The Moment: Roczen Throws It Away
Monday, March 19, 2012 | 12:25 PM
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PrintThe Lites East main in Indy was already deemed a wild one when a Kyle Cunningham crash led to a red flag and a restart, but things got even stranger when the leader, Red Bull KTM's Ken Roczen, threw the win away. Quite literally!
Roczen lost control of his 250SX-F in the same slippery section that claimed a bunch of riders, and his bike went sailing over the next jump without him. With that, the lead was lost, and Blake Wharton pulled away for the win.
"I don't even know what to say, this is the only crash I've had this year in a main event, and it has to be in this one when I was leading," said Roczen to Erin Bates on the SPEED broadcast. "The whole red flag thing got us out of rhythm a little bit. I'm looking forward to the next weekend, I feel like I am riding good. It was just bad luck."
Carl Stone snapped quickly and got this three-photo sequence of the Lites race changing in a hurry, the perfect example of one Moment changing an entire race.
Carl Stone photos
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Looks like how I used to crash on an 85 back in the day. Except it happened more often than not for me!
Totally sucks for Roczen.Think that could have given him a big mental boost,obviously.But,he seems like the type to be able to bounce back.On the other hand,I have been rooting for Wharton the whole series.He was treated like a little b@#$% at the first race and never said anything bad about any other rider and kept his cool.He has been pretty solid.Hope he gets another!
That was the moment...heck during rider walk this jump face was hard to
traverse. Bizzare restart. Davey, whats the rules for the National?
Jason, you should have also mentioned during this moment Barcia almost
drilled him. That could have also been a huge moment. Keep up the good work.
Roczen is a lot like James Stewart....just seems to make bad mistakes at the wrong time....The restart was the same for everyone Roco....your the guy that pushed too hard on the sippery track....nice effort at "climbing" his way back into the race however.....his actions after the Heat race were very Josh Hansen-ish....what was that all about....and Barcia heat race interview was a clown show....is he a WWE wrestler now?....clown.
World champ K-Roc is very talented and enjoying his 1st real full time year in America. People sometimes forget He's adjusting to a very different style of racing from Euro-Outdoors-MX, And dare I say- the highest level of competition he's faced in his career?
This is America! The very best Riders from other countries come her to the United States because it's the pinnacle of Supercross and Motocross and get humbled year after. Few eclipse our best, but occasionally some do. Recently, it's taken young American guys like Barcia and Tomac a bit of time to find their 'groove'... but they have.
Like the other greats from outside America (Karsmakers, Bayle, Pichon, Roncada, Fonseca, Langston, Townley, Pourcel, Reed) who have worn a #1 plate in 250 or 450 class competition, I believe Roczen will join an elite list of 'out-of-town-ers' who finds his 'groove' as well -and when he does he will be hard to beat.
Bad Luck? Bullcrap.
What´s the purpose of comparing him to all the other non-us riders?
What does he have in common with them? Forget all the euro-us-BS.
He´s just a young pro having issues to find his groove.
@GreenMeansGo - Shhh!! you are making too much sense...some might not understand that language...concise English only please!
It looks like the bike might have cleared a few jumps without him. That would mean he doesn't even need to be on the bike to jump stuff that I (and I'm guessing 99% of the readers here) can't jump.
I could care less where he is from (as long as he's not NJ - JK). He's a good young rider who doesn't seem to talk crap. He came to the US to take on the best. How can you not respect that?
@dinosauermedia... Ha HA... Funny, thanx for the 'shhh'; don't want to get too clear and obvious or start some kind of precedent here. Nursing a right ACL reconstruction (surgery was last Tuesday). Suppose I have maybe a little too much time on my hands to 'analyze' these things. Gonna' get back to work for a few hours on the next draft of my screenplay (... about a 'Privateer' racing outdoor Motocross in America in the early days...) I believe True Fans are really gonna' like this a couple of years from now. Then maybe I'll settle in with some more ice on my knee while I watch a Clint Eastwood movie untill the wife & kids come home -and more importantly, I'll remember to stop being so d@mn thought provoking about the SX season thus far. Cheers!
