ROCZEN & RCH SUZUKI WIN AT HIGH POINT MX

Courtesy of Team Suzuki Press Office

RCH Suzuki Factory Racing’s Ken Roczen continued his blistering start to the outdoor season turning in a perfect 1-1 performance in Saturday’s Red Bull High Point National, collecting his seventh win in eight motos and third overall victory of the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship in America.

At the same time, the 22-year-old Soaring Eagle/ Jimmy John’s/ Suzuki RM-Z450 rider extended his points lead to 41 over second-placed Eli Tomac with one-third of the season already run.

Said Roczen: “I think this was probably the gnarliest track we’ve ridden all year. It got super rough. They added a lot of mulch and most of the stuff pushes to the side, especially when you water it, so it was really sketchy. It was definitely a tough track, which made for great racing. I grabbed the holeshot in the first moto and it’s always good to have a clear track. I think a couple of people crashed behind me so I had a little gap. I just tried to ride a smart race and take the checkers. I was super-happy with that.

“It was the 40th anniversary of High Point and that’s a pretty big number. Coming away with a 1-1, I can’t complain at all. Obviously, the most important thing is to be healthy … for all of us. It was good racing so I’m super happy.”

Roczen’s RCH team-mate Broc Tickle turned in his most-consistent performance of the season, riding his Suzuki RM-Z450 to a solid eighth-place finish in the first moto and 10th in the second. The sturdy outing was Tickle’s second top-10 overall finish of the season and he is now 12th in the standings, just two points out of 10th.

“This weekend was definitely an improvement," explained Tickle. “I felt good in practice. I always enjoy racing at High Point and it’s great to kick-off the East Coast rounds. I had two motos where I finished inside the top 10, with an 8-10 so that’s the most consistent weekend I’ve had since the outdoor season started. I got a good start in the first moto so there are some positives to take with me. The second moto, I felt like I rode better than the first, so I just need to put the start together with a good moto. I kind of rode tight during the first moto for the first 15 minutes so I think I could have been a little better but all-in-all, it was a good day. I’m looking forward to going to Muddy Creek and the next five races.”

RCH co-owner Ricky Carmichael was on hand for the 40th anniversary of the historic Pennsylvania track and was not only pleased with his rider’s collective efforts, but also had high praise for his team as a whole.

“The team had a great performance,” said Carmichael. “Everyone did a great job and Ken rode really, really well. It was a technical track. After the second moto, he said it was the toughest track he’d raced all year. I’m really happy for him and for everyone on the Soaring Eagle/ Jimmy John’s/ Suzuki Factory Racing team. All the boys are working hard and the bikes look good. Broc had a better weekend, as well. We just have to keep the momentum rolling. I expect a couple of guys like Eli Tomac and Justin Barcia to step-up as we get deeper into the season. It’s definitely not going to be easy. Anything can happen. I’m proud of the guys. They need to keep working hard for that main goal and that’s to win the championship.”

Next weekend, the 12-race Pro Motocross tour rolls through the Volunteer State where Blountville, Tennessee’s Muddy Creek Raceway will host the series on Saturday. 

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