Racer X Rapid ReaXtion: Ken Roczen's Big Break
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 | 2:20 PM
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DC:
Another world champ, another injury learning the craft of supercross. Ken Roczen is not the first Grand Prix hero to show up on these shores only to be grounded by a crash. The list goes all the way back to Greg Albertyn, who's catalog of crashes was Seth Enslow-esque. Sebastien Tortelli was next. Then Alessio Chioidi (remember his SX misadventure with Husqvarna?). Later it would be Grant Langston (though he figured it out and then some), Tyla Rattray, Marvin Musquin (who was actually hurt at the Bercy SX).... And now K-Roc.
Why all the problems? Supercross is the achilles heel of Europe-based riders, though it's no fault of their own. There simply is no tangible supercross tour in Europe for them to learn the trade on before they come to America. And once here, the expectations are high and the learning curve steep. Roczen, the youngest of the riders mentioned above to land in America, has already shown stadium skills, winning the Vegas SX last year, but don't forget the heavy crashes he suffered before reaching the winner's circle.
But maybe this is a blessing in disguise for the Red Bull KTM team. It now forces Roczen into the East Region, which starts almost two months later, and gives them twice as many chances to win races, as Musquin will ride alone in the West Region now. It also should help out with team chemistry, though Roger DeCoster told us last week that Ken and Marvin, former rivals in Europe, were getting along great as teammates about to start battling together at Anaheim. Now the focus will be on Marvin in January, with Ken's turn coming in mid-February, when we get to finally see the answer to that fanatical bench-racing boast, "Justin Barcia couldn't beat Ken Roczen in his dreams."
The downside? We won't get to see much of Ken on the 350 in 2012.
Chase Stallo:
I’m not going to lie, when the news came down the wire that Ken Roczen had broken his arm I was a little disappointed. While the injury doesn’t look to be serious, any injury this early in the season could potentially throw a wrench in the riders’ season. With that being said, Roczen is young and should bounce back fairly quickly.While this injury won’t necessarily effect Roczen’s season, it does hinder the plans of KTM. The plan for the Orange Brigade in 2012 was to have Roczen and his foreign counterpart, Marvin Musquin, both race West Coast Lites and then race the 350 in the premiere class for the East. Well that planned is squashed now. But it does open the door for this…
The battle the industry has been clamoring for since Roczen announced he would be riding full-time in the States for 2012—Roczen vs. Justin “BamBam” Barcia. And what a better place than Jerry Land—the monstrosity that is Cowboys Stadium—to kick things off.
Aaron Hansel:
They say that Red Bull gives you wings, but in Ken Roczen’s case, he just ended up with a broken one. Yes, that’s right, another rider has been injured just days before the season opener in Anaheim, and in this case, it’s a broken left arm for Red Bull/KTM’s Roczen.Living in Northern California makes me primarily a West Coast guy, and I must admit that the news of Roczen’s injury put a big damper on my mood. After all, not only is Roczen a fantastic racer, but his jump combos and whips during practice are absolutely electrifying to watch as well. I’m even thinking of nicknaming him, The Breakfast Cook, because it seems like he spends almost every practice session serving up whips that are flatter than pancakes. The dude definitely cooks, but unfortunately for the West Coast fans, his broken arm means they won’t be filling their plates at the Roczen buffet this year.
Fortunately, it’s not a total loss. In fact, the silver lining on this cloud is more like a platinum coating when you consider the fact that fans will now get to see Roczen go head-to-head with Justin Barcia on the East Coast. How cool is that? Both of these guys race with more enthusiasm than an energy-drink-crazed 10-year-old tearing through the pits hunting down autographs, and they both want to win, badly. While I’m truly bummed for Roczen that he got injured, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about the battle of the east that is already brewing.
