GRIT 301 — 450SX 1st — Ken Roczen

Unbelievable style was displayed by Ken Roczen, as he conquered the racetrack in Glendale, Arizona. For practice, the timing and throttle control of the German athlete, was a perfect display of one's true talent on the motorcycle. With his consistent efficiency, Roczen made the process of accelerating through the layout, seem rather easy. But enthusiasts of the sport would know, that the layout in the Southwestern United States was anything but simple. It was a testament to the skillset of the European athlete — and as further knowledge of the racetrack was acquired, Ken continued to put forth stronger lap-times. He wouldn't second-guess or hesitate when launching over the largest gaps — unleashing an abundance of momentum while navigating across technical transitions. And those attributes, were sustained throughout the entirety of heat number two where he sped to an early race standing of approximately sixth. He knew there was minimal time to waste, however, and strove to climb ahead on the leaderboard as quickly as possible. A series of bold cut-down(s) and the occasional outside line, were enough to send him past that of Dylan Ferrandis and Vince Friese by circuit number three. Though once residing in the fourth-place slot, he couldn't seem to make his way around Jason Anderson. The effort put forth by Ken was commendable, and the fact that he was defending his position of fourth, from Kawasaki's Chase Sexton, would have to be noted as well. The aforementioned trio (of Anderson, Roczen, and Sexton) were accelerating forward at a phenomenal trajectory. Though in the end, Ken was forced to reside in fourth as the checkered flag was thrown...though he seemed to possess a mentality of redemption, for the finalé on the horizon. Ken's start to the main event was strong — and he navigated through the hectic first turn area, to quickly surpass Vince Friese and obtained the second-place standing...not far behind Hunter Lawrence. He immediately tried to track-down Hunter, and would do so, with an incredible burst of speed along the finish-line jump — solidifying the pass in the corner thereafter. This occurred after three and a-half minutes of competition, however ample time remained in the contest. Ken took full advantage of the open raceway which he now had within his grasp. He was efficient, and remarkable while taking reign of the field. Lap after lap, he executed his game-plan with the utmost precision...and in the end, the Suzuki athlete flew past the checkered flag, with a dominant win in Glendale!