Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/771039
P112 CN III FRIENDLY FIRE BY STEVE BAUER I f the size of the crowd at the opening round of the 2017 Supercross Series is any indica- tion, people are still excited to go to the races—and why not? There is nothing else like it. Sure, an argument could be made that you could see better and be more informed about what is happen- ing on the track if you were sitting on your sofa watching it on TV. It seemed like attendance was lower last year at some events and perhaps the allure of staying home and watching it is too much for some, but going to a Supercross race in person is a blast. Nothing beats the excitement of hearing the crowd roar when someone makes a dramatic pass, or when a Monster girl shoots a free t-shirt into your section of the stands. With no press box to hide out in at Angel Stadium, I bounced around between friends in the industry seating, club level and all over the place. It was a blast. Ken Roczen is a badass of epic proportions. In one fell swoop, he shut down those who predicted his seemingly casual attitude and recreational lifestyle (as portrayed on his social media) would be unacceptable to his new bosses. By attending the press conference on Thursday dressed in a suit and tie, Roczen set a new standard for representing the sport and when asked about why he was wearing it, his measured response about elevating the professionalism was so well delivered and on point that it seemed like a dumb question. He then went out a couple of nights later and decimated the field, confirming their fears that he really was going as fast at last year's Monster Energy Cup as he seemed to be. He and that new 450 Honda seem to be a match made in heaven, and I have never seen as many smiling faces dressed in red as I saw during the post-race podium festivities. Before I talk about some of the other stuff I saw last night, it just occurred to me that if Ken Roczen wins the 2017 Supercross Cham- pionship on a Honda, the amount of irony associated with it would be staggering. For those unfamil- iar with Supercross history, I will explain. Honda has won more Super- cross championships than any other manufacturer. From 1982 to 1996, they won 14 times, includ- ing the last eight years in a row. Jeremy McGrath, who they were unable to come to terms with for 1997, won four of those titles, then signed with Suzuki. McGrath SUPERCROSS OBSERVATIONS Ken Roczen showed some serious suit-and-tie style at the Anaheim I pre-race press conference. He then showed some serious speed Saturday night.