Glendale, Arizona provided warm weather for Round 5 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, which also served as Round 5 for the SMX World Championship. The Supercross track inside State Farm Stadium challenged the riders and thrilled the fans with high speeds, tall obstacles, and a technical sand section.
Ken Roczen (94) came into Round 5 with three Glendale wins already under his belt. Roczen slotted his Suzuki RM-Z450 into the starting gate with his sights set on his first main event victory of 2026. Roczen got a good jump off the gate and a strong drive down the start straight. Another rider pushed Roczen wide, and he crossed the holeshot stripe in third position. Roczen was quickly into second, then used an aggressive inside line in the sand section to take over the lead entering the fourth lap. From there, Roczen balanced aggression and finesse; he steadily pulled a five second gap as the track deteriorated and the lapped riders thickened. Roczen crossed the checkers and earned his fourth Supercross win in Glendale, his third on a Suzuki RM-Z450. The victory moved Roczen into second position in the point standings, just five points away from running the red plate. Roczen has now won a Supercross main event every year since joining the Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear ECSTAR Suzuki team in 2023.
“Glendale, Arizona, you have been a hell of a [good] time,” Roczen said back at the rig. “We always want to get better. Our riding has been so good over these last few weeks, but we were lacking in the starts. So, we did a bunch of testing this week for the first time in a long time. I’m glad that we did, because it shows that we want to get better, and starts nowadays are so important. Tonight we got a good start in the main event and we just had overall such good momentum. My motorcycle worked great, and we were able to take it all the way to the checkered flag. [It was] a phenomenal first place for me as part of my family, Griff, my oldest, and my wife were here. So, to do it again in Arizona, this is my fourth win [here], I kind of have to let it sink in a little bit on the flight home and enjoy this one.”
Roczen dedicated the win to his Team Manager, Larry Brooks, who recently announced a battle with Stage 2 colon cancer that is being met with determination and optimism. On the podium, Roczen told the stadium crowd and viewers at home, “I want to dedicate this race win specifically to Larry. He hasn’t been able to be with us here the last few races, which really hurts all of our hearts. He loves this more than anybody; this one goes out to him. We’re talking every single day, morning ‘till night, and even though he couldn’t be here, I dedicate this win to him. Larry, I love you. Congrats as well.”
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