
Ken Roczen’s supercross comeback—from heartbreak and the abyss, and 31 points down—created the story of every fan’s dream
WORDS: JASON WEIGANDT
PHOTOS: ALIGN MEDIA
A dozen years ago, we penned a story for this magazine on Ken Roczen’s rapid rise up the 450 ranks. When the 19-year-old captured the AMA Pro Motocross Championship in his rookie season of 2014, we called it “German Summer,” a nod to both the German-born Roczen’s run and his home country winning that summer’s FIFA Soccer World Cup. Roczen brought a different kind of international flair to this sport. He was from Europe, but he didn’t seem like it. He was universally praised and accepted.
We are deeply rooted in Moto—We’ve been here all our lives. Back in 1998 when we turned an underground newspaper into a shiny color magazine, it immediately changed the game with its unprecedented depth of coverage, sense of humor, and access to the sport’s biggest names. Today, our readers know they can go to Racer X Online for all the news, race results, and event coverage they need, and then enjoy even more detail and perspective in the pages of Racer X Illustrated. The mag offers a chance to learn something new on every page and stay connected with the people and personalities that shape our sport—the competitors out on the racetrack, as well as the ones behind the scenes—through our exclusive deep-dive stories and columns.
Our trademark has always been insider knowledge from the experts who are at the races and around the sport. We have long prided ourselves on our unparalleled race reporting and detailed storytelling. We go deep with the riders and teams to provide comprehensive coverage you won’t find anywhere else—all with first-class photography and design. It’s a full education in motocross past, present, and future.
Davey Coombs
Editor-in-chief & Founder
Racer X Illustrated
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