Kit Palmer | February 20, 2016
Ken Roczen proved that Ryan Dungey is, in fact, beatable in a head-to-head race after holding the defending champion and 2016 points leader at bay for 20 full laps at the seventh round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series, an FIM World Championship, at a packed AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, February 20.
(Left to right) Dungey, Roczen and Anderson celebrate on the Arlington podium. Photography by Hoppenworld.com
In front of 57,755 fans, Roczen, on the RCH/Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s Suzuki, collected his second win of the season after an exciting duel with Dungey, a four-time winner this season.
Roczen nabbed the holeshot only to have Dungey sneak past him before the first lap was over, but Roczen quickly retaliated and had control of the lead by the second lap. This time, however, he never let go of it, even though Dungey hounded him the whole race. Dungey made it really close and the end, though, but nothing doing. Roczen held on, taking the checkered flag 1.4 seconds ahead of Dungey.
“It felt great to grab the holeshot tonight, I think we have more wins than we do holeshots,” said Roczen. “Ryan [Dungey] was right on us the entire race, but we stayed tough and brought home the win.”
Roczen chopped Dungey’s lead in the championship by three points, but the KTM rider still holds a solid 23-point advantage.
Finishing third on the night was a happy Jason Anderson who hasn’t been on the podium since his opening-round win seven weeks ago at Anaheim 1. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Team rider final got a decent start—but was still sixth after the first lap—and made good use of it. He got around fast starters Mike Alessi and Justin Bogle, and then, what he has done so many times in his career, made a late-race pass on HRC Honda’s Cole Seely to nab third.
Dungey chased but couldn’t pass Roczen. Photography by Hoppenworld.com
Seely finished fourth and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac, who started the race off in eighth, took fifth. It was not an easy night for Tomac who had to qualify through a Semi.
Red Bull KTM’s Marvin Musquin just might’ve had the most impressive ride of the night after rounding the first lap in dead last after getting together with Tomac in the first turn. Musquin got up and charged all the way up to sixth place!
BTO Sports/KTM’s Davi Millsaps had another solid outing by finishing seventh, and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Christophe Pourcel finished inside the top 10 for the first time this year with an eighth-place ride.
HRC Honda’s Trey Canard lost a position to Pourcel when he fell late in the race and finished ninth.
RCH/Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s Suzuki’s Jake Weimer rounded out the top 10.
Monster Energy/360fly/Chaparral Yamaha’s Chad Reed finished 12th after rounding the first lap in 18th.
The field is beginning to spread itself out a just bit as the series approaches the halfway point with Dungey leading Roczen by 23 points, and Roczen over third-place Anderson by 12 points. Seely, in fourth, is 10 points behind Anderson.
450SX Class Results
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., KTM
- Christophe Pourcel, San Antonio, Fla., Husqvarna
- Trey Canard, Edmond, Okla., Honda
- Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki
450SX Class Championship Standings
- Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., KTM – 166
- Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki – 143
- Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.M., Husqvarna – 131
- Cole Seely, Sherman Oaks, Calif., Honda – 121
- Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Kawasaki – 119
- Chad Reed, Dade City, Fla., Yamaha – 112
- Marvin Musquin, Corona, Calif., KTM – 92
- Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., KTM – 85
- Justin Brayton, Mint Hill, N.C., KTM – 82
- Jake Weimer, Wildomar, Calif., Suzuki – 73
