No Roczen for Houston Supercross

RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s Suzuki’s Ken Roczen had hoped to return for the Houston Supercross, but his ankle is not ready.

RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s Suzuki’s Ken Roczen had hoped to return to action in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series this weekend after nearly a 6-week layoff, but the German rider will still be out of action when the series visits NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, this weekend.

Roczen sustained the left-ankle injury in crash during practice February 21 at the Georgia Dome, and although he competed in both Georgia Dome rounds his performances suffered due to the lingering effects of the injury. He re-aggravated the ankle at Daytona where he pulled out of the event, and he has not competed since. His status is week to week.

“I’m back on the bike and doing a ton of cross training, but it’s a tough decision, and I’m super-bummed that I won’t be racing in Houston this weekend,” Roczen said. “I can’t wait to be back at the track, but the team and I just want to make sure I am 100 percent. I can’t thank Carey [Hart] and Ricky [Carmichael] enough for all of their support. If anyone understands this business and how injuries can go, it’s those two. All the fans and our sponsors have been awesome, so I’m really thankful for all their support, too.”

In Roczen’s absence, his RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s Suzuki teammate Broc Tickle has been consistently in the top 10. The 2011 Supercross West Coast Lites Champion. Tickle finished ninth at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Missouri, before the series took a hiatus two weeks ago. With that finish, Tickle landed his eighth straight and 35th career 450cc supercross top-10 finish.

“I’m really looking forward to this weekend,” Tickle said. “It’s been a little bit of a grind over the last six or seven races, so it was good to have a break in the schedule to recharge and get ready for the final four-race push. Houston has been a pretty good track for me, so hopefully we can turn that into some success this weekend. I want to finish the season strong, and my goal is to get on the podium before it’s over. It would be nice to check that off the list this weekend.”

The annual Houston Supercross is a favorite for team owner and multi-time former Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion Carmichael, who scored back-to-back wins at the Astrodome in 2001 and 2002 and also clinched his 2005 AMA Supercross title at NRG Stadium.

“Houston is a great race, and the dirt is always really good,” Carmichael said. “That’s what makes it fun for the riders and ultimately translates into a great show for the fans. I had some great races in Houston and a couple wins when we raced at the Astrodome. I clinched the Supercross Championship in Houston in 2005 so, for me, it’s always a bonus going back there. I know Broc is excited to get back after it after a much-needed weekend off. I think he’ll have a good night.”

Carmichael acknowledged that Roczen is not healing as quickly as the team had hoped, but he remains confident that it is in Roczen’s and the team’s best interests not to rush him back into competition.

“We all thought he [Roczen] could be ready to compete this weekend, but he’s just not 100 percent yet and that’s where we need him to be,” Carmichael said. “Once he’s completely healthy, we can move forward to actual racing. Everybody at Soaring Eagle, Jimmy Johns, Suzuki and all the rest of our sponsors have been very gracious throughout this process, so we’re fortunate to have companies who support RCH through these types of challenges.”

Live television coverage of Monster Energy AMA Supercross from NRG Stadium is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 5 p.m. Pacific on April 11. The race will be televised live on FOX Sports 2.