450 Words: 350 Words
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Lost in the happiness the paddock has for Andrew Short winning was the fact that KTM’s Ken Roczen, a 250 rider on the East Coast, almost won the race! Add to the fact that it was Ken’s first race in the big bike class this year and that he was on a 350 and you have a great performance by the German.
Roczen, the defending MX2 champion over in Europe who raced most of the West Region Lites Series last year, probably didn’t have the year over on the east side that he, or others, thought he would. But this weekend in Seattle showed he’s got the skills. Roczen has now raced three Supercross class races in his career and scored a 7th, 8th and now a 2nd. And all on the 350 SX-F, which is a bike that hasn’t worked well for others.
Ken Roczen finished second in Seattle behind his buddy Andrew Short.
Garth Milan photo
Roger DeCoster, his team manager, believes that a rider who hasn’t been on a 450 much is one that can have success on a 350 and maybe, just maybe, that Belgian guy might know something. No matter what, the bottom line is that Roczen passed for the lead a few times and was one of only two riders to triple off the dragon-back all night long (Davi Millsaps was the other). He cased the triple later on, got a bit of arm pump, and backed it down to take second, and afterwards in a classy move had this to say about passing his buddy Short back.
“Even if I could have got him in the last corner there [with a dirty pass] there is no way I could ever touch him or anything like that. I wouldn’t do that to him. It's amazing for him, you know, first career win and you know I'm right there with him finishing in second, so it was just great.”
In this injury-filled supercross season Roczen’s ride (and Short’s win) was exactly what the doctor ordered and once again showed us that you just never know what’s going to happen on a Saturday night.
Kenny Roczen proved that to all of us.
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Wake up Steve, finish that coffee before you start writing. Second paragraph you need to correct Ken's '3rd' place finish to '2nd' place. That's what this whole article is about : )
He got 2nd.. not 3rd.. yeesh
K Roc has some class I really like that kid and he is going to be doing some big things on this side of the pond that's for sure!!
Congrats to #29 way to go, all of us here in So Col are super pumped for you and your win!!
Kenny is way awesome. He is what great racing is all about, NOT slamming into people as per James Stewart Way to go Ken looking forward to seeing you on the big bikes full time soon.
Kenny was just happy to be there! I was there with my 2 grown boys & daughter and it was Awsome!
RacerX showing some love to the KTM tandem of Roczen and Musquin this week.. and rightfully so ..both are showing us glimpses of what the GP crowd has already seen...both fast but differant styles... Musquin is kinda like a mid-westerner..quiet, polite, always looking at the bright side.....Roczen seems more California, ready to joke around, party, a story looking for a reporter. Be good to see both of them up front battleing inside the top 5.
Roczen does show the KTM350 has potential, his starts were right there with the 450's. I think it could be a great Supercross bike with the right pilot aboard, but in the great outdoors ....not so much...thats 450 territory...
I bet that 350 is at least a 400. They can do as much motor work to extract as much power as possible as long as they don't exceed the 449cc mark right?
Roczen probably could have rode his 250 and done just as good. Sure, riding a 350 in the 450 class seems like a big deal, but most of the time the top lites riders are within a second of the fastest 450 rider anyways.
I dont think they are allowed to bore it out. That KTM team is going to make some noise in the next few years. I also think they're not looking for greener (or redder) pastures and believe in their orange team. I love it! More teams means more rides for everyone else.
I cant think of any other individual that has had a bigger impact on American Motocross than RogerD. First with riding lessons when he rode the TransAMA. Then as the boss at Honda along with convincing the AMA to send his team to the Des Nations. Turning Suzuki around. And now this. The Man!
It sure is refreshing to see / hear the humbleness from KROC and Movin' Marvin when they speak of their respective rides. They will swap paint in retaliation when needed, but are very clean racers. Does not mean they are pu$$y$, only that they respect their fellow racers....IMHO
Some of you comment that KROC whines, when in fact he seems to be honest and say he has tightened up (arm pump), to me that is telling it like it is, and NOT making an excuse. He has said on a few occasions that the competition has beaten him, also.
@PW39.....why are you making a statement which in effect calls KTM liars??? Do you know something that others do not, or are you just being a hater?
The outdoors in, both classes, will be excellent this year!!!!!!!!! Lots-o-talent, and several riders who can win on any given day.In the 450's, Villo will be the man to beat, but the Dunge will keep him honest for the most part..........Come on Hangtown!!!!!!!!!!!
Short getting his 1st win and Ken getting 2nd on a 350 was the highlight of the second half of the season in the 450 class. It was great to see Short excited like a kid and all the other riders and managers giving congratulations. Shows this is truly a sport of good people with a lot of class.
@PW39- pretty sure they (KTM) were protested earlier in the year (or maybe it was end of last year) when the 350 got a couple of holeshots or something. the other teams didn't think it was actually a 350 but after the protest it was proven it was a 350cc bike. they can go up to 450 per the rules, but whatever they list as the cc in the entry, evidently it has to be in the races (i.e. you can call it a 350 and bore it to a 400 or 450).
either way, great to see Shorty on top after all these years, he deserved the win.
also great to see the two euro riders having a good night. Really enjoying the "flair" that Roczen and Musquin bring to the mostly US and OZ racers. wish more of the euros would come over to try a hand at SX/MX. I think they will both surprise a lot of folks come outdoor season.
@SpeedyR,
Quite making up idiotic stories about stuff. First of all no 450's are actually 450cc's, so that doesn't make any sense. Secondly,
secondly, I guess I am an idiot too cuz I accidentally posted 1/2 a response.
