Ken Roczen

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Ken Roczen
Ken Roczen at Supercross Oakland 2016
Nationality	German
Born	29 April 1994 (1994-04-29) (age 30) Mattstedt, Germany
Motocross career
Years active	2009–Present
Teams	•Red Bull Factory KTM (2010-2014) •RCH Suzuki (2014-2016) •HRC Honda (2016-2022) •HEP Suzuki (2022-Present)
Championships	•MX2 – 2011 •2013 AMA Supercross 250cc West •2014 AMA 450cc Motocross •2016 AMA 450cc Motocross •2022 FIM WSX World Supercross •2023 FIM WSX World Supercross
Wins	•MX2: 12 •AMA Supercross 250cc: 6 •AMA Motocross 250cc: 2 •AMA Supercross 450cc: 22 •AMA Motocross 450cc: 21 •AMA Total: 51

Ken Roczen (born 29 April 1994 in Mattstedt, Germany) is a German professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2009 to 2011 and the AMA Supercross Championships since 2011.^[1][2] He is the 2011 MX2 World Champion, a two-time 450cc AMA Motocross Champion, the 2013 AMA Supercross 250cc West Champion & a two-time FIM World Supercross WSX Champion.^[3] He was also a member of the winning German team at the 2012 Motocross des Nations.

In 2013, Roczen won the Supercross 250 West Championship, ending the season 2 points ahead of Eli Tomac.

In 2014, he moved up to the 450cc class, joining Red Bull KTM Racing. Ken shocked fans worldwide when he started off his rookie season with a win in his first-ever 450 Supercross race at Anaheim I, the season opener. He would also go on to win at round 5 in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. Roczen finished the series 3rd in the points standings after the final race at Las Vegas. By finishing 3rd overall in the Supercross points chase his first year on the 450, Ken showed that he was primed to become one of the sports top competitors. Roczen would cement his new position atop the 450 Motocross world by going on to win the 2014 AMA Motocross Championship his rookie year, defeating Ryan Dungey.

In 2015, Roczen signed with RCH Suzuki. He failed to repeat as Pro Motocross champion for 2015, surrendering his #1 plate to Ryan Dungey. He would go on to win the 450-class Monster Energy cup.

In 2016, the German was runner-up in the AMA Supercross Championship points standings with five wins. He would go on to win the AMA Motocross title for the second time in dominating fashion with 9 wins.

In 2017, Roczen joined the Honda factory racing HRC Honda Racing Corporation team. After just winning his second Motocross championship he was favored to win the AMA Supercross Championship after finishing 2nd in 2016. Kenny would go on to win the first two races of the 2017 season. Then on 21 Jan 2017, while running in 3rd place Roczen's foot slipped off of the footpeg while going over a triple and he was ejected from the bike in mid-air crashing hard and receiving a compound fracture to his left arm, after landing face-first in a rhythm section of the track. Roczen would go on to miss the rest of the 2017 Supercross season and the following Motocross championship, as he had sustained serious injuries to his left arm including a compound fracture and compartment syndrome.

In 2018, with his injury woes a year behind him, Roczen started the AMA Supercross Championship season in shape and ready to start his rise back to the top of the sport. He made it through much of the year, building on his progress each week and looking like he was rounding into form. Unfortunately on 10 February 2018, in San Diego, Roczen suffered another serious crash while attempting to pass Cooper Webb.^[4] As he entered a turn to set up a pass on Cooper with his back wheel spinning, he suddenly hooked a rut catching too much traction while also simultaneously impacting Cooper Webb's bike which caused him to fall off the back of the bike with his arm ending up being pulled into Cooper Webb's rear wheel and then shot back out. He underwent surgery to repair the shattered bones, dislocation of the metacarpals, and torn ligaments in his right hand. Roczen was out again for the rest of the Supercross season due to another serious injury. Luckily this gave Ken more time to allow his left arm to heal which was still damaged from the previous years crash. Roczen was able to heal just in time for the 2018 Motocross Championship in which he finished 3rd.^[5][6]

In 2019, he finished 4th in the Supercross Championship with four podiums (no wins). In the Motocross Championship, he won the opener in Hangtown and two more rounds, a total of 7 podiums of the 12 rounds, finishing 2nd in the final point standings. He attended RedBull Straight Rhythm, taking away a victory in the 250cc class despite it being his first time racing a two-stroke in his pro career.

In 2020, on 11 January, Ken Roczen won his first AMA Supercross race in three years with a win at St.Louis. He won two more rounds until the season was COVID-19 interrupted after round 10 in Daytona, 7 March, and was at this point trailing leader Eli Tomac by three points. The season resumed with seven rounds all in Salt Lake City, UT, between 31 May and 21 June racing Sundays and Wednesdays in Rice-Eccles Stadium without spectators. Of the seven rounds, Ken collected one more win but fell to 3rd in the final standings.

Supercross

2021 saw Roczen battle for the Supercross championship yet again. He managed 4 wins but was a distant 2nd in the final point standings.

