Roczen MXGP Titles

He would have been one of the best ever in MXGP, for sure. It's hard to talk about the number of titles, but he never had any big injuries or crashes in motocross, they all happened during SX. Him and Herlings were also on the same level when he went to the US (Kenny was probably a little more consistent). Not to discredit Herlings or Gajser here, but I think they wouldn't have half of their titles if Kenny stayed in the MXGP.

But woulda coulda shoulda, it didn't happen like that..
His dream and goal was always to race SX and win a SX championship one day. Even now, that's all he's talking about in interviews. 

Impossible to know of course but that ride at the weekend on the "Suzuki-saurus" as Paul Malin called it kind of cements the potential there was to start a trophy collection.

Especially if the big 2016 supercross injuries never took place, although there's nothing to say a huge MXGP injury couldn't have happened instead.

Dude rips either way, even now.

I mean who really cares hes made wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more money leaving Europe

He may have left a few gp titles in Europe but how much more money did he make racing here? He’s got a few titles here and is a threat to win races. I’m sure he’s perfectly happy with his decision to race here and set his family up a bit better for their future. 

K-Roc was a mutant outdoors. I'm not sure I've ever seen another rider in the history of the sport with his ability to sprint the start of a moto. He even opened up a gap quickly on Jett that 2nd moto at 30yrs old. We'll never know what he could have done in the GP's. Save for his big sx crash, he definitely seemed more durable than Herlings. 

He would have spent his prime years in MXGP up against Cairoli and Herlings.  Tough competition; would he have done better than his two AMA 450 titles?

I think people really underestimate the money top KTM riders made in Europe. Yes, Ken's Honda contract was something else.. But Herlings and Cairoli where in a range with Dungey. The top riders in the MXGP make good money.. but only the top riders sadly.

Yes. I think he had more speed the AC and more durability then Herlings. 

Roczen wanted to go to the US even as a kid and was planning on it before he'd even raced his first GP.

There's a super cool interview with Kenny and Herlings as kids on their rivalry and their plans to go to America. Herlings said he was going to go when he was 17 when his European KTM contract was up but of course never did but Kenny stuck to his word.

Hypotheticals like this don't work for motocross

Lets just be clear had Roczen not had those injuries to his arms I think the world would be a very different place. I think Tomacs MX run would have been spotty and Cooper Webbs SX run would have been haulted. 

Without that arm injury, how many titles would Tomac and Webb have?

How many titles would stew have if he never went to Yamaha? 

Exactly. You can go around in circles with this kinda thing...

Or tomacs shoulder injuries, 

How many titles would Everts have if RC decided he wanted to be World Champion ... This is fun .

Based on some of the numbers that Herlings mentioned when talking to Lewis on our podcast, no, it's still a big difference. Base salary isn't far off, but race bonuses, championship bonuses, and gear deals are miles different.

That’s what I was getting at lol 

Yeah It was just based off the Pit Beirer interview back then when Herlings had his big contract extension just before moving up to the 450. It's still a shame that numbers are always such a big secret in this sport, me and a lot of other fans would love to know the details behind all these deals.

https://blog.ktm.com/interview-of-the-month-signing-the-star-how-ktm-kept-jeffrey-herlings/?_cldee=YmVhcm9yc29AYmlncG9uZC5uZXQuYXU%3d&recipientid=contact-8b0de5a44a26e511847a005056ab15d3-dc1392357fbd477cb875f72363fc9b08

If he wasn’t already then he must be one of KTM’s high-level athletes now …
“He is in a range where he is with Ryan Dungey and Tony Cairoli and that is how it should be.”

Roczen was quite a bit better then Herlings when he left. Outside of sand, Roczen was better at everything down the smallest details. His biggest negative was he was kind of a COW his last year there but he was 17. 

Yes they do, Vital is full of Hypocrits.

Off topic but If I could change a piece of moto history I’d erase Stew going to Yamaha.  

Not everything in life is about money 

When you look at the list of MXGP champions that left MXGP to come over and chase success in the US…it is long and prestigious.  Lots of what ifs there.  I was on a long hotel van ride with Sebastian Tortelli back in the day and asked him basically if he was glad he came over.  He said “yes and no”.  He wished it was going better but …while an MXGP and Outdoor Nationals are similar….there is nothing in the world like a Supercross.  He said he came over for a couple of races when he was on 125s and, although he didn’t even do very well, it was so cool that he knew he wanted to come back and do it full time.  I think he won like 1 SX race and a few MX …..so not a lot of success over here but he was The Man who dethroned Stefan Everts straight up in his prime before coming over.  For that matter Greg Albertyn had Stefan covered early in Everts career before HE came over.  I know many view Stefan Everts as one of the all time greats….but had those 2 stayed in Europe how many less championships and wins would Stefan had won.  Lots of what ifs….answers are in the multiverse….lol

Ken Roczen leaving is the only reason Herlings has even half the wins that he does. The 94 would have cleaned up for years but he wanted to challenge himself in the premier racing series in the world

It's as pointless as saying something like what if RC had Chad like motivation to go on and on. In theory, he cleans up in 450 MX until he calls it quits. In reality, it's a pointless question. 

In which direction?

Get the time machine ready, we have to go back.

Herlings said his best year all in was 4.5 million.