Roczen Wins World Supercross
Championship
K
en Roczen came away with
the FIM World Supercross
Championship despite finishing
second to the night's winner,
Joey Savatgy, at Marvel Stadium
in Melbourne, Australia, where
the second and final round of
the championship took place on
October 22.
Roczen and Vince Friese were
the two front-runners going into the
championship-decider, which fea-
tured a three-moto format. Roczen
held a three-point lead over Friese
going into the Australia race. Bray-
ton was another five points back.
Eli Tomac, who won the first
race in Cardiff, did not make
the trip to Australia and wasn't
in contention for the champion-
ship anyway, since he rode as a
wild card entry and wasn't part
of an official team recognized by
the organizers, meaning he was
ineligible to win the title.
Roczen rode off with the first
moto win but suffered a flat tire
in race two and withdrew to
the pits. He still salvaged a few
points. Savatgy, who finished
second to Roczen in race one,
took the second-moto race win.
Friese held a one-point cham-
pionship lead over his SmarTop/
Bullfrog Spas MotoConcepts
Honda teammate Justin Brayton
going into the final moto with
Roczen, on the Genuine Honda,
four points back. However,
Friese got a little too overanxious
in the first turn, bonsaied it and
went down, taking his teammate,
Brayton, with him. Roczen came
out unscathed and followed race
winner and overall winner Savat-
gy across the finish line to claim
the overall championship.
Savatgy's win catapulted him
to second place in the champion-
ship on the Rick Ware Racing
Kawasaki.
"I would do it over and over
again, I've had such an amazing
experience," Roczen said. "It's
been a tough ride the last few
years that's why I did this. I don't
regret it. Finally getting a title again,
especially the first one for my
team, is nothing short of amazing."
"It's unfortunate I had that
mistake in the first race in Cardiff,"
said Savatgy who came into the
race 21 points behind Roczen. "I
IN
THE
WIND
P52
Ken Roczen
came away with
the inaugural
World Supercross
Championship in
Australia.
