Ken Roczen has taken matters into his own hands this season.
From his decision to depart from Honda HRC last fall, to his move over to the H.E.P. Motorsports Suzuki squad one month before the start of Monster Energy AMA Supercross campaign, to his hands-on approach to weekly training, Roczen is essentially the one calling the shots.
“I needed change, urgently,” Roczen said. “Right now, I don’t really have anybody telling me what to do. I’m the best judge of that and it’s really working out.”
Last weekend at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif., Roczen finished third overall, bringing Suzuki its first 450cc class podium since Chad Reed in 2019. It was also the first podium for the H.E.P. Motorsports team.
However, the third-place result felt much like a win to Roczen, who admitted he had his doubts before the season commenced on Jan. 7.
“I wouldn’t say it came out of nowhere, but you know, before the season started, I thought of how my whole last season went and it’s been a while since I’ve even been on the podium,” Roczen said.
The No. 94 rider only contested half of the 2022 Supercross season, as he was battling various health issues and struggled to break into the top five on any given night.
Already, this year is looking like a brand-new chapter for the veteran German racer. Roczen opened the year with a fifth-place finish in Anaheim, logged a fourth-place result the following round in San Diego and cracked the podium last weekend at Anaheim.
Even his weekly routine is different. In the post-race press conference in Anaheim, Roczen shared that he decided to go without a professional trainer this season and instead, has taken it upon himself to maintain a fitness regimen.
“I’m a pretty self-motivated guy. I’ve never needed anybody to kick me out of bed to go train,” Roczen said. “I feel like I have a really good system going right now with recovery and putting in some hard days.”
The idea developed naturally after he spent a portion of his offseason traveling the globe to compete in the World Supercross Championship. Logistically, it was easier to be in control of his own training program, but once he settled into a rhythm, it seemed fitting to continue.
Roczen also reported his overall health has improved, and his body has responded to the rigorous Supercross grind in comparison to last year.
“I’m not getting so tired through the week,” Roczen said.
But despite the physical revival and the steady creep toward the front, there’s still plenty left to work on. So far, most race days have served as test sessions for Roczen’s Suzuki RM-Z450. Specifically in San Diego, whether it was for qualifying, a heat race or the main event, the team was constantly making changes to get the bike going in the right direction.
Luckily, it appears their changes have been paying off.
Whatever may happen at the coming Supercross round at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Roczen is willing to take the bad with the good.
“The last couple of races, we’ve really been able to put up a fight,” Roczen said. “If I race well and make moves and passes and stay in it and not have to give up, that makes it a lot more fun for me. I had a really good time out there, plain and simple.”