Amazing: Motocross star Ken Roczen competes in the Off-Road Truck World Championship

Two-wheel ace Ken Roczen is making the most of his time before heading to the US to prepare for the new Supercross season by taking part in a special race. The Mattstedt native is set to compete this weekend in the unofficial 57th Polaris World Championship. In this unique US racing series, modified pick-up trucks and buggies are raced on expansive off-road tracks, complete with jumps.

The venue for this festival-like event is the Crandon International Off-Road Raceway in the US state of Wisconsin. Roczen will be racing in a Chevrolet for Team Ryan Beat Motorsports Racing, based in Denver, Colorado. The experienced team has already secured five titles. Roczen, who is competing in the Pro 2 class, is also being supported on this foray into four-wheel racing by his sponsors, including Red Bull, Fox and tyre manufacturer Yokohama. Interestingly, the buggy class at the event also features a team sporting the colours of Chinese motorbike manufacturer CF Moto, which is currently planning to enter the Superbike World Championship.

The races are contested in wide-body off-road trucks with soft suspension, mostly in a drift-style. Roczen secured 10th place in the first qualifying session. “Day 1 was great fun – I’m ready for Saturday’s races,” said the German. As a reminder, the 32-year-old has already had a taste of the racing series in the past.

This also suggests that, once his two-wheeled career is over, Roczen could remain loyal to motor racing in the automotive arena. Numerous former motocross stars in the USA, such as Kawasaki icon Jeff Ward, have already followed similar career paths.

Topic of the week

2027 MotoGP grid: Almost a quarter of the riders are new – implications for SBK

The 2027 MotoGP grid will feature five new regular riders, with at least three of those dropped set to move to the World Superbike Championship. The ones to suffer as a result are Alvaro Bautista and Danilo Petrucci.

Ivo Schützbach

Read more