race recap
KEN ROCZEN | GRIT-208 | 450SX
February 14, 2023 · Ken Roczen
KEN ROCZEN | GRIT-208 | 450SX
Racing at this level requires the utmost intensity, which was portrayed on behalf of Ken Roczen while barreling through racing action on Saturday night. The Suzuki rider would welcome all variables of both, Mother Nature and ever-changing track conditions throughout the day; definitely proving time and time again that he was considered a championship contender in the premier division. The top of the board would consist of times that were just below, or near, fifty-seconds (for qualification); meaning that a multitude of laps were set to be on record, for the finalé at the end of the night. He then aligned on the gate, for heat two, where opponents attempted to thwart his momentum when diving into the abrupt first corner. Roczen's first lap residency was in that of fourth place position, with top-tier competitors all around him in the moments that followed. He would be excellent in the slick(er) areas of the track, where his natural talent would correlate to steadied throttle control and timing amongst the more-moist conditions of soil. That would lead to him defending fourth from Justin Barcia, who was aggressive (as always) and continued to hound the German rider as they past the halfway point. Ken's fortitude would be on display, however, until lap eight when the New York native would work his way around; pushing Ken to fifth just prior to the checkered flag being waved. He would conclude the moto here, prior to beginning the main event. He seemed ready and anticipated battles all the way through the finalé; rocketing from the starting gate with a sixth-place position in hand. Passing Justin Cooper in the moments thereafter, he was then fifth behind Adam Cianciarulo. Pressuring the Kawasaki rider, a mistake would be made by the native Floridian which translated to fourth being earned; with Aaron Plessinger now just seconds ahead and residing in podium contention. Continuously flowing around the deteriorating circuit, Ken's aptitude would shine as the track grew tougher; continuing to skim the dragon's back and nail the following triple with efficiency, prior to embarking on the sand section where he could see Eli Tomac in pursuit of him. He knew though, that if he was demonstrating the speed to keep the red-plate holder at bay, he was doing something right; and continued to drive forward with the spark of confidence, that line of thinking provoked. He then maintained fourth through the twenty-five circuits that were exhibited, finishing with a well-deserved accolade and definite momentum for the rounds that lay ahead.