I was just glad they did not restart the race, JB got enough help with what they did.
.On a side note does it seem like the red flag come out a lot the last few years now? I know rider saftey is #1 but just seems like they use it a lot now. This time 1 min after the red came out Kyle got up and walked to the rig... So why the red flag?
OH yeah one more thing where is EuroMike?? Funny he has not been around...Why you think that is?? HAHAHA
Gotta say I was little bummed to lose out on the chance to see a perfect season. I like Barcia but I'm not super crazy about him,it just would have been sonething neat to witness in what has turned out to be a snoozer of an east coast swing. All Wharton really needs is a haircut. Seriously, what is up with that Doo?! He should clean up, borrow Brayton's eyebrow Sharpie and get presentable for his sponsors...
I'm a Roczen fan, he seems like a cool kid but, these last few races he has lost his cool. When these pros are used to winning and suddenly they are getting beat they don't know how to handle it. I'm with killomoto that he has acted like Hanson, roosting DD was out of line and he is making excuses like hanson did. At Indy he was all by himself and crashed from pushing too hard (not bad luck) Blaming the KTMs clutch for jumping the start was a joke. Then the next week it was a cold. He is almost 3 full races down in points and not close to being a contender Also he has had a fullseason last year to learn. Remember he only missed 2 west races last year and he raced 3 450 east and 2 main events at Vegas. I'm beginning to question if he is the next big thing like everyone has been pumping him up to be. Thats the way I see it and I could be wrong but you can't fix your mistakes if you don't think your making them in the first place.
I saw the roost after the heat race as having a little fun with each other. Maybe some of you just want there to be drama. Roczen had a great ride before that slip up and we will definitely be seeing a lot of him out front in the future.
Roczen is great for the spor and is fun to watcht.
Forget the over rated "mookie". None of the other Jstar bikes have been breaking, strange.
some guys seem to struggle and make mistakes when they arnt winning, this game is so mental. I dont look for him to turn it around till he gets a fresh start outdoors...buuttt thats my opinion, i could be wrong it happens
@Billc ,,,RED because he was knocked the F$#K out. Rokzen gets a pass cause he's a euro wait because hes a rookie,wait cause hes in the united states ,wait and his pants fit wrong....NOT he made the same type of mistake as Havoc did (greasy as Hansons hair track conditions) it just luckily turned out better. Hes leading ,hes a WORLD champion , and its not NEAR his first SX soil test....hes got a hard road beating Bam or Wilson and all the top SX guys ....maybe outside will be better. @vet23 "braytons eyebrow sharpie"....hahaha....classic.
@BillC, I know you hate Barcia and all9d0nt deny it, we all read your post), but they red-flagged the race because Kyle was knocked out, completely out. He wasnt moving and they couldnt get him off the track.. And it was way longer than one minute after they waved the red-flag before he got up..
@JB got enough help as it is, glad they didnt restart it??? Really?? You hate a kid that you have never met that badly?? Kinda sad really..
@CE33--Roczen wasnt doing the roost to have fun, he got his little feelings hurt because he couldnt hold the lead after he made the pass on Durham, and DD got him back. Roczen needs to grow up some, before one of these guys punt him to the cheap seats..
We all know why euromike isnt around, he was wetting himself last year saying k-roc was going to put a world champ stomp on all of the US riders... i like k-roc, he will start coming around, and the excuses need to stop, hes just now racing in a series that has some serious talent.and the Nationals are going to a brawl.
