Ken Roczen 2nd overall at High Point Raceway, Mount Morris, Pennsylvania.
(Madera, CA, June 19th, 2023) – Arguably, the best race to date of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship Series, Round 4 (Round 21 of the SuperMotocross Championship) at High Point Raceway, was full of excitement. Ken Roczen surprised the moto world when he showed up to race on Saturday. Qualifying with the fastest time, catching the leader, leading laps, holeshoting Moto 2, and finishing 2nd overall, was an excellent day for Ken Roczen and this team. Freddie Noren also had an impressive day, with 12th overall. Kyle Chisholm was not in attendance for High Point as he is racing select rounds, and Marshal Weltin was out with a knee injury suffered the previous round.
Ken Roczen #94: Incredible display of racing all day long from Ken Roczen. With little time to prepare for the race, Ken showed up with minimal preparation. It did not matter, however, as he put the fastest time down in qualifying and headed into moto one with the first gate pick. Ken did not slow down. In his first race, Ken charged to the front from a 4th-place start and led laps before going down and finishing in 7th place. Roczen got a holeshot in the second moto and led for more than half of the race before finishing in 2nd place. He went 7-2 for 2nd overall.
“Highpoint was an absolute success,” said Ken Roczen. “We showed up; it was a super muddy mess. This was probably one of the most brutal tracks to come back for a one-off race. We were p1 in qualifying, and we put up a fight in the first moto as well. We were leading some laps. I was battling with Jett, and with about a lap and a half to go, I tried to pass a lapper, cut out of the rut I was in, tucked the front, and went over the bars. Just the area I went down at, it took me a while to get going again. We finished it off in 7th place. I was ready to go all out in the second moto. I ripped a holeshot and went as long as I could. Once Jett passed me I kind of copied some of his lines and held on for a second. I went 7th and 2nd for 2nd overall, which is amazing. I couldn’t have done it without my team; the work they put in, my mechanic Travis Soules, they have all done an amazing job. It was a great, great weekend putting it on the podium, winning qualifying leading laps. It couldn’t have gone any better!”
Freddie Noren #47: Not the best weekend, but not the worst for Freddie Noren. Going down in the first moto, Freddie charged back from dead last to 14th place, salvaging some crucial points. In the second moto, Noren road a lot better and finished in 10th place, giving him 12th overall on the day. He currently sits in 8th place for the points standings.
“It was a rough weekend for me,” said Freddie Noren. “I didn’t feel great on the bike all day again. I struggled a bit, then in the first moto, a few corners in, I stalled the bike, and I couldn’t get it started right off the bat. I went from dead last to 14th, considering that it is pretty good. I went 14-10 for 12th overall. For me, anything outside the top ten is not a good day. I have consistently regrouped, charging back this year to salvage some good points. 12th overall was my worst finish this year, so we will just keep it going. We are still sitting good in points and we will keep working on that. We’ll keep testing, and we’ll keep riding and getting better. The team is doing awesome. I just have to be better. I am looking forward to a weekend off to practice and ride. Redbud is my “peanut butter and Jelly” I am excited to go to Redbud and those sandier tracks. I’m looking forward to building on this!”
Kyle Chisholm #11: Only racing select rounds of the 2023 Pro Motocross series Kyle Chisholm was not in attendance for High Point. Expect to see him back racing in the later half of the series.
Marshal Weltin #50: Missing in action, Marshal Weltin was unable to make the 4th round of the 2023 Pro Motocross series, resting a hurt knee that he tweaked in the previous round.
Larry Brooks – Team Manager
“It was a good weekend,” said Team Manager Larry Brooks. “We welcomed back Ken Roczen to racing outdoors, his first outdoor race this season. Ken rode great too. I would say Ken Roczen stole the day Saturday. The fans absolutely love him; being Father’s Day weekend and Ken being a new father was awesome to watch from the outside. The track was really tough, and we had a lot of rain before the event, it put the track on the muddy side with a hard base which makes for really difficult conditions, not necessarily bike setup but more from the rider’s standpoint. Ken Roczen was the fastest qualifier in the morning, and he posted the fast time in the first practice. Most of the fast times came from the morning because conditions got worse and worse as the track fell apart. So we were really excited going into the main events. In the first moto, Ken Roczen started 4th place and went to 1st place and road up front for a while. He and Jett Lawrence had a really good battle back and forth. Ken tucked the front end of the bike in a difficult position on the track, and he was stuck in a rut and couldn’t get his bike in neutral. So he ended up finishing 7th that first moto. Then the second moto Ken got the holeshot the second race and led it for quite a while. He and Jett battled again. Ken finished 2nd place; that with a 7th, he finished 2nd overall. We had Freddie Noren racing also, and he did pretty good he went 14-10 for 12th overall. He came back from dead last in the first moto to 14th place, which was pretty impressive. Now we have a weekend off, which is good. Everyone has been working hard.”
Team Twisted Tea /H.E.P. Suzuki, presented by Progressive Insurance, takes a week break as the series is off until July 1st for the iconic RedBud National—an exciting weekend for the Pipes Motorsports group, with two teams competing that day. The World Supercross Series opening round starts that same day across the globe in Birmingham, UK. Coverage of the World Supercross Series will be live streamed and re-aired the next day on FOX Sports. You can catch all the action from the RedBud National live on Peacock T.V.; coverage begins at 7:00 AM PST.
Partners:
TWISTED TEA/ HEP SUZUKI: Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, Suzuki Motor of America, INC. (SMAI), Progressive Insurance, ECSTAR, FLY Racing, Western Power Sports (WPS), Mayhem Wheels, Dixxon Flannel Co, Pro Circuit, Twisted Development, SKDA Graphics, WD-40 Brand, DID, Dunlop, JE Pistons, Hinson Clutch Components, Mika Metals, DT1 Air Filters, Nissin Brake Components, Galfer Brakes, Acerbis, Boyesen, GUTS Factory Seats, Motion Pro, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, 100%, OGIO, Works Chassis Lab, Works Connection, Scar, ARC Levers, CV-4, Crank Works, XTRIG, Midland Tractor, Showa, record7.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki: Progressive Insurance, Suzuki Motor of America, INC. (SMAI), ECSTAR, FLY Racing, Western Power Sports (WPS), Mayhem Wheels, Dixxon Flannel Co, Pro Circuit, Renthal, Twisted Development, SKDA Graphics, WD-40 Brand, DID, Dunlop, JE Pistons, Hinson Clutch Components, DT1 Air Filters, Nissin Brake Components, Galfer Brakes, Acerbis, Boyesen, GUTS Factory Seats, Motion Pro, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, 100%, OGIO, Works Chassis Lab, Works Connection, Scar, ARC Levers, CV-4, Crank Works, XTRIG, Midland Tractor, Showa, record7.
