Plenty of eyebrows were raised when the Ryan Villopoto and Aldon Baker partnership welcomed Ken Roczen into the elite group in the winter of 2013. It seemed puzzling that the champion would allow one of the most promising riders on the AMA scene to get close to the training and preparation set-up that has won the last three 450SX titles. Perhaps the Kawasaki rider did not consider Roczen to be much of a championship threat in his rookie season but after four podiums in six rounds and one victory the German is keeping pace with the reigning number one.
Villopoto has not openly discussed Roczen’s presence around Baker and it is hard to imagine that the South African specialist did not consult his principal athlete and gain a degree of permission before the KTM racer was admitted to the regime.
At San Diego last weekend we asked ‘RV’ if he believed Roczen would make this much of an impact in his first term. “Watching Kenny as a Lites guy he was a very smooth rider and that will obviously fit the 450,” he said. “You cannot ride that bike like a 250F. If you are smooth on a Lites bike then it will transition very well to the 450. He’s got that ‘Euro’ style with rolling speed and can ride the KTM very well. He uses those things to his advantage and it works for him.”
“It is not a surprise [that Roczen is fast],” he added. “There is still a lot of racing left so we will see if things start to pop up like mistakes; we can all make them at any time.”
Villopoto has two victories so far as the championship moves away from the west coast and to Dallas this week but has also counted the cost of errors in two main events and holds just a nine point advantage over his training partner in the standings.
“The tracks are very easy to make mistakes on, things can happen with the snap of a finger,” he commented with reference to the Californian surfaces. “For sure I’m happier now [compared to this time last year]. We are leaving the west coast and we’re going to where you can push a bit harder and where set-up is not so ‘key’. You can make up for some of the difference in the way you ride the track. I’m looking forward to getting back there and seeing what we can do.”
“I feel that we are in a good spot,” he continued. “I have more of a broad view now whereas last year it was more tunnel vision in getting the wins to come back. Now a 3rd there, 2nd here and some race wins and we are right in the hunt and that’s where we want to be.”
Photo by Ray Archer