The mentality of racers does not allow them to accept defeat. I've heard plenty of top-tier guys say the same thing, or variations of the theme: "It couldn't possibly be me, because if my bike / the track / barometric pressure / etc, etc. wouldn't have done that, I would've won". That's just how it is and I'm o.k. with it because you don't want your favorite rider to say "I straight up got beat". A defeatist attitude is cancerous to a winning program.
therealmofo.. I DON'T hate JB, I am not a big fan of his aditude, I like his riding though..... Look at what he said after his heat race, WAAA WAAA WAAAA crying cuz someone pushed him high in a corner!! He can dish it out but can't take it I guess. Funny how all I said is I was glad they did not restart it and you go crazy over it WOW!
.PS how do you know who I have meet? Talk about sad..You saying things you can't back up..Now thats SAD!!
Roczen was messing with 'DD'. Durham was left wondering, was #70 just playin' around or pissed off? Perfect psychological gamesmanship. Roczen was probably laughing underneath his helmet; acknowledging a great battle. Some of you should stop being such drama queens with your thin-skinned, Jr. high school analysis' of what happened. MX/SX is as much mental as it is a physical game, and #70 was playing that 'card' with Durham. Their both great riders and make the 250E class exciting to watch. The best athletes in all sports will try and get in the heads of their competition. Over time, it is what often separates the best from the rest. Amateurs and non-champions don't easily recognize this angle of attacking the competition at the very highest level of sports.
I guess no one saw JB try to run Wharton off the track in a rhythm section? The roosting was maybe a little uncalled for. Telling a 17 year old pro motocross rider to grow up may be a little tough. Reedy was throwing fits on big bikes in his late 20's.
All the lites guys are hungry to win. They all have talent and it should be expected for them to be a little hot headed. I'm sure most of us have been there sometime before.
Euro Mike was frustrating to deal with but, aren't Stewart / Villopoto / Dungey / Reed fans like that too?
Hating on U.S. riders & America in general was just a tool to jerk our chains.
While I'm a little bummed that Barcia's bid at perfection is over, the 250F East will be a better series for it. Roczen learned a lesson that he won't soon forget. Anybody remember Langston throwing his first 250F SX win away? I think that was very similar in that it didn't stop Langston from winning, it just took a little longer. Same for Roczen, he's too talented to not win one sooner or later. I'm very happy he walked away uninjured and is still in contention for some wins this season. I never considered him a title threat (in SX) this year anyway, I just hoped he made it through the SX series healthy so he could show the PC boys some rear fender in the MX series.
Barcia is such a joke,for being such an unreal rider!Why cut all the way over on Wharton in the heat race?I hope it comes back on him.Someone needs to "park" him into the cheap seats!He passes like this alot.Like he has to prove something to each guy he passes.I mean,I can see block passes but,it was on a straight section ,and he has to take him all the way to the bails?Come on Durham,Wharton,Roczen,Baggett.Punt him!
Hey Green means go whats your screenplay about ? do you have a way for it to be made ?
Chilllmatic I said that in another thread, Every one is mad at the 800 but no one said anything about JB's move witch was worce. OH no I will be called a hater again now!!!
My fav. sports movies are always about an underdog..., 'Rocky', 'The Natural', 'The Rookie' guys who are often late to the game, so to speak... More when I can really say so, but for now, let me just say that I am connected in the business- so I've got the ears and eyes of actual people who get projects made... Director Ron Howard (No, I'm not him) is shooting an F1 Grand Prix Car Racing movie right now in Europe... think of that as some hope for this one too.
What move are yopu talking about Bill, I never saw Barcia do anything dirty..
In his heat race.
There was nothing dirty, Wharton tried to take him over, and get the lead back, and Barcia blocked him. That is a basic move done in every race in the country. Nothing dirty at all. Wharton runs Barcia hard all the time. But when Barcia makes a racing move on him that isnt patty-cake, everyone cries and whines. Nothing dirty about that move at all.
You yankies really are a condesending bunch of soft kocks. Roznase is having his first full season of SX. He never raced SX in Europe and has never claimed to be a world champion SX rider. What he is is a world champion MX rider. Jeez, even you retarded hillbillies should know the difference.
