Page 20 - GRIT-82

KEN ROCZEN
450 MX / 5TH
IMAGE / LANG WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>>Coming back from an injury in this sport can be down right grueling. The fear of a re- lapsing effect, worrying about how your newfound muscle growth will react, and the fear of not being back to your old speed, can all amount into a hefty accumulation of stress. And when viewing Ken Roczen, you see that this young man has had to overcome it on mul- tiple occasions. Admirable to say the least, it’s his hunger and resilience that’s made him a fan favorite, and a spectacle to see at the historic Southwick Raceway. His practice efforts were solid and applaud worthy, giving him a bit of reassurance as he sat behind the gate for moto number one. Whatever he’d done in preparation for the moto seemed to work,
as he shot out of the hole, and emerged with the lead on lap number one. Taking the lead for a solid four laps, the sands of Southwick got the best of him. The mistake driven lap number ve had him in a four-position swing, letting Barcia, Musquin, and Tomac around; yet he would rekindle his bearings, and come across the line in front of Blake Baggett. Roczen would be stingy with his position ghting off the KTM rider to the best of his ability. He would have the Honda appearing as wide as they come, a mirage of four to ve foot wide horizontal wall; but Baggett would be ultra-persistent, looking to break down the barrier with all of his might. Unfortunately for the number ninety-four, it would happen, with Baggett getting around on lap thirteen. However, with a positive attitude, he would jump across the nish in fth, looking ahead to the second moto. A solid start for the second moto had Rozen in prime position for a consistent overall; he would slowly inch closer
to Justin Bogle early on, after the holeshot of the number nineteen. Roczen would smell blood in the water making the move past the Suzuki down a straightaway near the back
of the track. Once into third, he would remain solid there for quite sometime; yet Justin Barcia had other news in mind. The rev limiter would pop, enough to let Ken know who was behind, without ever acknowledging the Yamaha’s existence. He would get around on lap ve, and Baggett would be next to knock on the door. Lap nine would be yet another deterred position, as the Honda would slip to fth. It was here where he would reside, and although his speed of old hasn’t truly come to the surface, he knew he was on the right track to a solid season. Fifth overall was where he would placed on the nal stat sheet.
20 GRITMOTO • JULY 1, 2018