A Podium Moto Result Tops Ken Roczen’s St. Louis Performance
The Dome at America’s Center hosted Playoff 2, the penultimate round, of the 2025 SMX World Championship series. The hybrid Supercross / motocross track included large jumps, soil variations, and a high-speed section that sent the racers under the stadium seating. The post-season round paid double points based on the combined score of two 20-minute plus one lap motos.
Race Highlights:
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki
450 Class
Ken Roczen earned fourth place overall and advanced one position in the SMX World Championship standings.
Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
450 Class
Kyle Chisholm battled into the motos and scored post-season points to move up in the standings.
Ken Roczen (94) had the crowd on its feet in the first 450SMX Class moto as he defended against intense pressure and delivered a second-place race result.
Ken Roczen (94) started the night’s racing in St. Louis by tucking under the pack to emerge from the first corner of moto 1 in fifth place. Roczen instantly sliced his way into third place as the 22-rider field exited the second corner, and Roczen had his Suzuki RM-Z450 into second place as the racers charged out of the third corner. Roczen held the second-place spot, nearly unchallenged, as 20-minute race clock counted down. In the final two laps, two other racers applied intense pressure to snatch the position. But Ken Roczen upped the intensity and fended off the attacks to secure a second-place result. In the second moto, contact with another rider down the first rhythm lane hampered Roczen’s first-lap intensity and dropped him from fourth to seventh. Roczen recovered quickly, battled with the top group, and earned a top-five result at the checkered flag. Roczen’s (2-5) moto scores netted him a fourth-place overall result.
“All right, St. Louis, we’re done and dusted and we actually had a really, really good weekend,” said Ken Roczen. “We made a couple of little tweaks on the bike, basically just what I raced during all of Supercross, and it honestly made the world a difference to me. Going into the night show, I didn’t necessarily have the best [qualifying] time and the best [gate] position, but I felt a lot more confident just because I overall felt better on the bike. And it showed, because in the first moto I was battling in second the whole time, and brought it home, so that was really needed. I did some good riding, and it was a very big step in the right direction. Even in the second [moto], maybe the result was a fifth, but it was a lot better than last weekend. [There were] just a couple little mishaps during the race that cost me some positions, but I ended up being really happy with all my riding and what we have done so far.”
Kyle Chisholm (11) battled inside the Dome at America’s Center during post-season racing in his final full year as a professional Supercross racer.
Kyle Chisholm (11) earned enough points through the Supercross season to slot him onto the Wild Card starting gate in the post-season rounds. Chisholm rode steadily in the Wild Card race and earned a spot on the gate in the St. Louis motos. In the night show, Chisholm and his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 did their passing early in the first moto, and late in the second moto. Chisholm used a strong pace on the challenging track to card post-season points and climb up two positions in the standings.
“I felt like my riding was pretty good this weekend. My starts weren’t great, and obviously my gate pick wasn’t great [after] having to go through the Wild Card race,” stated Kyle Chisholm. “The track was tough to make up time and actually pass on, and my track position just wasn’t ideal; it wasn’t where I needed it to be. I rode well, I was right there, but I just was not up far enough from the start. For the little bit of prep time that I had, I’m happy with my performance. We go to Vegas next week; I’m looking forward to it and will try to end the season with a with a good finish.”
“Ken Roczen was riding really good. He finished second in the first moto and in the second moto finished fifth,” said Larry Brooks, Team Manager for Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance. “In the second moto he started in third and almost jumped into the back of [another rider]. It really messed him up and dropped him back. He moved himself up to fifth before the finish of the moto. I think it was [a weekend of] big improvements. We improved the motorcycle [settings] and we’re pretty happy about it. Kyle Chisholm was racing, and he finished 20th. Chiz is our test rider, but it’s good to have a test rider racing, also. So, it was a good weekend for Suzuki, we’re pretty happy, and now it’s off to Vegas for the Final.”
The Suzuki riders and team members now head to Las Vegas for the SMX World Championship Final at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 20th. The final SMX League event will pay triple points and the Suzuki RM-Z450 race bikes are proven, dialed-in, and ready. With a win at the legendary Daytona Supercross earlier in the year, Ken Roczen is looking to cap his 2025 US race season with another inspiring performance.
Please visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross and HEPMotorsports.com for more team news.