Wait till the outdoors you fat phuks, then you will see why the kid is the real world champ. He´ll destroy the best you have to offer. Read my lips suckers. He´s the MX world champ, not the SX world champ.
Does anyone remember a world champ, about to win his first lites main, on a KTM, throw the sucker away after celebrating over a triple? They guy ended up having a pretty nice career over here. I'm a fan. He'll figure it out.
That little squirt on DD was just kids clowning. Barcias move on Wharton was messed up and could have hurt him. I have always defended him but that wasnt cool.
Are you a racer as well Green ? sounds cool what movies have you wrote that I would have seen ?
I always thought a movie about Ricky Graham's life would make a great movie, but that's pretty far off topic for this thread.
All this talk of Roczen had gotten MomsBasementMike out of the woodwork.
Looked as if he tried to put Wharton in the tuff blocks. Maybe to let everyone know "bam bam is still around." very similar situation to the CR RV incident in Oakland that everyone lost sleep over. But racings racing.
Hey euromike, you and your buddies said he would smoke everyone before the supercross season started, as it turns out he gets to be Barcia's byatch until he goes back to Europe. Will those overseas failures never stop?
I didnt think Barcias move was really dirty.Just kind of a "pussy"move.
If you are a step above the competion,like he is right now,you would think you would just race in front of you.He seems to worry about putting exclamation points on his passes.I like bumping,and contact.But he goes out of his way to make it happen,and am just saying I hope somebody gives it back.
Wow EuroMike is still alive! ha ha ha I like the bottom shot of Roczen trying to race Wharton on foot. The kid has to be hating life right now letting that win slip away.
therealmofo he moved over on him hard in the jumps, worce than what the 800 did, and people are killling him over that. Watch it again then listen to what he says after the heat race too.
@MX Bob-"All this talk of Roczen had gotten MomsBasementMike out of the woodwork" good one! it's going to be a busy summer on here!
Lets dont get the #800 involved in this.He is in a class all to himself!Stuff he does is just plain whack.At least Barcia seems to think about what move he going to do.
@Euro/IrishMike--Roczen raced supercross last season retard.. And he is NOT a "World" motocross champ. He simply won the GP Championship.. Whcich is just a warm-up until he reaches the big-time here in the AMA..We have had dozens of GP Champs come over here and try to win, they havent been able to do it yet. And Roczen is only racing half the competetion too. I hope Roczen comes on here and tell you to shut your face like Musquin did, that was hilarious. Because Mike the only thing you will accomplish is building animosity towards Roczen.. He is well liked here, and you will keep it up until people start to resent him because of trash like you..
@bd200- hopefully Euro/Nazi/Irish/New Jersey? Mikes internet connection is only a 30 day trial, then he can go back into hiding until next year.
@ once again Billc gets called on his statements and goes into whining baby mode....plus he mentions the total idiot euromike? king of moronic s8it stirring basement dwelling fake euro pudding eaters and who MAGICALLY reappears , kinda like maybe he is the fake eurocreep DeutschBAG (and i never use that word)himself..yuk. For calling me a liar and provoking the fake euroaholes return i will forever dislike you Billc and your takes are still the most boring on here..Heres a couples examples ..."barcia ..waaa .and .Barcia whaaa."...@handlebar..normally we do not agree but the , TRACK BOUNCED take was excellent...lmao. I think DD should have given Rokz the patented Bogle 'pimp slap' for the sad babylike roost. I love how ole stiff leg #800 is always looking back to see whos gonna do him next...the move on Windham was so wrong.
@Bill--if it was worse than what Alessi did, why did K-Dub go down and Wharton did not?? Because it wasnt that bad, you are just talking so much about it because of your dislike of Barcia.. And you slam the guys for the SAME THING who do that to Stewart..
And You said he can dish it out and cant take it, I guess he dished it back, he won the heat race.. And you should have seen Whartons act after the heat race, giving little hand signals behind Barcias back towards the crowd.. Just like a child..
