Ken Roczen finally did it! The can’t miss superstar kid almost had it all taken away from him in 2017 with that crash at Anaheim, just when it looked like he was sure to be the next generational talent to dominate the sport on the heels of McGrath, Carmichael, Stewart and Villopoto. But now he is back where he belongs – at the top.
Until that gruesome moment of pure agony, Ken Roczen had it all; pure talent, immense charisma and a lot of intelligence that had fans in awe ever since he burst onto the GP scene and started winning in MX2 at just 15 years old. But that night at Anaheim, we wondered if he would ever be able to race again, let alone win again!
But Roczen fought through the pain and came back, he won races again and even contended for titles again but all the surgeries had taken their toll, his energy wasn’t what it used to be and Cooper Webb and Eli Tomac stepped into the void Roczen’s injuries created.
But Roczen then went back to his roots, the trusty yellow Suzuki that turns like a dream giving him the familiarity that he grew up with and burst onto the GP scene with such style and poise. It was also the bike he won his 450 outdoor title on in 2016, but now times had changed, it was the only platform not to be updated since 2018 and it didn’t even have an electric start – but kickstart Kenny did not care!
The rebuild began and Roczen won a race in 2023, he improved again in 2024 until injury thwarted the end of his championships the last two years but he had proven to himself that when he was on, he was still a contender.
Finally, in 2026, the rebuild was complete with a bike he totally trusted, calmness in his mind and under the guidance of Larry Brooks, Roczen navigated the highs and lows of a wild season with consistency never seen before and he stayed away from the late season injuries.
He won four out of five races down the stretch to prove himself right and many people wrong bout fading late, he put an exclamation mark on that truth by holding off a fuming Cooper Webb late in the mud in a vital victory under huge pressure. This was a different Ken Roczen, mentally locked in and not giving in, he was here to take care of business.
One point and one round to go, it looked like maybe the pressure was too much for him at Salt Lake City. Roczen didn’t look as comfortable as normal in qualifying, he crashed in his heat race while trying to catch Hunter, giving him a bad gate pick for the most crucial main event and start of his life.
It was advantage Hunter but, just when it really mattered the most, Roczen delivered the start he needed, gating second and putting an immediate pass on Hunter Lawrence to take control and, once Lawrence fell Roczen just had to bring it home to finally, after all the trauma accomplish his childhood dream.
The inspirational Roczen, who couldn’t hold back the tears as Larry Brooks, his mum and his wife congratulated him, said as the crowd chanted his name: “I was an emotional wreck today, I am exhausted physically and mentally. I have dreamed of this since I was a little kid, it’s testament that you never give up.”
It would have been an immense shame if one of the most talented riders to ever ride a dirt bike wouldn’t have won this title because of that injury in 2017, it would simply have been unfair. Roczen fought against everything and everyone that tried to stop him and ultimately came out on top.
The amount of riders that came to congratulate him after the race spoke volumes of his character as a person and the empathy everyone had for his journey, even his rivals like Cooper Webb had nothing but reverence for his achievement.
Roczen has completed the sport. A GP winner at 15, a world champ at 17, a 250 Supercross title, two 450 AMA outdoor titles and now the biggest of them all to crown his career, the 450 Supercross title. The German has cemented himself as a legend and one of the best to ever do it in what should be a Hollywood movie or a Netflix documentary.
This was an incredible performance and story against all the odds, under all the pressure and Roczen still got it done – congratulations!
