Slaw
Since his career-defining, title-clinching finish at the Salt Lake City Supercross finale in May, we have only seen Ken Roczen on Instagram and at truck races.
For the first time since 2020, Kenny didn’t compete in a single round of Pro Motocross. He also skipped the opening round of the FIM World Supercross Championship. Instead, the weekend before the SMX Playoffs began, Roczen was at Crandon International Raceway competing in the Polaris World Championships in a Pro 2 truck.
This has always been Kenny’s style, though. Enjoying life while also being one of the top racers in the world. And it’s worked.
Enjoy life. Race some trucks. Spend time with the family. Then somehow show up months later and still be one of the fastest motorcycle racers on the planet. And after so much time away, there were plenty of questions about what Roczen would look like at the opening round of the SMX World Championship Playoffs.
Then Kenny did what Kenny does.
In absolutely miserable conditions, Roczen put together 2-2 finishes for second overall and jumped from 10th to fourth in the SMX standings. Now the series heads to Los Angeles this Saturday for Round 2, where double points are on the line.
After the opener, Kenny spoked to the media about his first race since his Supercross title, the conditions, racing trucks and more.
Really tricky conditions. I want to know how you’re reflecting on this. Do you feel like there’s anything more that could have been done today?
Ken Roczen: Not really. I mean, with these kind of conditions, they’re hit or miss, right? Everything can go your way and everything can work totally against you. So, it was strange. The first round just came up so quickly now that I’ve been busy riding. I’ve definitely done my homework and everything, but haven’t been in the racing environment and just riding has been a bit thinner, especially on the supercross side. But it does come in handy. I knew that there was going to be a little bit of an adjustment period. And just the way this whole round shaped up, none of us have obviously really ridden supercross. And then you come and you get rain and you just, even in practice, just have these soft pockets and hard pack and it’s just all kind of gnarly for the first round. I don’t think with these two motos that this was necessarily a bad thing today. It just slowed the whole track down, but they were extremely tricky conditions, just really slippery underneath it. Mud, as it stopped raining, got just heavier and heavier. It was tricky out there. But 2-2, I mean, I couldn’t have asked for anymore. I’m super happy. It was awesome to have Larry [Brooks, HEP Motorsports team manager] back too.
Taking the full motocross season off, was there any concern whatsoever that you weren’t on the bike in a competitive situation that much? Or at this stage of your career, you just know you can pick up where you left off?
I’ve done it in the past where I didn’t race much and then just kind of showed up, but it is usually that it takes a race to adjust and whatnot. But I feel like throughout the summer, that’s the fun part about tinkering with it. I’ve done just enough to stay connected to it. Obviously, not quite as much as when you’re racing Supercross and it’s like you’re in your program and everything, but just enough to where I felt like I was fine. And riding Moto 2 doesn’t come as easy anymore and it was kind of nice to take it back a little bit. When I could, when I did ride, I was actually grinding a little bit and just embracing the heat and how miserable it was in Florida. I just kept having fun. Honestly, the truck race last weekend really helped me just getting in the race environment. So I was kind of just mentally ready to go here, and yeah, we just deal with what gets thrown at us.
You had a good first moto and then the second moto, you’re battling with Deegan there right off the get go. We know he’s going to send it. We know you’re going to go. Your first laps are incredible. Walk me through that battle and the double, he sent it, you kind of backed it down. Can you walk us through the decision there and just what was it like battling back and forth with him right away?
So yeah, conditions in the second moto, I felt like were trickier than the first one actually. I think we all do, but I try to make calculated risks. I was kind of figuring out the track, didn’t want to rush into it, and I did see in front of him, there were just a couple of moments like it just can bite you so quickly. So, it was what it was and I did just lay it over there quickly and we all hit the lappers, but I didn’t do the finish line jump and then I didn’t do the back one. I started doing it later in the race again and just was rolling around. And I know we all struggle, but I just kind of took calculated risks and wasn’t too worried about just going after it and winning. And Haiden, he was just really good today. I haven’t raced and so I was content with where I was at. I was wanting to have a gap to the back. And of course when I went down, luckily I had the clutch pulled in, so that was okay. But I didn’t really know. I was so focused on what was going on, I hardly looked at the pit board. So I didn’t know how much gap I had until after the crash. Then I’m like, “Oh man, I got to pay attention, not that somebody’s right on me.” But treacherous conditions out there. Really tough.
With this summer and then leading into this weekend and the following weeks, what’s training been looking like for you? Been doing more supercross, more motocross, or do you have some hybrid tracks built you’re messing around with?