@GreeenMeansGo >>>>> If you are connected and get projects done, you have got to tell Ron Howard to make a movie about Doug Henry! That story has got to be told to the world.
Agreed. Doug Henry as well as David Bailey and Danny 'Magoo' Chandler: all heros of this Great sport who's careers, triumphant and tragic- are worthy of the silver screen..., in my opinion.
The guys like euromike who claim Roczen in the next coming of Jesus/RC really don't understand how deep it is here in the US. Is he young, talented, charismatic, with the potential to do great? Of course. Win races? Of course. But there are lots of similiar talents here. And even if he was as talented as Ricky (I don't see him on that level) he doesn't seem as determined or focused as even Barcia, much less RC. Was Ricky hanging out by the pool and slaying chicks? I think he has great potential but he's going to have to step up to be in contention here in the US, outdoors included.
@GreenMeansGo:
Usually you make sense, but you are completely wrong about Roczen roosting Durham. I like Roczen, but the kid definitely had some sour grapes going on after the heat race (DD's Nac-Nac over the finish jump was a nice touch).
And as for getting in Durham's head - not at all. In the interview IMMEDIATELY after the race (where he would have been the most upset about it), Durham was not put out in the SLIGHTEST by the whole thing. He was like "Don't know where that came from. Didn't think the move I put on him was that bad. But, it's all good, we're ready for the main." The only person who was crumbing mentally was Roczen.
The kid will come good for sure, but the roost was him losing his cool - nothing more, nothing less.
Barcia was perfect in his execution of his pass on Wharton moved over just enough to say I could put you in the blocks but he didnt just rode straight from turn to the inside using the whole rythm section to do it, NOT dirty.
Its also hard to call Allessi's move dirty on windham,but I don't like it at all, KW was clearly faster and MA's line wasn't smooth or straight he cut over, KW held his line and paid the price. This one is so hard because I like KW and don't like MA at all. What chaps me is MA ALWAYS fades in SX and KW was coming on strong and pushing hard and much more in the points. Can't call it flat out dirty but he should have left it alone it almost cost him too
I DON'T LIKE YOU ma YOU TOOK KW OUT of 4th place and he would have got you anyway, you have cheated and rode dirty too many times for me too like you at all, there now I feel better
GraciousOne & GreenMeansGo :
I think your both right, Roczen was trying to get into Durhams head but I don't think it had the total effect he wanted, also he was frustrated. No big deal either way. You know guys this kind of stuff is old school and I think its great, you don't have to take a guy's knee out to make a point like some do. GreenMeansGo nice commentary - it is not common on this site to get very many comments that are not haters or 13 year old desk top riders that don't know whats up.
Can't wait for the races!
Ken has the skills, but needs to quit crying and stop roosting people after getting beat straight up. Maybe ditch the "coolio" chain until you actually win something.
Just knowing Roczen's persona a little bit, I thought that might have been his M.O., but it's only a calculated guess. And I don't think DD took the bait for a second. Durham is smart enough to brush it off on live TV, whether he thought about it twice or not. It's just one of those things us old Vets have seen before... type of 'game' guys have been pulling since waaay back in the day. Still what I think #70 was up to, regardless if anyone else agrees.
Don't forget, some of these guys are -and have been- growing up in the public eye..., Fun & games, cash & toys (other 'distractions' too) to those on the outside but as confident as any of them can be outwardly, there is an element of pressure and expectation that not every 16-20 year old can handle as well as the next. Not easy for anyone to do and if you haven't been there yourself you really can't argue the point.
We all have moments we can look back on and think, "Sh!t, not the coolest thing I could have done" or, "Psych!" The spotlight has never shined brighter or more intensely that it does today. I tip my helmet to all these young kids. They all got b@lls; some a little bigger than others.
