Jeff Emig always said he would prefer momentum over a points lead in the championship run in, and if that proves true, it is Ken Roczen who has the momentum going into the final six rounds of the series and is just 14 points off the points lead.
Eli Tomac has the points leads but is, in his words, in a bit of a slump. Hunter Lawrence might have most of the boses ticked, but he just had a huge crash last weekend – is he 100% healthy? Of course, you can never count out Cooper Webb who is still 26 points back but give him an inch and he will take a mile – and he was just given an inch!
It seems that Eli Tomac may be carrying some sort of minor injury given his subdued performances over the last two weeks – will whatever the issue may be have vanished in a week? Roczen is fourteen off Tomac but only ten off Lawrence, and with Tomac not his usual speed right now, being just ten off Hunter makes it even more realistic that charismatic German is back in the hunt for this title.
But, just imagine if Hunter hadn’t accidently knocked Roczen off in Seattle or even if Roczen would have had an electric start – there is a chance that collision could top the title balance in Hunter’s favour if it comes down to a handful of points at the final round.
Even if Roczen got fifth in Seattle instead of tenth, he would only be five off Lawrence right now and nine off what appears to be an ailing Tomac. The small margins are coming into play and Roczen has, until last weekend, been the one to get burnt the most when it has went wrong.
But now things has FINALLY went his way. He has hope and even more importantly, belief, that he can really win this title. Of all the contenders he is riding the best, he is not fading at the end despite what the critics say and, mentally, appears to be where he needs to be. This could be his best chance since that gruesome arm injury for a Supercross title.
It won’t be easy, but it if he pulls this title off on a Suzuki after all those injuries and related illnesses, it would be a story for the ages.
