Ken Roczen has confirmed his commitment to the FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), announcing via a virtual media conference he will race in the championship until 2025.
Already a rider for the Dustin Pipes-led Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki team in the U.S., Roczen will compete under the Pipes Motorsports Group banner in 2023, where he’ll defend his current WSX (450cc) class World Title.
Roczen said returning to the World Supercross Championship for the next three years represents his commitment to becoming a supercross specialist and growing the discipline around the world.
“I had a great time in Cardiff and Melbourne last year, which made it easy to commit to the World Supercross Championship,” said Roczen. “I’m hungrier than ever for race wins and will be giving it my all with my team to be standing on the top step when the season ends in Melbourne this November.
“For supercross to grow as a sport around the world, I think it’s really important that more riders focus solely on the discipline, which is why I’m concentrating on the World Supercross Championship and the AMA Supercross Championship in the coming years. I feel like my riding this year has been as good as ever, and I’m excited to see what I can do when focusing on one speciality.
“I’m particularly proud of what we’ve achieved this year with the Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki Team. Dustin, Larry and the whole team have put in a huge effort to make me as comfortable as I have been to race at the front all season long.
“For us to continue our supercross momentum together and take the sport we love to fans around the world is an amazing opportunity that I’m very grateful for. I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to compete for a World Title at home in Germany, which is something I could only dream about until now.”
SX Global CEO Adam Bailey said that the announcement was not only a huge win for the sport but for fans who might not have had an opportunity to see one of the biggest names in supercross race in their country before.
“Supercross has an incredible following across the globe, and we know Ken is one of the most popular riders in the world, so having him commit to WSX for the next three years is a fantastic step towards our mission to build a truly global World Supercross Championship that fans, athletes, teams, sponsors and media partners are passionate about,” said Bailey. “I can’t wait to see fans in new regions enjoy the best sport in the world firsthand. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the enjoyment they get witnessing these incredible athletes race in person.”
Pipes Motorsports Team Principal Dustin Pipes said Roczen’s professionalism and experience are qualities the team is already familiar with. Now, they can build on that foundation as they embark on a new season of WSX racing.
“Ken is a champion in supercross both on and off the track, and we’ve already seen what he can achieve with our team in the States. That relationship and consistency now transfer to our World Supercross Championship team, so we’re confident that Ken can deliver another World Title win, this time on a Suzuki, in 2023,” said Pipes.
Fans can witness Roczen defend his WSX World Title at six World Supercross Championship rounds in the U.K., France, Southeast Asia, Germany, Canada and Australia. To buy tickets, visit WSXChampionship.com