Many of you know these things to be true yourselves, whether on the level of a beginning amateur, seasoned & aging Ex-Pro or somewhere in between. It's enough pressure for most guys just getting on the starting line of a local AMA event, staring into a narrow left hander a hundred yards ahead, wide enough for just a couple of the 20-40 riders at the gate next to you. Add cameras, 50,000+ screaming from the stands, Sponsors paying you, looking down on you to perform, Live TV... That alone would make a lot of stick-n-ball guys piss their pants before the gate even drops.
GO Roczen, stop crying and show your real level, kick Barcia butt really hard !!!
@GreenMeansGo>>> Well said. Glad to see there is another person here that can use proper grammar, use factual observations, and type in complete sentences without being either a Stewtard, or Villoturd, or whatever people are calling each other these days.
Stop reading my Post's then Tonewall, Talk about a cry baby, You don't like me BOO HOOO!!
.Go watch the race again guys.
.I just said it was worce than what the 800 did, Everyone loves K-Dub so there mad about that but if you watch the vid Mike was in the raceing line the whole time, no one was going to the left of where he was, K-Dub tried to come up the right side and it did not work that was not Mikes fault, RC even said K-Dub HIT MIKE, but with JB you cane see him cut right across the track, even RC, and Jeff were like wow he is using the hole track. I see it the same waht RC did, You might not and thats fine too.
I have not made up my mind on KR yet, so far he is very fast and tallanted. He seems to pop up with a excuse very moto. he is not as fast as JB, and I believe is very close to where Bogle is right now speedwise. I feel he has a little more speed than DD but is not as good a racer. BW, JB, KR, DD are all right there and the score at the end will tell the biggest part of the story. So far its KR's fault/skill he is where he's at.
I am just waiting to see what KR can do with the MX Nationals. His skills should not be graded in SX because he has trained his entire life riding motocross and has a short time riding SX.
I like his fun attitude he brings. If I remember right he is only 17. Some of you on here expect him to act like a 30 year old vet rider.
You get old because stop acting young. You stay young not acting old.
I know that RacerX is crawling with readers/commentors who have a Nationalistic persona that keeps me away from visiting, reading and commenting more than I would like to admit, as I don't have or the need to display my hate for the (other) guy. That said, I treat all riders equally at their face value, wherever they call home. And Roczen's face value I hold in high esteem.
I have followed his GP racing for a few years now and have seen some up close and personal bio specials of he and his family, his relationship with KTM, Everts, DeCoster, Mikey Neale's video/bios and frankly think he is a class act. Anyone at that age who has accomplished what he has, is going to earn my respect. So, to see him struggle over here (broken bones, broken bike, broken race effort, broken spirit) is tough for me to witness. Everyone here wants to see (their) chosen riders do well. And some (other) readers want the rest of them, to die a slow and painful death, and are not shy or ashamed to admit that fact. Which frankly I have no time for their negativity in my life, my reading, or my commentary. So, for those whom think young Roczen should go back across the pond where he belongs and let only Americans race over here, I say,"it was only a few generations ago we were all foreigners from another land." And if I am not mistaken this is still a free country to speak and live life in the pursuit of happiness.
In summary I (hate) to see anyone's spirit get broken, or bones, for that matter. So, I hope he finds his way to displaying the real Ken Roczen, and not this impostor we have been witness to lately. He knows this is not the real KR70, and I just hope that other dude would take an extended vacation outta Dodge...
Thanks, RacerX, for allowing me a box to vent from.
Well said @ Caseypons as a reader and a current racer I agree whole heartily.
I'm a amateur pro and personally having done this sport since I was 9, couldn't ever bring myself to bash on any racer at any level least of all an AMA PRO. They all have my respect from 1st to last place. Peace
I will attempt to add to ride111mph's reply and state that although Roxy did throw it away, he is a teenager. Seasoned professionals doing the same thing are still in their twenties .... The sport is composed of young people. What do you expect?
@LocoMXer: Well said yourself, and thanks for the acknowledgment. It's nice to know I am in good company in the realization that we all put our boots on the same way. Some just have a different (longer, wider) footprint than others...
Thanks again.