Please if you are going to make up rules at least try to point to something in the AMA rulebook that might be slightly related.
Okay maybe not the correct post to ask this question, But does anybody know what RV did to himself? Injury updates usually come out pretty quickly but I haven't seen or heard any particulars? I'd be so bummed if he managed to somehow jack himself to the point of missing outdoors...
congratulations to kenny and shorty! for me it is a gib deal to see roczen such fast because i raced once time against him! no i am sitting in front of the computer,no riding anymore and he is riding in stadions...haha! but talking about roczen.......what happened to dungey?! i watched him and it didn't look like his old style...i think it was to early to let him race...but on the other hand the team and sponsors wants him to see racing...
@vet 243....seems he smacked his gonads pretty hard, otherwise he would have allowed the medical crew to evaluate his injury. Thats what the slow-mo replay revealed......also the aftermath warrents that type of injury.
What's the word on RV?? That's what I wanna know!
I have gotten tired of KR because EVERY race he has raced he has called his mistakes bad luck and made excuses as to why he didn't do better. If he isn't felling well all you hear is how sick he is. The other racers simply man up and say I got beat or I have work to do. Muskin on the other hand I find refreshing and a no excuse type of guy. Both of these guys are very good and welcome here, however KR strikes me as someone who has been overhyped and is struggling to live up to his fame.
@davidl.......hmmmmm, I don't think he uses that as an excuse, but is only providing personal info for the interviewer. Could be looked at either way (half full vs half empty)......He is the reigning World Champ 250 class, that gives him credentials / credibility, and, this will be his first year doing our outdoor series. He has speed, but can he maintain the pace necessary??? We'll see, but with his many arm pump statements, KROC will need to be in better shape.....Just sayin'.
Actually if the old rules are still inplace the teams can run up to 500cc bore and still be legal. The lites class is already maxed out at 250cc (Originally ment for 125 2-strokes, the 250 rule applies to fourstroke engines only)
The 500cc limit was put into place during the 250 2-stroke era where you needed atleast a 500cc fourstroke to compete with the 250 2-stroke engines. That 350 could be bored up to a 499cc and still be legal.
Good job for Kenny on Saturday night,trhe only guy we have seen here so far who can ride the wheels offf that KTM 350. We all know the debates between the 350 and 450 going on the last couple of years. The kid looked good on the bike and rode well. We have some very talented young men here in the lites class, so lets see if Kenny and Marvin can add some excitement to the outdoor racing this year.
As some of you have already mentioned, Musquin seems so happy and excited to be racing here no matter what place he gets, good attitude Marvin!
With Milsaps finishing behind Roczen at Seattle, Stewart is left as the only SX-class racer to NOT get beat by the 350 at one of the four SX races that it has ran in this year. And he only raced against it once.
Just met both of them very briefly, but Roczen and Musquin were both class acts. Could use more pros like them imho.
RV is out for MX, look like KTM going to front runner for Championship. Go RD!!!!
@ManiacsXtrem: Bore and stroke must remain the same as the homologated model in Supercross. Motocross is slightly different. The class limit is 450cc, if they wanted to bore the 350 out to the class limit of 450cc they would have to obtain AMA pro racing approval for the outdoors. The 500cc class had nothing to do with four strokes that was the open class and the bikes were two stokes.
I'm happy to see the postive remarks regarding Roczen (and Shorty too). He seems like a good kid and time will tell if that's the case.
KTM just went to the front of the "both MX titles in one year" line......hope I don't jinx 'em.
Matthes might be the only guy that was lock-step in line at my "350's suck" parade but, look what Roczen can do with it......It is possible that Roczen's 350 is some full on works bike but, I doubt it. More believable is that Roczen is the real deal and he's making that 350 squeal.
I don't have a lot of sorrow for RV's (lack of) luck. Everybody else had to take their medicine and now it's his turn, simple. One would assume that the JS camp would be salivating at the opportunity to get on a track without RV (as well as ALL the others) on it...........or not.
All of the current riders have pretty much cleaned up their presentation, which is nice, but it does make me long for the old days, when the riders would chide each other on, and offer up verbal personal challenges, and bag on other riders - and then take it to the track. Dare I say that SX has gone PC enough to be boring?
GOOD OLD DAYS ORIGINALY FROM Ohio
I've seen the best of the best from midwest and east coast for over 50 years I've been to all the tracks and worked at steel city Mt.Morris and Red Bud the old Mid Ohio usgp and the fall Trans Usa days I should star getting out the old photos and start scanning I would be hear another lifetime but it would be worth it.
I saw Damon Bradshaw he was at lorreta lynns in 1984 85cc Stock (7-11)
1. Jimmy Button, AZ, HON
2. Damon Bradshaw, NC, YAM
3. David Beckington, MI, KAW
1985 as a 12 year old
85cc Stock (12-13)
1. Damon Bradshaw, NC, YAM
2. Jeff Daily, OR, KAW
3. Brian Swink, MI, KAW
85cc Modified (12-13)
1. Damon Bradshaw, NC, YAM
2. Junior Jackson, IL, KAW
3. Brian Swink, MI, KAW
then Mt. Morris PA ( High Point ) following that with a hot mom big transporter even before all the factory guys had them. People were everywhere like he was elvis checking this kid out
doing exhibition on an yz 80 doing the triples going higher and farther than the big guy and everyone was like this is the real shit it was very exciting in those day.. It was a real site you just knew that you were witnessing something special that only a select few would witness you just looked at the folks around you all with big cheshire grins..