New Season, High Expectations for RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing

CHINO HILLS, Calif. - (December 31, 2014) – With a new season comes new opportunities and they should be abundant for the RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy Johns/Suzuki Factory Racing team when the gate drops on the 2015 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season this weekend at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.

After signing sophomore sensation Ken Roczen over the off season and bringing back veteran Broc Tickle to ride the team’s Suzuki RM-Z450s, the 2015 season holds the most promise to date for the team co-owned by Carey Hart and Ricky Carmichael to compete for the highly-coveted Supercross championship.

“I’m so excited the season is finally here,“ said Roczen, the 2014 Anaheim One winner. “Carey and Ricky have put together an awesome team with incredible resources. Having Broc as a teammate is obviously a huge plus. We’ve been good friends so I’m very happy that now we have the opportunity to work together. I’m looking forward to the new season with a new bike and team.”

Roczen stormed the 450 scene last season by grabbing the holeshot on 2014 with the win at A1. Seven races later, he was back on top of the box in Atlanta. By year end, the German-born rider complemented his two wins with eight podium finsihes and parlayed his Supercross success into a third-place finish in the final championship point tally. In three 450 Supercross starts at Anaheim, Roczen has notched a podium every time and hasn’t finished worse than third.

For his part, Tickle was on track for a breakout performance last season until injuries sustained in March, following a practice crash at the Toronto Supercross, left him sidelined for the remainder of 2014. Since then, the Michigan rider has fully recovered from his injuries, making an easy decision for Hart and Carmichael to include Tickle as part of their organization’s 2015 rider lineup.

“This is an exciting time for everyone at RCH and I’m really looking forward to 2015,” said Tickle. “I had a great off season, both on and off the bike. I’m up to speed on the track and I’m getting stronger everyday. I feel more mentally and physically prepared than I have in years. To have Ken on board is a testament to where this team is heading. We’ve got a lot of good stuff happening. Now it’s time to get going and make the most of the opportunity.”

With a reputation that stands alone, Carmichael made his mark on the sport with five Supercross championships and 48 wins. He knows what success looks and feels like. When Carmichael and Hart partnered prior to the 2013 season, they knew the end result would be a product of focused planning and a forward-thinking competitive approach. With their shared philosophy in gear, what was once Hart & Huntington has evolved into a factory-backed Supercross powerhouse with championships in its sights. 

“I’m extremely excited for the season to kick off this weekend,” explained Carmichael. “When I look back at RCH and the progress the team has made, it's very humbling. When Cary and I first talked about the idea, the best thing we did was make a plan. We knew that it would take two years to get everything pointed in the right direction and by year three, we’d have a shot at contending for a championship. I think that’s exactly where we’re at heading into 2015. Now, we have a championship caliber rider with Ken and feel like Broc is going to be racing for podiums all season, too. It’s worked out better than what I anticipated. Everything is set. Now it's up to us to execute and that’s not going to be easy with the depth of competition. We’ve got great riders, great sponsors and a great team. We’re ready.”

“All the work the team has put in, not just over the off season, but over the last several years continues to produce results, on and off the track,” added Hart. “Personally, I’m really looking forward to seeing RCH compete for wins. We’re all expecting a very successful season.” 

The 2015 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season kicks off Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif. The first of 17 races on the 2015 Supercross schedule will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7 p.m. Pacific  Standard Time, 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.