Can Ken Repeat As World Supercross Champion?
Without question, Ken Roczen is the defacto face of the FIM World Supercross Championships. He is an international racing superstar, the reigning title holder and the biggest name to commit to World Supercross full time.
As the 2023 World Supercross season begins in just one week, Action Sports Today sat down with Ken and Pipes Motorsports Group team owner Dustin Pipes to talk about the upcoming season and some of the added expectations they have as a duo to bring stability to the young racing series.
AST: How can World Supercross grow the sport as a whole?
KR: I think it important to put the racers and the teams in front of new eyes and new locations across the globe. Once people see the races live in person, the are hooked. Allowing new fans in new countries to experience our passion is so important. We have such a good broadcast package that will also allow for people who can’t be live, to learn about the sport and get a behind the scenes look at what goes on between race days.
AST: Why was it important to you to commit to World Supercross long term?
KR: AT this stage of my career, I have decided that the supercross race format is more the way to go rather then the longer drawn out racing that the outdoors provides. I looked at the success Justin Brayton had just focusing on one race format and that made sense to me. I have been in a really good spot with my riding and I am ready to showcase the sport to multiple countries. The series is very appealing to me and I think it affords me multiple opportunities to continue to find growth and success in the sport. Among so many things that appealed to me about the series, being able to go home to Germany and race in front of my home country fans has to rank at the top of amazing experiences that this series provides.
AST: Do you expect any backlash from fans wanting to see you in Outdoors?
KR: I think so but at the end of the day you cannot make everybody happy. I had to do what is best for me, for my family and for my continued career. The older I get, the more I have wanted to be able to travel and now as a father, I get to take my children and wife with me to see parts of the world I haven’t and to be able to share those adventures with my family and for them to continue to see me race is something you just don’t pass up.
AST: What preparations are you making to defend your title?
KR: I have been training a ton here in Florida on some of the best practice tracks plus the momentum I was able to create this last Monster Energy Supercross season gives me confidence that come July 1, I will be ready to go racing.
AST: How has the addition of Ken Roczen been for the growth of your team?
Dustin Pipes: He has had a tremendous impact on the growth of the team and the teams partners overall. We are able to reach a much broader audience with Ken on the team and hopefully transform that audience into fans of the team and its partners. This has a profound impact on the way we work with our current partners and how we approach potential partnerships for the future.
AST: Do you think his involvement with World Supercross, and your program will continue to help the team grow?
DP: It’s obviously important to have the defending World Champion on your team for the coming championship season. I expect this to put the team at the forefront of the series and its branding. We can turn this into value for our team partners which will then fuel future growth.
AST: Why is World Supercross important to you as an owner?
DP: It’s important to me because I want to grow this sport I love to a global fan base. I have raced professionally, promoted races, and ran a factory race team- there isn’t anything I have more passion for than motorcycle racing. I relish the opportunity to connect with fans globally and share with them joys this great sport has brought me.