Ken Roczen

Born and raised in a small German town, Ken Roczen is known for his outgoing, fun-loving personality, as well as his drive and commitment to achieving success in racing. He’s widely regarded as one of the fastest racers in the world, and his popularity extends well beyond the realm of traditional motorsports and into the mainstream, thanks in part to his huge social-media following.

As a youngster, he was the 2007 85 Junior World Champion and won back-to-back German Masters Championships in 2009 and 2010 before becoming the youngest rider ever to score the MX2 World Championship, at age 17 in 2011. The next year, he was a member of the Motocross of Nations-winning German squad, after which he moved to the U.S. and immediately made a mark, earning the 2013 AMA Supercross 250SX West title and finishing second in the AMA Pro Motocross 250 series.

Roczen then advanced to the premier class and solidified his status among the top AMA Supercross 450SX riders by scoring his first win at the opening 2014 round, finishing third on the year and earning Rookie of the Year honors. The same year, Roczen notched five AMA Pro Motocross 450 wins en route to the series crown, capping off the season with Rookie of the Year laurels in that series as well. Roczen once again won the AMA Supercross opener in 2015 and notched another victory before being sidelined with an injury for the latter part of the series. He closed out the year by finishing second in the AMA Motocross Championship and winning the Monster Energy Cup. The following season saw Roczen finish runner-up in AMA Supercross, tallying five victories along the way, but it was outdoors where he really shined, dominating AMA Pro Motocross by topping 20 of 24 motos to land his second 450MX crown.

In 2017, Roczen joined Team Honda HRC and dominated the opening two AMA Supercross rounds before a horrific crash ended his season and sidelined him for nearly a year, after which he suffered another serious injury in a freak accident at the sixth AMA Supercross round of 2018. Incredibly, Roczen returned in time for the AMA Pro Motocross opener, and he scored two moto victories on his way to third in the championship, also earning the Sportsman of the Year award.

In 2019, Roczen rode well in AMA Supercross, finishing fourth in the standings with six podium appearances and, despite suffering from illness through much of the AMA Pro Motocross season, he still tallied three overall victories and was third in the final standings. Last season saw Roczen take four AMA Supercross wins and finish third on the year, before sitting out AMA Pro Motocross to recover from effects of the Epstein-Barr virus. This year, he’s back with Team Honda HRC aboard the all-new 2021 CRF450R.

Fun Fact: Ken is a talented cook when he has time.

*As of January 1, 2021