Well, first off, the Moto Sandbox, Jason Baker and the family out there, just all of our guys do an incredible job to get the tracks ready and whatnot, but we have been absolutely getting hammered with rain and so it was pretty impossible. One day a couple weeks ago that I rode supercross and then I was racing trucks a bit and didn’t ride for close to 10 days or something like that. Just rode once this week when we could. We had a little bit of dry weather and it’s just been really tough on that side. But I have been riding more motocross with that and our sand tracks, which are a real good reality check to be honest, because they’re character-building days. They’re not that fun. Track’s rough and it gets sloppy and it’s hot. You’re just in a swamp. So just did a bunch of that. For as miserable as it was, you kind of embraced that and it was also fun at the same time. So I’ve just checked my boxes on that side. Lots of traveling, but it goes to show that you can kind of do both. Just as long as you’re having fun. And this riding side of thing, it’s still become a hobby of mine. So when I do, I’m very in tuned and paying attention to what I’m doing. I think with that, I can get away with maybe a little less riding, but of course I have full connection. You just got to be in a rhythm, which now that we started racing again will be my full focus. So hopefully get a little bit more practice days in here in the next couple of weeks.
With second moto shortened to 12 minutes, other than the obvious of you need a good start, what affects your mindset? Do you change your strategy at all?
I was pretty relaxed. The biggest thing is just to not go down. That’s all I wanted. But for me personally, the stats in the last few years, mud races, I’ve done really well, I think. And so I just always hold onto that. I was okay with whatever the weather gave us. I’ve been vocal that it’s not necessarily my favorite thing. Mud and supercross, they just get really gnarly, but at the same time, whatever it is, I can’t change that anyway. So I just kind of roll with the punches and embrace it. And then it’s mostly worked out. So just not going down and just getting out of here good. Luckily with the races coming up, double, triple points, they’ll be just a lot more valuable. This can kind of be a throwaway race, but I think I made up quite some ground for it just being regular points and everything went super well.
Today, everybody got here on normal scheduled time expecting to do the first practice this morning. The delay kept delaying. What was on your agenda under the team rig because it was obviously really quiet in the pits. And then how was it getting ready just going to send it for that first motto?
It’s a double-edged sword because I was chilling and binge watching some Netflix actually in the morning while it was raining. It was actually really nice. But it is super gnarly once it comes down to race time, just going absolutely cold turkey into racing. But it was what it was, and we all have to deal with the same thing. So it was actually kind of nice to get some quiet time in the morning and just rainy morning, coffee and a movie. It doesn’t sound terrible.
You came in a little bit behind points, not racing all summer. You end up lapping the points’ leader multiple times. Are you aware of the bad race that Hunter’s having in the moment and what is it like knowing that you gained so many points back?
I briefly heard the point situation, but I haven’t worried about any points. I didn’t even know where I was at coming into the first round. Now from what I’ve heard for it just being single points and having a big point swing, but that’s just the mud too. It can totally work against you or for you and we made the most of it tonight. Absolutely no complaints, but I haven’t really looked at the points much.
You mentioned your truck racing and your experiences on four wheels. First of all, how was that experience? I know you had a little bit last year in Glen Helen, but how was the experience getting to learn a new style of racing and a completely new series? And also, could you take any different perspectives into motocross and try to apply some of that?
Any kind of racing that you do besides from your main profession, it’s always going to help you no matter what. I’ve just been really into it, and now that race got me hungry for so much more. I mean, it still gives me the moto environment, just the way the tents are set up, the trucks, the people, playing in the dirt on the track. There’s nothing like it. I just love motorsports in general. So now that I can actually be part of that a little bit, that’s why I’m dabbling in it and doing another race. And driving is so valuable and you’re learning every time you’re out there and you just don’t get much practice. That’s what makes me just want to do it. It’s a new challenge and there’s lots to learn. That’s the cool part about it. But like I said, it actually really helped me out getting it ready for this first race just because it was the racing environment. The nerves going up to the race, it is so much the same. It’s crazy. You go there, you’re out of your wheelhouse in a sense, but you’re racing and it’s going to get gnarly. And so it’s the same thing and that’s probably why I want to do it.
You’ve talked multiple times about how you haven’t ridden as much and then you get the rain delay. Were you going into that first moto a little bit like, “Hey, I got to maybe suppress the arm pump just a bit, relax those first laps” or were you all in?
No, it’s a real thing. You know how it is when you get a little uncomfortable. When you’re constantly riding supercross, you get on all these different conditions, you kind of get ready. And same for the guys coming from outdoors – softer suspension. You come here and you have just gnarly conditions thrown at you right off the bat. So yes, it’s just super tricky. Arm pump is a real thing. I’m sure everybody out there was riding tight at some point. It’s a big challenge, but you just got to try and combat it. That makes it even crazier, why I mentioned earlier that going cold turkey, racing, it’s brutal. You want to have the practice time and I was looking forward to having a couple more sessions to get back in the swing of things, but no gate drops and you’re just wide open right away. Like, “what’s going on here?”
Photos: octopi.media
