Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen is a German professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2009 to 2011 and has competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2012 to 2020. He is an MX2-class Motocross World Champion, Motocross des Nations winner, 250-class west coast Supercross champion, 450-class Monster Energy cup winner, and two time 450-class US Motocross champion.
Professional career
Roczen was a member of the winning German team at the 2012 Motocross des Nations event that included Max Nagl and Marcus Schiffer. Their victory marked the first German win in the history of the Motocross des Nations.US career
In 2013, Roczen won the Supercross 250 West Championship, ending the season 2 points ahead of Eli Tomac.In 2014, he moved up to the 450cc class, joining Red Bull KTM Racing. Ken shocked fans worldwide when he started off his rookie season with a win in his first-ever 450 Supercross race at Anaheim I, the season opener. He would also go on to win at round 5 in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. Roczen finished the series 3rd in the points standings after the final race at Las Vegas. By finishing 3rd overall in the Supercross points chase his first year on the 450, Ken showed that he was primed to become one of the sports top competitors. Roczen would cement his new position atop the 450 Motocross world by going on to win the 2014 AMA Motocross Championship his rookie year, defeating Ryan Dungey.
In 2015, Roczen signed with RCH Suzuki. He failed to repeat as Pro Motocross champion for 2015, surrendering his #1 plate to Ryan Dungey. He would go on to win the 450-class Monster Energy cup.
In 2016, the German was runner-up in the AMA Supercross Championship points standings with five wins. He would go on to win the AMA Motocross title for the second time in dominating fashion with 20 wins.
In 2017, Roczen joined the Honda factory racing HRC Honda Racing Corporation team. After just winning his second Motocross championship he was favored to win the AMA Supercross Championship after finishing 2nd in 2016. Kenny would go on to win the first two races of the 2017 season. Then on Jan 21, 2017, while running in 3rd place Roczen's foot slipped off of the footpeg while going over a triple and he was ejected from the bike in mid-air crashing hard and receiving a compound fracture to his left arm, after landing face-first in a rhythm section of the track. Roczen would go on to miss the rest of the 2017 Supercross season and the following Motocross championship as well as he had sustained serious injuries to his left arm including a compound fracture and compartment syndrome.
In 2018, with his injury woes a year behind him, Roczen started the AMA Supercross Championship season in shape and ready to start his rise back to the top of the sport. He made it through much of the year, building on his progress each week and looking like he was rounding into form. Unfortunately On February 10, 2018, in San Diego CA https://www.redbull.com/us-en/theredbulletin/Ken-Roczens-crazy-comeback, Roczen suffered another serious crash while attempting to pass Cooper Webb. As he entered a turn to set up a pass on Cooper with his back wheel spinning, he suddenly hooked a rut catching too much traction while also simultaneously impacting Cooper Webb's bike which caused him to fall off the back of the bike with his arm ending up being pulled into Cooper Webb's rear wheel and then shot back out. He underwent surgery to repair the shattered bones, dislocation of the metacarpals, and torn ligaments in his right hand. Roczen was out again for the rest of the Supercross season due to another serious injury. Luckily this gave Ken more time to allow his left arm to heal which was still damaged from the previous years crash. Roczen was able to heal just in time for the 2018 Motocross Championship in which he finished 3rd.
In 2019, he finished 4th in the Supercross Championship with four podiums. In the Motocross Championship, he won the opener in Hangtown and two more rounds, a total of 7 podiums of the 12 rounds, finishing 2nd in the final point standings.
In 2020, on January 11th, Ken Roczen won his first AMA Supercross race in three years with a win at St.Louis. He won two more rounds until the season was Covid19 interrupted after round 10 in Daytona, March 7th, and was at this point trailing leader Eli Tomac by three points. The season resumed with seven rounds all in Salt Lake City, UT, between May 31st and June 21st racing Sundays and Wednesdays in Rice-Eccles Stadium without spectators. Of the seven rounds, Ken collected one more win but fell to 3rd in the final standings.
AMA Supercross/Motocross results
| Year | Rnd 1 | Rnd 2 | Rnd 3 | Rnd 4 | Rnd 5 | Rnd 6 | Rnd 7 | Rnd 8 | Rnd 9 | Rnd 10 | Rnd 11 | Rnd 12 | Rnd 13 | Rnd 14 | Rnd 15 | Rnd 16 | Rnd 17 | Average Finish | Podium Percent | Place |
| 2011 SX-W | 7 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 3 | - | 7 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | DNS | 2 | 1 | 6.12 | 37% | 6th |
| 2012 SX-E | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 5 | - | - | 2 | 4.56 | 56% | 2nd |
| 2012 250MX | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | 3.5 | 67% | 4th |
| 2013 SX-W | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | DNS | 2 | 1.63 | 100% | 1st |
| 2013 250MX | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 2.83 | 83% | 2nd |
| 2014 SX | 1 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 21 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5.70 | 47% | 3rd |
| 2014 450MX | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1.92 | 92% | 1st |
| 2016 SX | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 3.94 | 65% | 2nd |
| 2016 450MX | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1.25 | 100% | 1st |
| 2020 SX | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Major titles
- 2007 – Junior World Champion 85ccm
- 2009 – German ADAC MX Masters Champion
- 2010 – German ADAC MX Masters Champion
- 2011 – Motocross World Champion MX2
- 2012 – 1st place at Motocross des Nations in Lommel
- 2013 – AMA Supercross West Coast Champion 250SX
- 2014 – AMA Motocross Champion 450 class
- 2015 – Monster Energy Cup winner
- 2016 – AMA Motocross Champion 450 class