Exclusive Ken Roczen photoshoot and words
Just a few days before his fantastic first victory of the AMA Supercross season we grabbed some time with 2011 FIM Motocross World Champion, 2012 Motocross of Nations winner and Red Bull KTM star Ken Roczen. The nineteen year old German is leading the West Coast 250SX series at the midway point and – judging by his reception at two of the events we attended over the past fortnight – is increasingly becoming one of the leading lights of a sport that attracts average crowds of 40,000 to stadiums across America.
Enjoy the pics with Ken and check out what he has to say about his second year in California and being part of KTM’s factory crew with Marvin Musquin and Ryan Dungey.
On feeling at home in the USA…
Right now I feel more and more like this is home. I’ve spent so much time here that even going back to Europe and seeing everything in German and people all speaking my language feels a bit weird! Off the track there were a few things that took some getting used to. Generally there are a lot of photoshoots and dealer signings that we didn’t have to do in Europe. I was quite unprepared for that. Fridays are basically set aside for PR and there is a lot of travelling involved with those events. It can feel like you are always on the run.
On mastering Supercross…
I just needed that time [in 2012]. I can ride aggressively on a Supercross track now whereas before I was just getting around. We struggled a bit with set-up last year also but now we’re pretty decent and every race I do now gives me more experience.
On racing again in Europe after his German GP appearance last year…
For sure if I am 100% healthy then I want to get back to Europe to do some races. A lot of meetings clash so it is hard to plan where and when we will be.
On his historic Nations win as part of Team Germany last September…
It feels like a long time ago but every time I see a photo it brings back memories instantly of what a crazy weekend it was.
On being a Red Bull KTM rider for the second year…
Everybody on the team is working super-hard and making a lot of effort. I try my best and so do they and it gives you a great feeling to be part of something that is so focused and pushing hard for one thing. I think KTM is getting bigger and bigger over here. I notice that there is more attention already compared to last year and especially from 2011.
