Photo by: Hoppenworld
Over the first two rounds of the 2014 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Star Racing/Yamaha’s Jeremy Martin has been the biggest surprise, but the Red Bull/KTM 450MX rookie, Ken Roczen, has been the biggest surprise in the 450MX class. The young German showed up for round one at Glen Helen and finished second in both motos by less than a second in each. The next week, he erased the disappointment of coming so close by down right dominating the field for round number two at Hangtown. Kenny not only won both motos, but he passed his way to the front in both motos and pulled away from the former two-time 450 National Champion, Red Bull/KTM’s Ryan Dungey, for a 1-1 score. It was an impressive win by any standards, but was compounded by the fact that Ken’s just a rookie racing his second-ever 450 Motocross National.
As it sits now—with four of the twenty-four long summer motos in the history books—the numbers nine and four will be pasted over the red background for round three of this series and the 2014 Thunder Valley National in Lakewood, Colorado. With a five-point lead over his teammate Dungey, there’s no room to celebrate his 1-1 at Hangtown, but we have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of celebrating in the future for this 450 freshman. At twenty years young, Ken’s resume is already decorated with an MX2 World Championship, four MXoN MX2 individual overall wins, Germany’s only MXoN team overall win in history, 250SX main event wins, a 250SX Regional Championship, 250MX overall wins, 450SX main event wins and a 450MX overall win, so don’t be too surprised if he can call himself a Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 450MX Champion come August 23rd.
After Kenny’s win at the 2014 Hangtown Nation, he sat down and answered questions for the press. You can check out what Kenny had to say below.
Ken, how does it feel to have round two under your belt and a strong start to the season?
It feels great. It’s always awesome to lead the race after two solid motos. It just makes the week a lot easier. Man, it was good today. I always like coming here, and it looks like they brought in some softer dirt. I really had a lot of fun out there and plus it was good racing. I’m pretty happy with my starts, and overall I don’t have anything to complain about this weekend.
Let’s talk about last week to this week. Last weekend, you had a last lap pass on you. This weekend, it looked like you had enough of a gap that there wasn’t too much that could slow you down today. Did you change up anything within the week?
No, I think it was just getting the first done, and I’m usually not a big fan of Glen Helen. I’ve always done pretty good at Hangtown, so I really like this place here. I have good memories here. And so is Colorado, actually, so I’m really looking forward to that one.
To follow up on with your comment on Colorado, at the Motocross of Nations, you seemed liked you loved the place. You gotta be looking forward to it?
Yeah, for sure. I really like the dirt there. It’s a little bit of altitude, but I really like long ruts, and that’s basically what it is. It’s on a hillside, and just in general, I think the whole track is pretty good.
You looked a little frustrated last week after that second moto. Were you particularly determined to come away with a win this week?
Well, it’s never fun to lead a whole race and then get passed with two corners to go. But, honestly, Ryan is one of the strongest riders out there, and he just wanted it more than me I guess. So he took it away, which is fine. I learn from those and take experience from that. I don’t know, this weekend was just comfort on the bike and everything. Once you have that little bit you need—or you were looking for—it’s going good.
Talk about that adjustment a little bit between the 250 to the 450—now that you have two races on the 450 outdoors. What’s the biggest difference between the two?
Well, obviously, the bike’s are a lot more powerful and a lot heavier which makes it tougher. I’m used to riding after the 450’s, and that’s actually when the track’s usually crappier, so now it feels good to be the first race of the day. The track is still good, and that’s a part that makes it a bit easier.
In moto two, it looked like you were hanging back a bit while Brett Metcalfe and Justin Barcia in front of you were going back and forth. You were able to get them one after another. Were you trying to sit back, or were you trying the catch them the whole race?
Obviously, if you can get by right away, that’s ideal, but I just tried to settle in and watch for good lines. In the beginning of the race, that’s when everyone’s still fresh and going fast, and I was able to basically pass Barcia and Metcalfe pretty much at the same point, and then after that I had a clear track, and that makes things a lot easier.
Compare how rough the track was this year to how it has been in previous years. I was talking to one of the 250 guys and he said the track was one of the rougher tracks he’s seen here.
I always thought this track gets rough, but I think the more difficult the track is, the better. Just because that’s what makes the difference. It’s actually funny, because back in the day when I was watching Nationals—like a few years back before I actually came over here—the track looked really flat, and I was like “Man, why would they keep it so flat?” It looked like they prep it every time you go out there. Then, when I came over here in 2012, I actually thought the tracks were pretty rough, and every year I feel like it was rough here. So I don’t think it was anything out of the norm, but for sure it was rough.
Final question for you. Obviously there’s been a big change in your program. Last year it was “In and Out” burgers…
I’m still going for that. (laughs)
I know you are, but don’t tell Aldon, right? (laughs) What’s the difference between last year’s fitness level and this year’s?
I put in more work and that shows. I don’t know. When you put in more work that’s just how it goes.
