bit that you’re missing. If you do that a couple of times, it’s just too much of a gap. He’s too fast to do that. The gap gets too big. So once I kind of figured that out, I was just able to stay closer to him. It was starting to get into the later stages of the race too, and I just really had to get a move on.
Is there any disappointment at this point that you didn’t race outdoors? Are you kind of having second thoughts and wishing that you had?
No, I’m pretty happy right now. I just love going racing. I just felt like it was needed for me. I wanted to give this a shot. So for me to look back and to be super bummed about it, I don’t really want to do that. We’re trying to build my high a little bit and I’ve been getting more and more confident. Honestly, me riding outdoors–I don't know if I would have gotten there because in the years past, it didn’t really work out. I feel like I just wanted to make a change, and that’s what I did. For right now, it’s at least working out. For next year, that’s maybe a little bit of a different story. We’ve got a lot of racing to go until we get there. But for right now, of course there was a points deficit and “could have, would have, should have,” but that’s how I wanted it and that’s why I’m in this position. I’m at this point fighting for main event wins and of course overalls. Wherever I end up towards the end, it is what it is.
You’re on a new bike this year, new setup with the SMX series. What are you doing to stay on top of your bike setting and adapt to all the new changes?
We went to town during the supercross season. We got better and better and better as the season went on and towards the end. We just had a lot on our plate. Suspension, chassis, motor, and everything that comes with the motor, obviously. Once we figured that out, it was strictly doing suspension stuff. I feel like that never really stops. I just got it in a spot where I’m content. Obviously with coming here, I was all confident coming here. Outdoor stuff was going to be enough, but we went so fast and we don’t have a wall and these supercross-style take-offs on the doubles. So, things were just a bit soft. You just make little tweaks. But honestly, the crew that I have behind me and especially also our suspension guy at Active Ride, Matt, he’s so good at making changes that I have full faith in him that when we make changes it’s not really about being perfect on the spot, but it’s all calculated. I’ve been really liking the changes. I’m actually comfortable making changes during the race day. I’m most of the time not just settling for something that is okay, I always try to get better. Even today, I made a change from last practice going into the first one, which I wasn’t too stoked with. Then we went back to something I rode previously for the second one, and then I was able to go a lot faster. So, now I know. I think this is just in the bank for coming up on either faster tracks or for next year. So, I just have a good crew behind me. Every change that we make, there’s never something that is so far left field where I’m like, I can’t even ride this. So, I’m comfortable actually making changes where in the past I was just like, “No, I’m just going to stick with what I have,” even if I didn’t like it. Just comfortable making changes.
What advice would you give to track builders or the organizers from what you’ve seen so far in SMX? Or do you think it’s pretty much what we needed for this type of series?
So far it’s been exactly what the track map said. It’s been good. I think everybody scrambling for setup, we knew that was going to happen for us. That’s kind of part of it. I feel like last week the track was pretty awesome. Yeah, was it difficult to pass? Of course, but so far it’s been good. The one thing that happened this weekend I feel like, they made changes every time we were on the track. It was never the same, whether it was from a flat straightaway to man-made bumps, or shaving this down and then all of a sudden there were big curbs going before the finish line. It’s just, every time we went out, there was something different. So I guess that was a little bit odd, but in the end it made for a good racetrack too. It got a lot rougher than it was in practice. It was pretty much a freeway. It was super fast. I think it was everything that they said it was going to be. I think it’s been good so far. This is just different. It’s just difficult. Of course you have these grass areas with how deep it was and how rutted it got with just straight-up motocross suspension. It does get sketchy because we come out of turns and deep ruts with big, curvy G-outs trying to double. It’s not necessarily ideal, but I guess that’s where you have to try and maybe take a little bit more of an uncomfortable setting to at least deal with that, than make it safe and have it decent around the track. It’s tricky. I think it’s been good so far. It's a learning experience, but I can’t really complain too much.
You talked earlier about wanting to be kind of a supercross specialist. How grateful are you that next week could be more supercrossy? To win that race will probably get the championship at the OG supercross venue.
Obviously, the venue is historic. I haven’t been there. It will just be cool to take it in. The biggest thing that I just honestly haven’t over-thought about going to the races is what the track is going to be like. I simply look at the track map and trust that it’s going to be 95% like that. I don't think they would all of a sudden just change everything completely. So, I just haven’t over-thought it. I’m not really grateful that it’s supercross next week, it just is what it is. I’ve been comfortable on both. I ,of course, also have more experience in motocross, just because I’ve done it my whole life. But, I just take it for what it is. Whatever comes, I adapt to it.
I’ve seen you race for years and years. I know your dad was really critical in your early racing days and when you first came here. I know he was here today. Does that bring some added comfort or feel good?
It’s just fun. Obviously most of the time I’m at the race alone or with my family. But over the last years, our relationship has just been so much better. So it’s a pure joy having him here, because it doesn’t happen too often. It just feels like the old days. It’s fun to look at footage and discuss the track and kind of anticipate what we’re going to do. It just feels like the old days. We can do that now in a mellow manner, compared to before when I was stubborn and he’s stubborn and it just would explode. It’s been extremely fun just because it hasn’t happened too often lately. It was special to be able to have a race day like today and have him here, for sure.