Steve Matthes:
Poor Kenny Roczen, the German KTM kid broke his arm getting ready for the supercross series and although he’s probably bummed and upset, I think this is a great thing for the fans. I never understood KTM manager Roger DeCoster’s master plan of having Roczen and two-time World Champion Marvin Musquin both race the same coast. While not on the level of Roczen in my eyes, Musquin nevertheless is very fast and is a podium contender every race. Yes, a championship will be tough for Marvin in his first year in supercross but I still don’t see the logic of having only two riders on your team and throwing them both out there together. Besides, there’s a limit to how many MX2 World Champions we can have in one class at one time, I think.
So now the fates have intervened and Roczen will ride east coast and as I said, we’re all winners here folks. Defending champion Justin Barcia reminds many of Bob Hannah in style, demeanor and ability and there’s no way he’s going to let some “commie punk” come in and take his crown. As well, defending outdoor champion Dean Wilson is on the east side and he’s going to be a serious player for the title. Barcia, Wilson AND Roczen???? That’s just a ridiculous potpourri of talent and let me be the first to say that the east is where it’s at this year.
And somewhere in Idaho, the original Beast from the East is very happy about this.
Jason Weigandt:
These boys covered it here--the West's loss is the East's gain, especially with Barcia and Roczen (and maybe Wilson, Baggett or whoever Pro Circuit decides to send) set for a tangle. Barcia will be sporting the number-one plate, but there's no way you're going to see him just walk away--Kid-Roc just proved just too darned fast last year to not be a factor.
A different question: Does the injury point to a potential trend for Kenny? Is he too fast and too wild to stay healthy? I say no. Last year he took on one the most grueling schedules of any rider, racing West Lites SX and the MX2 GPs, on occasion racing on two continents on back-to-back weekends. He threw in a few indoor races on a 350, as well. He made it through with some bumps and bruises, but stayed away from the big one en route to a title in Europe. He was right in the thick of it with Musquin for the 2010 MX2 crown as well, so he's proven he can go the distance. In fact, talk to people who have watched Roczen ride a lot, and they don't throw out the compliments you expect for a teenaged star. It's not the speed, aggression or talent that sets Roczen apart, it's his smart riding and line selection. He rides wise beyond his years, so I expect him to be around, healthy, for many of them.
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Both coasts arer going to be great for the 250's! I dont think anyone is a clear cut favorite to win either coast! I'll be at A1 ready to see some great racing PLUS, I just booked my Dallas trip to see the East guys as well!
Heck yes!!!.............. throw in my first holeshot today as well!
Pizza face??? Roczen beat Dungey on a 250 at the MX of nations!!! I think his titles are worth a lot. How many world titles do you have and how many GPs did you win at the age of 15?
A trend???? it appears so for this kid..he hit the deck quite a few times last year in SX and over in Europe...Crashing is part of moto, it happens and yes, sometimes you do get hurt..I have had my fair share of wipeouts.....you can have a huge crash and walk away unscarred (PANTERA reference) or you can break your arm, leg or many other body parts...Nobody wants to crash....some tend to crash more than others by simply going over the bars in the whoops.... but there is no avoiding it.......the crappy part is the actual timing of the crash, or in this case the timing of the injury in result of the crash.....I am sure KROQ70 FM has had some spills during testing...only this one bit him back....all you can do is hope he heals well and doesnt rush it like many guys do only.....the speed these guys are racig these days, we are lucky the injured list is quite minimal....for the time being...
MXjoe - Roczen must have cut the track at MXOD....watch the video of the race...one lap he is 15+ seconds behind Dungey and Reed....next lap he is in front of Dungey???...something fishy there unless RD took a dirt nap hahaha......in any event...it was one sloppy, muddy race that you cant use as ammo....The competition over in MX1/MX2/MX3 is nothing like here in the states is what Pizza the Hut is saying....KROQ70 FM is in his own league over the pond....not here I am afraid....Just look what RV and RD did this year to the competition at MXOD....on a dry track when it counts, those boys had no competition.....Many thought Musquin would dominate outdoors here....one top 3 finish?....dont get me wrong KROQ70 FM and Musqy are great...but they are far more evenly matched over here.....and KROQ hits the deck when he tries too beat guys here.
" This is great for the fans "....that just doesnt sound right ...lets try that again...
