Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2’s Ken Roczen heads into the 2010 FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship in top form after registering his fourth victory from five race appearances during a busy pre-season period.
The teenager kept a perfect record in the UK today as he swept all three motos at Mallory Park for the second round of the Maxxis British Championship and added the win to his recent success at the Hawkstone Park International.
At a sodden and rough circuit in England’s Midlands, team-mate Arnaud Tonus gave the German crew their second double podium result in a week after the Swiss rider trod the second step.
Rainfall early in the weekend meant the former British Grand Prix venue was soft, slip and very rutty, forming a single line that made overtaking far from simple. Roczen, who has tasted triumph in France and Germany as well as his first UK visit at the beginning on the month on the 2010 RM-Z250, was fastest by almost two seconds in practice and duly sealed pole position. Tonus was also alert after snatching his second set of silverware since joining the team in the winter last week at Frankenbach and was third quickest.
The first moto saw Tonus holeshot but lose traction and fall on the first corner. He recovered from last position to a creditable seventh. Roczen, meanwhile, overcame a goggle malfunction on the first lap to pull past Grand Prix peers such as Jake Nicholls and Zach Osborne and race ahead to his first chequered flag in a performance that was far from easy for the 15 year old.
Both Teka Suzukis fronted the pack in the second outing with Roczen eventually getting the better of Tonus who had set the pace in the formative stages. Moto3 was a similar story with another 1-2 classification and Roczen dictating proceedings from the front.
Said Roczen: It wasn’t easy out there in that first moto and after my roll-offs broke I had to clean my goggles with my fingers and really concentrate on finding places to pass. The next races were pretty good and it was cool to run with Arnaud. We can draw a line under the pre-season now and looking back it has turned out to be awesome in terms of results. More importantly I feel that we are ready for Bulgaria. The bike is working really well and we have confidence going to Sevlievo.”
Tonus said: “I’m pleased with how things have gone and my speed was good here. Ken was just a bit faster but my results have improved, with three podiums overall, and we have made good progress. I am really looking forward to Sevlievo now.”
“Both riders are really happy with the bikes and the set-up work we have done,” said Team Manager Thomas Ramsbacher. “We did quite a few races on different tracks and in different conditions and the results have been very good and the work also very positive. The team is settled and ready and we want to take some of this momentum straight into Bulgaria in two weeks time.”
Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 now rest their pre-season preparation in anticipation of the first round of 15 in the FIM Motocross World Championship at the award-winning Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria on Easter weekend.
