When Ken Roczen switched from the Factory Honda team to Pipes Motorsports Group Suzuki in 2023, he knew there would be a learning curve, so it came as little surprise that the 2014 and 2016 Pro Motocross champion earned only one victory that season. He expected better results overall in his sophomore season with the team, but inconsistent results in the first five rounds raised questions.
Roczen stood on the podium twice in the early rounds, during Week 2 in San Francisco and Week 5 in Detroit, but his other three results were well outside the top five. But often, all it takes for a rider to garner momentum in one strong result, and that was on the horizon.
Roczen beat Jason Anderson to the checkered flag in Glendale, Arizona, in Round 6 of the Monster Energy Supercross series by nearly five seconds. Third-place Jett Lawrence was more than nine seconds behind. It appeared the tide might be turning.
Justin Cooper missed only one feature in his rookie 450 season and had a top-10 ratio of 90 percent.
In the next round, an eighth-place finish in Arlington, Texas, proved a momentary setback. Roczen went on a four-race top-five streak afterward, took one weekend off to finish outside the top 10 in St. Louis, and then stood on the podium In Foxborough, Massachusetts, in Round 13. Sitting fifth in the points standings, Roczen was too far below Lawrence and Cooper Webb in the standings to be a serious part of the championship conversation, but these were the results everyone had grown to expect.
The following week in Nashville, Tennessee, Roczen had one of the scariest crashes of the season. A shock disintegrated on Lap 9 of the race as Roczen chased the leader, Eli Tomac. Riding in a fog of smoke, Roczen was pitched violently to the ground, breaking his tib plateau, foot, and toe. Roczen missed the final three rounds of Supercross and the first eight of Motocross.
Justin Barcia sought a better balance between his natural aggression and a smoother riding style until injury derailed his 2024 journey.
One effect of the SuperMotocross World Championship is the importance of returning to the seat of the bike as quickly as possible. Sometimes, this is necessary in order to move up a position or two in the standings and improve one’s seeding in the playoffs, and occasionally, it is to gain momentum.
Roczen didn’t need the points. He was well in the top 20 and would have a guaranteed place in the playoffs. At best, he could gain a spot on Christian Craig, and to hear him speak at the time, he was not overly concerned about momentum.
So Roczen decided to have some fun. He mounted a 250 for the Ironman Nationals in Crawfordsville, Indiana, showed speed in practice, but finished ninth overall. Roczen’s real goal was to improve on his 2023 SuperMotocross championship form. That season, he finished second in every round after missing all but one Motocross round.
Malcolm Stewart struggled in the opening rounds of Supercross and faded in the SuperMotocross World Championship, but he was strong in between.
Roczen was consistent again in the 2024 playoffs, but it wasn’t the consistency he wanted. He finished fifth in Charlotte, sixth at Texas Motor Speedway, and seventh in Las Vegas.
Roczen renewed his contract with the Progressive Ecstar Suzuki team for 2025 and hears the clock ticking. Despite the tendency for all riders to suffer injuries during their career, the SuperMotocross field is aging, and Roczen still has a few wins in his system at 30. To challenge for one of the three SMX championships this year, he will need to stay healthy because bones don’t stitch together nearly as well in an athlete’s fourth decade as they did when he was younger.
2024 Statistics
Feature starts: 18
Average feature finish: 6.67
Wins: 1
Podiums: 6
Top-fives: 9
Top-10s: 15
Best finish: Won (Glendale SX)
SMX Standings/payout: Sixth/$135,000
2024 News
Ken Roczen renews with H.E.P. Progressive Ecstar Suzuki for 2025
Motocross: Ken Roczen takes it down a notch for first 250 race since 2013
Ken Roczen headlines Germany’s 2024 Motocross of Nations roster
Ken Roczen will return to 450 Pro Motocross in Unadilla, race in the 250 division in Ironman
Ken Roczen out for remainder of 2024 Supercross with broken tibial plateau and foot, return date unknown
2024 Supercross Round 10, Indianapolis by the numbers: Ken Roczen rules but Justin Barcia is close
Ken Roczen wins Glendale 450s for first of 2024, RJ Hampshire is first repeat 250 class winner
450 Countdown
9. Justin Cooper
10. Justin Barcia
11. Malcolm Stewart
12. Dylan Ferrandis
13. Christian Craig
14. Shane McElrath
15. Dean Wilson
250 Countdown
9. Ty Masterpool
10. Chance Hymas
11. Garrett Marchbanks
12. Max Anstie
13. Julien Beaumer
14. Coty Schock
15. Ryder DiFrancesco
More SuperMotocross News
2025 SX schedule | MX schedule | MXGP Schedule
2025 Supercross tickets on sale | Pro Motocross tickets
2025 TV Schedule | Track Maps
Devin Simonson injures wrist, will likely miss start of SX 250 East
Ricky Carmichael’s 2025 Daytona track design
On any given Saturday: SMX’s ‘Race Day’ campaign
Ty Masterpool’s second chance
Ryder DiFrancesco learns to balance ego, expectations in SX
Justin Cooper’s consistency and resiliency from 2024
Jeremy Coker moves to Factory Triumph from Yamaha Star Racing
Chance Hymas has breakout in 2024 with MX win
Jorge Prado crashes, misses SX Media Sessions
French language broadcast added to 2025 SMX Video Pass
Read the full article here
