Post-Race Reflections | Ft. Ken Roczen

H.E.P. Motorsports' Ken Roczen scored his second podium of 2025 at Anaheim 2 and has the points lead for the first time since 2022. In the post-race press conference he discusses how it feels to be holding the red plate, his thoughts on A2, the track, and much more.

Ryan Nitzen—Cycle News: You were in the hunt the whole race, and you battled Jason (Anderson) at the end. You touched on hitting neutral while on the podium, but can you take us through that battle?

Ken Roczen: Honestly, that whole main event was really rad. I felt like I was in a four-man battle the whole way. I had pressure from behind, and the guys were up at the front. It was a very tricky track and was slick in some areas. It had a lot of little techy things, like after the start area, and going over that hump and hitting that rut was tough. After I passed Jason, going over the double and hitting the tabletop, I accidentally hit neutral and backed out of the triple. Then I had to go to work again, but I was so happy with the main event. I kept so focused and felt strong in the whoops. I felt I was able to catch up to the front a bit, and I’m beyond stoked to be on the podium. It’s been a dream.

Michael Antonovich – Course Heading: After three exciting races and a lot of adversity in the pack, you have the points lead with three podiums. After a busy off-season, how does it feel?

Ken: I was reminiscent of the red plate last week about how if I’d made the pass for third, I would have shared it with Eli (Tomac). That would have been rad. Besides having the red plate frequently in 2022, I haven’t tasted it in a long time, especially on yellow (Suzuki). So, it’s just a dream come true, and honestly, Anaheim 2 is a bit funky. I try not to be, but I feel anxious about what happened in 2017. It lingers, so in practice, I was careful. Also, we tried some things this week, and I had a new shock. In the last practice I went back to my base, which was the perfect decision. It felt much more familiar. Everything we did today felt like a success.

Adam Enticknap – Track Talkers: At the beginning of the year, the power rankings for manufacturers had Suzuki in last place. Now you have the red plate. How does that feel? Also, how have you been the best in the championship?

Ken: I don’t know. I guess sometimes we’re up for surprises. We’ve been putting in a lot of work and it’s been tough going through the off-season races. You don’t feel like you or the motorcycle are 100%. That’s when experience comes into play, and you try to be patient. If someone had told me I’d have the red plate after three rounds I would have said, “Are you sure?” It’s pretty rock and roll; I’m not going to lie. I’m just going to enjoy the moment. The work doesn’t stop, and I will try to put it on the box as often as possible.

Jase MaCalpine – Gypsy Tales: We are seeing the sport in an extremely unique place where guys over 30 are trading out red plates. Why do you think we now see guys over 30 leading the championship and having multiple podiums?

Ken: I think we’ve all stayed healthy throughout the off-season. We weren’t grenading ourselves, and everybody was firing on all cylinders. That’s the type of racing you get when we are all at the top of our game. 

Scott Yargeau—Moto Now Blog: Did the two sets of whoops, with the second being prepped differently, break down differently? Do you have a preference?

Ken: They both broke down, even in practice. When you walked them, they were like cement. Especially the rolled ones. Then hundreds of people do hundreds of laps throughout the day and you’re going to break through the crust. That second set of whoops, even though rolled, was no joke. I thought they were pretty big, and once they get cupped out, they get steeper and steeper. Then the rain played a big role. Overall, I enjoyed the track. It was technical and very busy. We went from not really having a rhythm section last weekend, other than the three in and quad out, to having a lot of obstacles on the track today. I enjoyed the whole track.

Jase MaCalpine – Gypsy Tales: Last year, we got stuck with nine whoops, and it seemed like everyone was complaining. This year, with the track crew leaving the quad last week and some variations in whoops, what is your take on the tracks? 

Ken: I have two kids. I don’t have time to worry about what the tracks will be like. I’ve just been showing up and not overthinking it.