Image: Octopi Media.

The night program at round 12 of the Monster Energy Supercross championship was in serious question for Progressive Ecstar Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, who tweaked what has now been revealed as an injured right ankle during the sole 450SX qualifying session in Foxborough.

It appeared to be business as usual for Roczen on a rain-affected track in setting the ninth-fastest time in qualifying, but was left in visible pain at the conclusion of the afternoon activities.

Competing with what he’d previously described as ‘nearly completely torn ligaments’ in his right shoulder, it was since disclosed by Roczen that this wasn’t the main source of his discomfort in on Saturday, Instead, it was an overlooked ankle injury in the same practice incident that nearly ended his night before it began.

“Mental conditions yesterday – if it wasn’t for my damn ankle, I think I would have actually enjoyed it, because it was quite funny to be honest,” commented Roczen following the race. “I hurt my ankle in the same crash as I hurt my shoulder.

“I ignored it because my shoulder was the problem, then, racing Birmingham, I would put my foot down, and the slightest rotation would hurt it more. Seattle [it happened] again a couple of times, then it was swollen all week, so the conditions were the worst for it.

“I dabbed it in qualifying [in Foxborough] and really hurt it. I didn’t know if I was going to line up because, at this point, it’s getting worse and worse, it’s impossible not to put your foot down. 30 minutes before the heat, I decided to [line up] anyway. It was pure misery because I couldn’t rely on that leg at all – I tried to keep my foot as straight as possible and only put my heel down.”

It was touch and go whether Roczen would line up for the night program in Foxborough, with the number 94 rolling up to the start line of the heat race confirmation that he would indeed compete, just hours following the incident in qualifying.

He would then soldier on to a commendable fourth-place finish in the main event, battling amongst the podium positions for the entirety of the race and gaining a valuable 18-point haul by night’s end, retaining third in the standings.

It’s yet to be disclosed whether there is any structural damage to his ankle, as Roczen also continues to recover from a previously-reported AC joint injury with five rounds remaining in this year’s Supercross championship.