Ken Roczen’s Unlikely Title Charge Is Suddenly Very Real: “I never thought I would be in this position again”

On January 11, 2020—just months before the world would turn on its side—Ken Roczen stood on top of the podium at the St. Louis Supercross.

It was a victory that, not long before, didn’t seem possible.

Three years earlier at Anaheim 2, Roczen suffered one of the most gruesome injuries the sport has seen. His right arm was shattered in a violent crash that nearly ended his career. What followed was a brutal recovery: a reported 12 surgeries, endless rehab, and years spent fighting just to regain the strength and feeling that once made him one of the most naturally gifted riders in the sport. 

Yet Roczen never stopped clawing his way back.

On April 4, 2026, he returned to St. Louis and did it again.

On Saturday night, Roczen captured his second straight win, tightening the championship battle and pulling within five points of Eli Tomac and Hunter Lawrence. For a rider who once wondered if he’d ever simply race again—let alone contend for wins—the moment carried a deeper weight.

After the race, Roczen admitted it himself: he never thought he’d be in this position again.

“Honestly, at one point, I never thought I would be in this position again,” he said. “Even once I started racing after my arm injuries, I didn’t feel the same physically or mentally. There were just a few years when it was tough. And sometimes when you’re, excuse me, sometimes when you’re at the bottom like that, it’s just, it’s way harder to dig yourself out of that. So yeah, the hard truth, I never thought I would be in this position again, but part of me also believed, and I don’t know, here we are, this is kind of new to me too, so I am just enjoying every bit of it. A lot of work has been put in by my team, by me personally, and I am just thankful to be in this position. And like I said, if it goes south, so be it. I really have nothing to lose.”

Just two rounds earlier, as the series left Birmingham, Roczen appeared well out of the championship fight. He sat 31 points behind leader Hunter Lawrence, and while his speed was there, the deficit felt like a hole far too deep to climb out of. He won Detroit and then St. Louis and combined with Lawrence’s crash in Detroit and Tomac seemingly out of sorts the last few rounds, he’s arguably the favorite with five rounds left.

“Well, let’s start off with the points. I mean, of course, it’s hard to ignore when you cut down the points, but Larry [Brooks, team manager] keeps telling me, “Don’t even look at the points, just go race.” And I really try to do that,” Roczen said. “Now again, you mentioned it, it’s hard to ignore, right? So fun. I’m honestly just so thankful to be in this position. It is really, I haven’t been in this position this late in the season in a Supercross championship at all, so I’m just really enjoying every minute of it doesn’t matter what anybody says out there; I’m obviously the one racing, and even if it goes south, it’s been a really cool ride so far. And like I said, I try not to look at the points too much.”

Whether Roczen ultimately leaves this season with the championship or not, the story has already become one of the most remarkable in the sport. From career-threatening injury, to years of rebuilding, to once again staring down a title in the final stretch of the season, Roczen has reminded everyone why he remains one of the most respected riders in the sport.

And now, with the championship suddenly back within reach, the final chapters of that story are still waiting to be written.

Photos: octopi.media