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KEN ROCZEN
450 SX / 4TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> By now I’m sure everyone has heard the Ken Roczen recovery story. It may be one of the greatest in all of sports. After such an incredible start to the 2017 AMA Monster Energy Super- cross season, everything was taken from him. He looked invincible at the time of the crash and the worry he and his supporters had after it happened was not if he’d get back to that level, it was if he’d be able to even keep his arm from being amputated. Roczen had reached an all-time low that few athletes have ever been unlucky enough to endure but if anyone was mentally and physical strong enough to overcome the adversity, it was Ken Roczen. Eleven surgeries and 350 days later, he found himself lining up at the stadium that nearly took away his livelihood and the sport he loved. Roczen shocked his competitors and many in the industry by marching out into the qualifying practice sessions and emerging with the fastest lap time of the day. Not one rider was faster than Ken Roczen and he hoped that that stayed true throughout the course of the evening. With his speed, health and style questions all answered, his race speed and endurance questions were the last things that remained unanswered. Roczen struggled out of the gate in his heat race coming out of the first turn outside of the top ten. He made some shifty moves in the opening few laps to carve up to fourth by lap three. Once in fourth, he ran into Cooper Webb and the two endured a rugged battle which saw Webb slam the door on a Roczen pass attempt. Their battle slowed their pace and allowed Musquin to pass both of them sending Roczen back to fifth. Not happy with how he faired after that battle, Roczen recuperated and passed both Musquin and Webb back a few laps later to take over third place which he would hold all the way to the checkered flag. Roczen looked good in his first official gate drop since the injury and more than ready to do battle in the main. Roczen suffered another abysmal start in the main event. This time he rounded the first lap buried deep in twelfth place. From there he slowly moved for- ward not making up time in bunches. A handful of laps into the race he enjoyed a healthy three rider battle between him, Cole Seely and Jeremy Martin. Roczen passed both but allowed Seely back by after a scary mistake where his foot caught the dirt causing him to go sideways, nearly ripping both feet completely off the bike. He saved it but had to lock back in and move forward once again. He did just that and continued a steady charge all the way up to fourth. Once he
got there, third place rider Justin Barcia was too far ahead to mount a charge so Roczen would have to settle with the fourth. It was a solid performance considering his start and a bewildering performance considering his gruesome injury suffered a year ago. He looks as good as ever and with a better start, Roczen may get back to his winning ways sooner rather than later.
16 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 8, 2018