The following is from the RCH/Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing team:
CHINO, Calif. (August 19, 2016) – Successful athletes, at practically any level, can point to certain components of their skill sets that led them to compete at the highest level.
Wide receivers in the NFL have an innate ability to find the ball and make catches that mere mortals can only dream of completing. Major league pitchers can throw a 90 mph curve ball that breaks over the plate at the last second, leaving hitters begging for the high heat. Legend has it the late Dale Earnhardt could see and feel the air from the cockpit of his famous black Number 3 Chevrolet, letting him know the split-second when he could shake loose of the competition and drive to the front of the pack.
Outside of those specific skills that separate the haves from the have-nots in professional sports, the true professional knows without consistency, a career can become just a series of moments. Catching one circus-like touchdown might get a player on Sportscenter, but catching nine a year finds them in the NFL Hall of Fame. Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mark Fidrych was an anomaly and in 1976 went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA. The eccentric pitcher, who was notorious for talking to the ball, faded into obscurity just a year later after arm problems stalled the rest of his career. Tom Seaver, on the other hand, pitched in the majors for 20 years, won 300 games, logged 3000 strikeouts and is enshrined in Cooperstown, New York
It’s no secret long-term success is built upon a consistent foundation and consistency has been the cornerstone of Ken Roczen and RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing’s 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross program.
Much in the tradition of team sponsor Jimmy John’s, Roczen has been the definition of “Freaky Fast” all season, parlaying multiple individual successes into a championship-level campaign. In the season’s first 10 races, Roczen has racked up 16 moto wins, finished second three times and fourth once. Meanwhile, he collected his seventh overall victory of the year, and 13th career 450 Class win last weekend at Unadilla.
“We’ve had a really consistent season and that’s why we’ve won as many motos and overalls as we have,” Roczen said. “Winning races is cool and it’s amazing to be at the very top of the podium at the end of a weekend but you have to win a championship to finish the deal. You can’t win championships by being all over the place. The whole team has been working really well together and the bike has been amazing. We’ve got four motos to go and we’re planning to finish the season strong.”
Roczen will continue to ride solo under the RCH canopy for the final two rounds after his RCH teammate Broc Tickle suffered a fractured pelvis last month at Spring Creek.
Situated just over an hour south of Washington D.C., Budds Creek marks the penultimate round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season. RCH team co-owner Ricky Carmichael boasts a perfect 450 Class record at Budds Creek, having won 13 of 16 motos and eight overalls at the Mechanicsville, Maryland, track, setting Round 11 up as a perfect venue for Roczen to clinch his second outdoor championship.
In four previous Budds Creek starts, including both 250 and 450 Class competition, the 22-year-old German rider has notched five podiums in eight motos, including one victory. Roczen’s best overall Budds Creek finish came in 2014 when he finished second with a 1-2 showing on the day. Over those same four starts, the 2014 Pro Motocross titlist has notched a steady third-place overall finishing average.
“I’m excited for Budds Creek,” Carmichael said. “It’s the same track where I raced for the final time professionally at the Motocross des Nations in 2007 so it’s a special place for me. Given what’s on the table, it could be a really special weekend for RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s Suzuki Factory Racing. We’ve got a great opportunity in front of us and I’m looking forward to being at the track and seeing it all come to fruition. A lot of people have made too many sacrifices to count so we could be where we are today. I’m happy for Ken and proud of the way he’s performed all season. We’re going into Budds Creek this weekend to try and finish out this championship. It would be huge for me personally and especially for Carey (Hart). He put a lot on the line long before I came around so for us to wrap the championship up this weekend would be incredible for Carey, the whole team and all of our sponsors.”
With a 63-point advantage over his next closest competitor, Roczen needs to avoid giving up 13 points to Eli Tomac on Saturday afternoon. If the rider of the Number 94 RM-Z450 can finish the day with a 50-point advantage, he’ll claim championship honors for the second time in three years while delivering RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing’s first premier class title.
The first moto of the Geico Motorcycle Budds Creek National will be televised live on MAVTV Sat., August 20 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 10 a.m. Pacific. Coverage for the second moto will be televised on a delayed basis on NBCSN Sun., August 21 at 11 p.m. EDT, 8 p.m. Pacific. All motos can also be streamed live online through ProMotocross.com or the NBC Sports Live Extra app. More than 60 hours of coverage will be featured on NBC, NBCSN, and MAVTV throughout the 12-round championship, highlighted by nearly 40 hours of live coverage and three hour-long showcases on network television via NBC.
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