KEN ROCZEN - GRIT 244 450SX

GRIT-244 |450 SX

May 20, 2024 9:45 am

Suzuki's Ken Roczen was phenomenal all day, for this particular March event. Winning last year's round in Indianapolis, the German athlete was prepared to replicate that performance as the first moto (of three) began in the evening hours...with a brilliant start being conducted as he established an unbelievable pace at the pinnacle of the field. He was maintaining a significant gap on Jett Lawrence, before the Honda rider began to close in...and on the seventh lap, the Australian would sweep from outside to inside over the finish line jump before making a daring lunge via exceptional throttle twisting in the rollers that followed the final obstacle. Roczen couldn't do anything but oblige, and do his best to replicate the pattern of lines that were being put forth by the number eighteen. He would do so, and after leading the six laps that were previously discussed, he would defend the runner-up position from Chase Sexton and Eli Tomac that were behind him - exiting the raceway with a notable second-place score, before entering into the second main event. His start to the following moto (i.e. runner-up) would be just behind Aaron Plessinger and Jett Lawrence; and a valiant move after the multi-plateau section was enough for Ken to not only take second, but claim the first-place position, via passing Jett Lawrence by the end of the obstacles as well! Ken was now once again dictating the pace of the field, and looking flawless while navigating amongst various wall-berms and the sand section. However, Lawrence (again) was on the hunt for the lead...and would leap to the inside of Ken, in the corner before the "SX" triple. This too was on the seventh lap of action, and with the block pass being made by the Australian, there was little that Roczen could to refute. Though he remained engaged, and would keep Jett relatively honest en route to the finish line; holding second yet again, to be in contention for the overall win at the checkered flag. Ken's initial run for the finalé was magnificent, where he put forth an admirable effort for an incredible ten-lap tenure. He defended the first place position with all of his might, but Lawrence's line through the whoops was a catalyst to gain time on the German...which set the stage for another, brilliant countering move in the corner before the "SX" triple once more! But Roczen fought back, staying bar-to-bar with the Honda rider for a significant portion of time. That was, until Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb would close the distance between their machines and his Suzuki. In the final stages, Sexton was able to make his way by, but the veteran (Ken) would defend the third-place position with the utmost intensity knowing that was second overall was at stake...and as all was finalized, his third in the final race was enough to garner second in the record book(s) respectively.

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