Brea, CA - (February 10, 2025) - The Monster Energy AMA Supercross season started its eastern sweep with Round 5 in Tampa, Florida. A tight track with a troublesome sand lane created dramatic racing for the enthusiastic race fans inside Raymond James Stadium.
Race Highlights:
- Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki
- 450 Class
- Ken Roczen was battling for a podium position when a collision with a lapped rider ended his night early.
- Twisted Tea Suzuki Presented by Progressive Insurance
- 450 Class
- Colt Nichols delivered his season-best performance and moved up in the point standings.
- Kyle Chisholm, at his hometown race, earned his season-best result and moved up in the point standings.
Ken Roczen (94) had impressive speed in Tampa but found himself on the bad side of the risk/reward proposition when slicing through a large group of lapped riders.
Ken Roczen (94) emerged from the first turn of the main with a fifth-place start. Roczen took over third place in the first two minutes of racing, then moved his Suzuki RM-Z450 cleanly into second place just five minutes into the race. At the race’s midpoint, battling for a podium position, Roczen was threading the needle between aggression and caution to work his way through the lapped riders. Just as broadcaster and former champion with Suzuki, Ricky Carmichael, announced, “Oh, man, these lappers are bad [congested],” Roczen came together with one in the sand section; the dramatic collision put Roczen on the ground and derailed his bike’s chain. Although Roczen was quick to re-mount, he was unable to continue the race. Even with the Tampa setback, Roczen sits just one point out of a top three spot in the point standings.
“It was an unfortunate situation that happened in the main event in Tampa,” said Roczen. “It’s a long season though, so we are going to put this behind us and focus on the next race in Detroit.”
Colt Nichols (45) spent the Tampa Supercross moving steadily through the pack on the rutted and challenging track inside Raymond James Stadium.
Colt Nichols (45) transferred directly from his heat race into the main, but unfortunately was not able to turn his gate position into a strong start. Nichols went to work laying down fast lap times, and slowly climbed the leader board. He effort gave him a season-best finish as he builds momentum and speed in his first full season aboard his Suzuki race bike.
“Tampa was good for me,” reported Nichols. “I was under the weather all week, which made for a tough day, honestly. But I salvaged a P12 in the main, and I felt like I rode well when I needed to. We’re excited for Detroit.”
Kyle Chisholm (11) was the focus of the TV broadcast on his way to a strong ride and great result at the Tampa Supercross.
Kyle Chisholm (11) sat in a transfer position in his heat race but unfortunately for him both of his teammates were also in that heat, and Chisholm was not able to maintain the spot. He turned in his season-best LCQ result and as he sat on the line for the main, the broadcast team put their focus on the veteran rider who was looking at his final Supercross in Tampa as a full-time racer. When the gate dropped, Chisholm officially scored his 172nd race start. In front of his hometown crowed he advanced through the pack and netted his season-best result.
“I live about 25 minutes from the stadium, and it’s awesome to race in front of so many people that I know and share what we do on a weekly basis. I got to go out in opening ceremonies with my kids, and with my family there it was awesome,” said Chisholm. “But to the racing, I rode pretty good all day and felt comfortable. We’ve got the bike working really well and haven’t changed anything on it much the last few weeks. I got bumped on the start of the heat race and ripped a little hole in my rear brake line. So, I had no rear brake and then had a little tip over. In the LCQ I ripped a pretty good start and got up to second to put ‘er in the main. In the main, didn’t execute the first few laps the best that I should have, so I had to fight my way up from the back. I got up to 15th.”
“It would have been a great night,” reported Larry Brooks, Team Manager for the Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team. “We kind of struggled during the day, even struggled in the heat races, then we kind of got it together in the main event. But a lapped rider jumped on top of Ken Roczen and bent the rear sprocket. The AMA does not do anything to penalize the riders that are being lapped; they only give them a blue flag and let them kind of dictate what they want to do. And it hasn’t worked. It’s been this way for years and years and now we just got 18 points taken away from us because of a lapped rider and a DNF. It’s super disappointing. Ken Roczen was riding really good, and for him to have a rider jump on him – it’s just really disappointing. It is the sanctioning body’s job to take care of the lapped riders and all the officiating, and it just seems like we have not been taken care of. They are here to keep the riders safe, and I don’t think that happened tonight. It put our rider in danger, that’s for sure. But we’ll come back next week stronger and better. We still have a lot of racing left.”
The Supercross season now moves west for the Detroit Supercross at Ford Field on Saturday, February 15th. The event will be a daytime race, and the Suzuki racers and team members are ready and eager for whatever challenges lie ahead.
Please visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross and HEPMotorsports.com for more team news.
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About Suzuki
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