Ken Roczen broke his arm this weekend and although he is bummed I am sure, the only positive thing out of this kids misfortune is we get to see KROQ70 come off the bench after 10 weeks off the bike with a broken arm to race a race ready Justin Barcia, who has been training testing and ripping it up the entire time.....
all sarcasm....but some seriousness....answer is simple is response to KTM having 2 guys on the west coast.....Malcom is racing east and whats better than one KTM on the podium in California....the MX meca of the world???? 2 KTMs on the podium.....
Did Matthes really call K-Roc a "Commie Punk" !? Sorry Steve, while I know that political analization is not your forte I do feel the need to help correct your little political flub.
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, based on representative democracy. So to call him a "commie punk" is just plain wrong. He is more of a "Light Core Socialist Punk".
Cheers
Seriously...how soon can Matthes just GO AWAY??? Really tired of his....well...his everything!! "Commie punk"?? Lame!! It may be cool that we get to see Roczen race Barcia, but as KillMoto said, he is going to lose some serious seat time and have to face a prepared JB. I still hope KR can come in and put a whoopin' on him though. This is a bummer!!
My Kids Mechanic, that was a historical reference to Bob "Hurricane" Hannah and his exploits at the old Unadilla USGPs, where he and announcer Larry Maiers would (unfortunately) seemingly call every foreign rider "a commie" no matter where they were from. No offense by Steve to Kenny, I promise.
Thanks for reading our takes here.
DC
My Kids Mechanic, that was a historical reference to Bob "Hurricane" Hannah and his exploits at the old Unadilla USGPs, where he and announcer Larry Maiers would (unfortunately) seemingly call every foreign rider "a commie" no matter where they were from. No offense by Steve to Kenny, I promise.
Thanks for reading our takes here.
DC
After all these years, one thing that hasn't changed, is crashing still sux.
K-Roc has straight up killed Canard and Wilson. Look at the MXON in 2010 on our turf!!! He probably cut the track here also???? Did he jump over the crowd without them seeing???? The guy is for real.....
I know Davey... I was just funnin with Steve... He makes such a "large" and easy target! :)
Pizza the Hut.Hahahahah!!!!!!
I am not politically correct by no means, but if you have ever worked with the people of Eastern and Western Europe, and know how they suffered torture and death under the Communist and Socialist parties, especially "historically", then it should make a little sick spot in your stomach for someone to refer to an ordinary citizen of Europe as a commie punk. If not, then join the military and spend some time on the ground over there with the ordinary people and their militaries (not in four star hotels) then make your comments, if you then can do it, even as satire, then you need to move to Russia (to live,not stay in 4 star hotels for a few days)and learn a thing or two.
this sucks. get well soon ken and whoop barcia for the title
Russia is good for vacuum tubes and vodka...which Maico25 needs a shot of...geez i was brought up to HATE and DeSPISE the commie aggressors ...if we can joke about it I think you can to.. Wilson Barcia Kroc ...perfect Wheres Wharton the zook needs a FAST rider and a win.
Why would KTM put both these guys @ the same time on a 350 in the big boy class? Really Steve, it's to help out Dungey because he's gonna need it!
All these writers just joke around, come on people.. Stop taking everything so serious...
Gotta laugh that everyone is happy now to see Roczen vs. Barcia as if there was no one to race in the EAST before this. WIlson is riding the East and everyone was handing Barcia the crown? I think I'll take Wilson over Barcia or Roczen in the East. So is Baggett out West? I see a few more #1 plates for Mitch's trailer door.
Come on guys, how many 16 years old riders do you know who won a SX event on their Rookie year ??? How many of them did jump on a 350 to place it 7 in a SX main event ??? If Roczen come back 100% healthy he will fight for the title, that's it !
For Marvin I think his achille heel is his low agressivity, if he can go over it and bite you will have to listen his French accent every week on the podium !
Can't wait for A1, tickets are booked and the "good news" is that Roczen will fight in Dallas !
472mb3...You should be working for KTM....you seem to know exactly what Dungey needs to win a championship....so tell us, 472mumbobumbothethird... What will Stewart and Villopto need?