Ken Roczen US 450 Pro Motocross Champion
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Redbull Action
The battle between KTM teammates Roczen and Ryan Dungey came down to the final round. Dungey held the red plate after the opening round at Glen Helen. Roczen took the plate from him at the second round of the series and held on to it through the final round where he was crowned champion in front of a very excited motocross crowd.
The two riders began a battle that would last the entire moto with the teammates swapping the runner-up position multiple times. When the checkered flag flew it was Dungey who took 2nd place while Roczen finished 3rd.
“I know that Kenny (Roczen) has a pretty good gap on me but that doesn’t stop me from trying my best at every race I can,” stated Dungey. “I’m happy I could get on the podium in the first moto and I’m excited to return and give it my all in the final moto of the season.”
The second moto started very similar to the first with Roczen and Dungey in 2nd and 3rd position again off the start. Dungey was able to move around Roczen early in the race to move into 2nd position. Dungey went on to finish the race in that position for 2nd overall on the day. Meanwhile, Roczen rode a safe race and finished in 4th place to secure the championship.
“I think I rode as slow as I do on the parade lap on the final lap of the race,” stated Roczen. “I was so excited and nervous at the same time and couldn’t actually push any faster and just wanted to cross the line to earn the championship. I am so thankful to my family, friends and my team for their dedication to help me achieve this goal. I am so happy.”
Roczen’s 3-4 finishes earned him 4th overall for the day but most importantly secured the first career championship for the German rider. Dungey finished 2nd overall in the championship, therefore setting history for the KTM brand as the first time their riders had finished 1st and 2nd in the championship.
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