The German Supercross rider Ken Roczen continues to recover from a left-ankle injury sustained February 21 at Georgia Dome.
The RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing No. 94 Suzuki RM-Z450 pilot continued racing, but aggravated the injury at Daytona SX, where he was forced to not start.
Though SX had an extra week off with the Easter holiday last weekend, Roczen is still not 100-percent; due to this, he will also miss this weekend’s Monster Energy Supercross round in Houston. Suzuki says Roczen’s appearance in the remaining races of 2015 SX will now be determined on a week-to-week basis.
Roczen, his physicians and management team, along with RCH co-owners Carey Hart and Ricky Carmichael, made the collective decision for the 20-year-old to sit out this weekend while continuing to evaluate his recovery one race at a time, Suzuki reports.
“I’m back on the bike and doing a ton of cross training but it’s a tough decision and I’m super-bummed that I won’t be racing in Houston this weekend,” explained Roczen. “I can’t wait to be back at the track but the team and I just want to make sure I am 100 percent. I can’t thank Carey and Ricky enough for all of their support. If anyone understands this business and how injuries can go, it’s those two. All the fans and our sponsors have been awesome so I’m really thankful for all their support, too.”
The 15-time AMA National Champion Carmichael also commented on Houston Supercross and Roczen’s condition. Carmichael won at the Astrodome in 2001 and 2002, and clinched the 2005 SX Title at NRG Stadium.
“Houston is a great race and the dirt is always really good. That’s what makes it fun for the riders and ultimately translates into a great show for the fans,” offered Carmichael. “I had some great races in Houston and a couple wins when we raced at the Astrodome. I clinched the Supercross Championship in Houston in 2005 so, for me, it’s always a bonus going back there.
“Ken is making progress but not coming along quite as quickly as we had originally hoped. We all thought he could be ready to compete this weekend but he’s just not 100 percent yet and that’s where we need him to be. Once he’s completely healthy, we can move forward to actual racing. Everybody at Soaring Eagle, Jimmy Johns, Suzuki and all the rest of our sponsors have been very gracious throughout this process so we’re fortunate to have companies who support RCH through these types of challenges.”
Fox Sports 2 will broadcast Houston Supercross at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, April 11.
