Ken Roczen turned in solid performances at Round 8 of the AMA Pro Motocross National at Washougal MX Park despite still dealing with illness and fever.
Roczen has been dealing with immune system problems for the last few rounds and then picked up a fever through the week but opted to continue on and ride through.
The 28-year-old showed good form in the early morning qualifying session finishing with the fourth fastest time. The first 450 moto saw Roczen climb from fifth on lap one to third two laps later, ultimately finishing fourth. In moto two he completed lap one in eighth and advanced to fourth before his health issues contributed to him slipping to sixth. Just missing the podium Roczen was fourth overall for the round. He also now occupies the same position in the championship standings, eleven points behind third-placed Jason Anderson.
“I was ready to give it my all. Unfortunately, it seems like my immune system kind of let me down a little bit,” Roczen explained. “I started feeling iffy on Thursday and especially Friday; I came down with a fever and massive headache through Friday night. I probably picked up some kind of illness, so that made my day a lot tougher. I got lucky that the weather wasn’t super-hot, and I guess I have to be happy with a 4-6 for fourth overall. I know I belong on the podium, but poor starts were definitely not helping me out. I’m pumped with the effort the team has given; they keep believing in me. We’re going into a couple of off-weekends, and first and foremost, I want to get my body back in check, then put in some good work and come out swinging. I really like Unadilla and have done well there in the past, so my spirits are high—looking forward to finishing up the season strong.”
Roczen now gets a two-weekend break to try and recuperate, with the Unadilla, New York, round next up on August 13.
