Back to News
  • Racing - Motocross

SUZUKI’S KEN ROCZEN CAPTURES SECOND PODIUM OF THE YEAR AT SAN DIEGO SUPERCROSS

Brea, CA – (January 19, 2026) – Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California provided ideal weather and track conditions for Round 2 of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The 17-round Supercross series also pays points toward the 31-round SMX World Championship. The San Diego track crew overcame some early timing equipment challenges with an extended second qualifying session for the top 450SMX Class racers. 

Race Highlights:

  • Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki
    • 450 Class
      • Ken Roczen never ran outside of the top-three positions and delivered his second straight podium performance of the year. 
  • Twisted Tea Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance
    • 450 Class
      • Jason Anderson notched a heat race podium and battled up front in the main event.
      • Colt Nichols used his speed to move forward five positions throughout the main event.

Ken Roczen (94) battled into the lead early and was embroiled in a race-long, three-rider battle for the win at the San Diego Supercross.

Ken Roczen (94) maintained the momentum of an opening round podium at Anaheim 1 with fast qualifying times in San Diego. After a timing & scoring session-length adjustment, Roczen powered to a top-three spot in the second session and overall qualifying times. Ken Roczen was brilliant in his heat race, nabbing the holeshot and leading every lap. As he stretched out a five second lead, Roczen used his RM-Z450’s precise throttle response to adjust to the changing traction conditions of the California soil. When the gate dropped for the main, Roczen emerged from the first corner in second place. Roczen applied heavy pressure and took over the lead six minutes into the race. He defended a challenge with an inspiring blitz through the whoops on lap 10, then Roczen led the three-rider break-away pack for six laps. At the checkered flag, Roczen earned his second podium in the first two rounds of 2026 and crossed the finish line within three seconds of the lead. The San Diego points keep Rozcen in sole possession of second place in the championship standings with 15 rounds remaining on the Supercross season. 

“We had a really good day overall,” said Roczen. “We were third in qualifying, we won our heat race, and we had an insane battle throughout the main event. The race leader and I went back and forth a couple of times. I led a bunch of laps in the beginning, and I ended up third, but not far off the leaders. I lacked just 3 to 5 percent, you know? It's very minimal, but I definitely wasn't the best guy tonight. Overall, we had a really good night. I'm not going to complain about a podium by any means. So, the second round is done and dusted and we're looking forward to Anaheim 2.”

Jason Anderson (21) is adapting to his Suzuki RM-Z450 brilliantly, setting sector-best times in Sector 6 and 8 during his heat race.

Jason Anderson (21) was fast and aggressive from his first gate drop in San Diego. In his heat race, Anderson pressured the leader for most of the race. In the closing laps, Anderson was forced to ride defensively and held on for a podium heat race finish. In the main, Anderson held strong inside the top five for the first seven laps before relinquishing a few spots in the second half of the race. 

“This weekend was not as good as last weekend,” stated Anderson. “We ended up 11th in the main event; I just kind of hit a wall there in the main and then went backwards a little bit. But we'll be ready for next weekend, and hopefully we can come out and do some damage.”

Colt Nichols (45) put in two impressive charges in San Diego to rack up more championship points at the second round of the 2026 season.

Colt Nichols (45) found lines around other riders to move his Twisted Tea Suzuki RM-Z450 forward in each of his races. In his heat, Nichols carded a mid-pack start but advanced into a direct transfer position in the early laps. From there, Nichols nabbed two more spots to improve his gate pick for the main. In the San Diego Supercross main, Nichols was not able to capitalize on his gate pick; he rounded the first corner in 21st spot out of 22 riders. Nichols went to work and moved past five riders to finish just outside the top fifteen, a spot that did not reflect his track speed. 

“Round 2 was not a great night for me,” said Nichols. “I started [at the back] in the main, and you just can't do that in this field. I’ve got a lot of work to do to get out of the gate and give myself a chance. But overall, I'm riding the bike really well. We're going to be okay, and that group that I want to be in is right there in front of me. We just need to clean it up and give myself a good chance, and we're going to do that next weekend.”

“It was a good night for us,” summed up Larry Brooks, Twisted Tea/H.E.P. Motorsports/Suzuki presented by Progressive Insurance Team Manager. “We finished on the podium again; Ken Roczen finished third. Jason Anderson finished 11th, he showed some promise; he ran at the front of the pack at the beginning and then ran into some trouble. And Colt Nichols finished 16th, so it was a good night for the team. We're going to just keep in the fight and keep moving forward. There's a lot of racing left this year in this series, so I think we're in a good spot right now. Ken's going to stay in California this week, so we get to do a little testing, and it should be fun.”

The Supercross season moves back up the California coast for the second race inside Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on January 24th. The Suzuki RM-Z450 race bikes are ready to lead more laps, and the riders and team members are excited to deliver more strong performances and results.

For the latest team updates, news, and race insights, visit SuzukiCycles.com/Racing/Motocross or HEPMotorsports.com.

About Progressive
Progressive Insurance® makes it easy to understand, buy and use car insurance, home insurance, and other protection needs. Progressive offers choices so consumers can reach us however it's most convenient for them — online at progressive.com, by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE, via the Progressive mobile app, or in-person with a local agent.

Progressive provides insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, and homes; it is the second largest personal auto insurer in the country, a leading seller of commercial auto, motorcycle, and boat insurance, and one of the top 15 homeowners insurance carriers.

Founded in 1937, Progressive continues its long history of offering shopping tools and services that save customers time and money, like Name Your Price®, Snapshot®, and HomeQuote Explorer®.

The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based holding company, trade publicly at NYSE: PGR 

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.