After an exceptionally successful off-season that has yet to translate to customary on-track results, RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing riders Ken Roczen and Broc Tickle are looking to put it all together this weekend when Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, returns to Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
In the season’s first two races, Roczen finished fifth and sixth, respectively and Tickle battled his way to 11th and 14th-place efforts. While the final outcomes from the first two races of the season have fallen short of expectations, both riders are brimming with confidence heading into the third race of 2016, and rightfully so.
In 12 total starts at Angel Stadium, including Western Regional 250SX Class and 450SX competition, Roczen has earned four wins and missed the podium only three times. Even more impressive, dating back to 2011, the 21-year-old Suzuki factory pilot’s finishing average at the famed Orange County venue is 2.67 where he hasn’t finished worse than seventh.
Roczen had to fight through an early-race miscue last weekend in San Diego, but battled back to notch a solid sixth-place effort in the second race of the season, leaving him sixth in the championship standings at the end of the night. Roczen now sits just five points behind fifth-place Eli Tomac with a slim 10 markers separating him from second.
“I made a couple of mistakes in the first two races and basically had to come from behind,” explained Roczen. “We had trouble early in both races and that made it difficult to catch the guys up front. We spent a lot of time this week working on starts and getting everything cleaned up. I’ve had a lot of success at Anaheim so if we can stay away from the mistakes, we’ll have a good night.”
Tickle has logged 15 Anaheim starts dating back to January 2010, including five Western Regional 250SX Class and 10 450SX races, compiling a solid 8.5 finishing average. His best showing at Angel Stadium aboard a 450 came last January 17 when he rode his Suzuki RM-Z450 to a fifth-place finish.
Last weekend in San Diego, Tickle had to race his way into the main event by winning the 450SX last chance qualifier (LCQ). Despite having to take a circuitous path into the main event and starting deep in traffic, the Holly, Mich., rider came home 14th when the checkers waved.
Following a solid week of practice and testing coming off round two, the 2011 Western Regional 250SX Class Champion is eager to get back on his No. 20 Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s Suzuki Saturday night.
“Last weekend we had some positives,” said Tickle, who comes back to Anaheim 13th in points. “My starts were consistent through the first turn, so this week we worked on trying to be in a better place in the second corner so I can stay up front for the first lap. We got some testing in this week and I’m really confident about the direction we’re headed. I had my best lap times ever at the test track so I’m really looking forward to going back to Anaheim. I’m stoked with where I am. I just need to build some momentum and I think I can run with the top five. By the time we head east, I’m hoping to be on the podium. That’s what this whole off-season was about. That’s what I’m focused on. It’s been since last summer that I got a moto podium finish but I know I can do it. I just have to put everything together. This was my best off-season and we had a great week at the test track. I’m positive about everything and look forward to building momentum lap by lap and race by race.”
Before the starting gate drops at the track, Roczen and Tickle will meet fans and sign autographs on Friday, Jan. 22 from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Malcolm Smith Motorsports. Located just a half hour east of Angel Stadium in Riverside, Calif., Malcolm Smith Motorsports has become the most storied motorsports dealership in the world. Owned and operated by Malcolm himself, a lifetime of passion for motorcycles and racing heritage has created a dealership unlike any other.
The third of 17 rounds on the 2016 Monster Energy AMA Supercross schedule will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 Saturday, Jan. 23 beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 7 p.m. Pacific.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
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