Motocross

Roczen finished 3rd in Motocross with 2 overall wins.

Roczen won the season opener at Anaheim. After a string of poor results, Roczen decided not to race for the remainder of the AMA Supercross season due to mental and physical health reasons after a difficult start to the year.

He returned for Motocross where he won 1 overall at round 3, Thunder Valley.

He also raced the new World Supercross Championship, which he would win for Honda.

Supercross

Roczen returned to Suzuki for the 2023 AMA Supercross season. His first win for the HEP Suzuki team would arrive at round 9, Indianapolis. ^[7] In supercross he finished 4th after a DNF in Round 17 tied him on points with Cooper Webb.

World Supercross

On 8 May it was announced that Roczen will be racing the World Supercross Championship for the next 3 years. He began WSX by winning the British Grand Prix. Roczen successfully defended his SX1 WSX Title, winning the final round in Australia.

Motocross

Ken Roczen appeared for one race of the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross series, the High Point MX National, where he qualified fastest overall ahead of eventual champion Jett Lawerence. He would go on to finish 2nd overall on the day.

SMX World Championship

In the first edition of the SuperMotocross playoffs, Roczen would finish 2nd overall at all three races, earning him runner-up in the championship.

2024

Supercross

Continuing aboard his HEP Suzuki, Roczen would achieve the podium six times in 2024 AMA Supercross, including a win at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. This hard-packed, slick track bared a stark contrast to the track conditions of his win in Indianapolis the previous year, where the track was deep and rutted. Roczen’s season would end prematurely when his bike suffered a catastrophic shock failure in the whoops section at the Nashville supercross, ejecting him from the bike and causing a broken tibia plateau, foot, and toe.

Motocross

Ken Roczen raced two AMA Pro Motocross rounds in 2024, at Unadilla where he placed 7th overall, and at Ironman where he dropped down to the 250 class for his first race in the small bike class in over 10 years. He would finish 9th overall after battling in the top 5 in Moto 1.

At the 2009 Motocross of Nations which was held at Franciacorta, Italy. Ken Roczen represented Team Germany in the MX2 class. At just 15 years old, Roczen showcased exceptional talent and determination on the international stage. Competing against seasoned riders, he contributed significantly to Team Germany's 4th place finish with scores of 10-8 for 2nd in the MX2 classification.

The 63rd version of the Motocross Des nations was held on 26 September 2010 at Thunder Valley in Morrison, Colorado. Roczen resumed the MX2 role, placed 6th in race one and 3rd in race two. A score of 9 granted him his first MX2 classification overall as well as a 3rd place finish for team Germany.

The 2011 Motocross of nations in Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France, was Roczens’ third consecutive appearance. Roczen was yet again the class of the field in MX2 and secured another overall classification. Germany finished 7th.

The 2012 Motocross of Nations was held in Lommel, Belgium. Roczen along with Max Nagl & Marcus Schiffer, led Team Germany to their first win at this event. Kenny placed 5th in moto one and 4th in moto two, once again granting him the MX2 overall. ^[8] Their victory marked the first German win in the history of the Motocross des Nations.^[8]

Coming in as the defending champions, Roczen represented team Germany on home soil in Teutschenthal, Germany. He once again raced in the MX2 class. He finished 2nd in race one and 1st in race two which granted him the MX2 overall classification for the fourth year in a row. Team Germany finished 7th.

Roczen returned to Des nations for the first time since 2013. The event was held at Red Bud MX in Buchanan, MI. Kenny placed 25th in race one and ninth in race three. This placed him 5th in the MXGP classification and team Germany 9th overall with 70 points.

The 2023 edition of the Motocross Des Nations was held in Ernee, France. This was Kenny’s first Des Nations since 2018 and his first European one since 2013. Roczen finished 3rd in moto one and 2nd in moto two. With these scores he would win the MXGP class overall classification as well as a 4th place finish for team Germany.

The 2024 edition of the Motocross Des Nations was held at the Matterley Basin race track in Winchester, England. Roczen was selected to race the MXGP class and finished 6th in the Saturday qualifier. Race 1 saw Roczen battle for podium positions early in the race however eventually falling back to tenth place. Roczen would place 10th in the final race for 8th overall in the MXGP classification as well as team Germany finishing 6th.

• 2006 – German Junior Cup Champion 85cc
• 2007 – Junior World Champion 85cc
• 2008 – German Youngster Cup Champion
• 2009 – German ADAC MX Masters Champion
• 2010 – German ADAC MX Masters Champion
• 2011 – Motocross World Champion MX2
• 2012 – 1st place at Motocross des Nations (MxoN) in Lommel (Belgium)
• 2013 – AMA Supercross West Champion 250SX^{[note 1]}
• 2014 – AMA Motocross Champion 450 class
• 2015 – Monster Energy Cup winner
• 2016 – AMA Motocross Champion 450 class^[9][10][11]
• 2019 – Redbull Straight Rhythm 250cc winner^[12]
• 2022 SX1 WSX Champion
• 2023 SX1 WSX Champion