Rookie Ken Roczen wins supercross opener at Angel Stadium

Rookie Ken Roczen of Murrieta won the season-opening supercross race at Angel Stadium on Saturday night.

“This is insane, I can’t believe it,” Roczen, 19, said after winning his first race in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series. Supercross is the stadium version of off-road motorcycle racing, or motocross.

James Stewart, a two-time series champion, was just about to pass Roczen for the lead on the 16th lap of the 20-lap main event when Stewart lost control of his Suzuki and crashed.

After getting up from the dirt track, a frustrated Stewart slammed his hands on the seat of his bike and walked away. He finished 17th.

Former champion Ryan Dungey finished second, two-time champion Chad Reed was third and reigning champion Ryan Villopoto finished fourth.

Villopoto, seeking his fourth consecutive title, took the early lead but also crashed on the ninth lap, dropping him at that point to fifth place.

Roczen last year won the title in the Western division of the sport’s second-level “supercross lites” series.

In the supercross lites race Saturday night, Jason Anderson won the 15-lap main event after he first collided with and then passed Cole Seely of Lake Elsinore on the final lap. Seely finished second.

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