(Photo: Feld Entertainment, Inc.)
By Aaron Bearden
Ken Roczen’s on a roll in the Circle City.
It all feels so right, which makes it surprising to remember how long it’s been since his dominance has been seen like this.
Roczen won Round 5 of the 2021 AMA Supercross season on Tuesday, dominating the 450SX main to claim back-to-back victories in the first two of three dates at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. He’s the first rider to win consecutive races this season, but more importantly for the points leader, it’s his first time winning twice in a row in nearly four years.
“I don’t know what to say, honestly,” Roczen said of his recent success. “I haven’t gone back to back in a really long time. I had a blast out there. Luckily I could just ride my own race. That was really key with this kind of track. I had some really creative lines.
“We’re currently just enjoying ourselves and at the same time working really hard to continue striving and thriving.”
The last two times Roczen accomplished the feat were back in 2016 and ’17. He mounted a late charge at the championship with consecutive wins in the 15th and 16th rounds of the 17-race 2016 season. He was still forced to concede the title to Ryan Dungey with one race remaining that year, but entered the 2017 campaign among the championship favorites.
Roczen made good on that potential immediately, claiming the opening two races of the 2017 season in Anaheim and San Diego. With four wins in the past five Supercross events dating back to the prior year, Roczen returned to Anaheim for the third round of that season full of confidence as the clear championship favorite to start the year.
Then everything went wrong.
In that night’s main, Roczen got bucked off his bike while riding in third and suffered a horrible crash in the rhythm section. Injuries included a dislocated wrist and elbow, along with a compound fracture to his radius.
Since then Roczen has been on the slow march back to the forefront of the series. He made it back into Supercross in 2018, but suffered another nasty accident with Cooper Webb that resulted in significant damage including a fractured metacarpal and torn ligaments in his right hand. That resulted in surgery that kept Roczen out of the series until the next year.
The 2019 season brought better injury luck, but no wins for Roczen. He finished fourth in points with no podiums. He finally returned to victory lane in 2020, winning four times overall including three triumphs before COVID-19 hit and a final victory in the Salt Late City, UT, as part of the four-week stay Supercross used there to close out the season.
He finished third in the championship last year, in the title picture but not quite at the forefront. That left him entering the 2021 season in a somewhat similar place to 2016 – among the favorites if he could find the pace to contend for victories and consistency to avoid falls and lost positions or another nasty injury.
It’s taken him a few rounds to get over the hump, but Roczen’s 2021 is off to a flying start. Two runner-up results and a fifth in the opening three races in Houston have given way to a pair of excellent rides in Indianapolis, allowing him to storm off to a 13-point edge over Webb for the points lead. He has the red plate and is showing no signs of slowing down as the season prepares to cross over the 1/3 mark with the sixth of 17 rounds this Saturday, once again in Indianapolis.
And he’s having a fantastic time with his family while he does it.
“I want to give it up to my wife and my son” Roczen said. “We’ve really been having a blast, changing diapers between races. And my trainer, my brother-in-law Blake. He’s done a phenomenal job getting me back to where I need to be. We’re working really hard to keep striving and thriving. I love my team, too..”
There’s still a long way to go from here. Roczen’s points lead over Webb is narrow. Eli Tomac, Justin Barcia and Adam Cianciarulo are among a group that aren’t far behind should Roczen waver. Others could still rise up, and there’s always the risk of injury.
But with his early success, it’s fair to start pondering the question. Could Roczen finally break through and score an elusive first Supercross title?
The answer is looking more like a “yes” as Indy week rolls on.
But don’t tell Roczen that – he doesn’t want to hear it just yet.
“I’m taking it race by race,” he said. “I know this is a very normal thing to say, but I feel like I have the right mindset this year to do that. It’s way too early to think about the championship. And even toward the end I don’t really want to think about it.
“I’m just out here having fun with my family. I really enjoy racing and training again – trying to get back to the top. I’m sure there will be nights that are going to be a little bit rougher, but it’s all about making the most and being your best.”
