It is crazy to look at the careers of both Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings and see the similarities of these two motocross legends. Both 15 years old when they burst onto the scene, Roczen in 2009 with his first GP victory coming at his home GP in Germany and then a year later, Herlings winning his first ever GP, also at home, in the Dutch GP. Roczen, at 15 years and 57 days is the youngest rider to ever win a GP and yes, Mr Herlings is the second youngest at 15 years and 226 days.

Ray Archer image

They would battle for the 2011 MX2 championship, with the slightly older Roczen having the upper hand, but that 2011 season was one of the classics, with Roczen getting the upper hand with 651pts to Herlings 632pts.

A year later, Roczen was off to America, where he would win two AMA 450 motocross championships and of course, this year’s AMA 450 supercross title. However, for 10 years, Roczen was somewhat in the wilderness, due to a horrific injury in the 2017 season. Sure, he scored WSX titles in 2022 and 2023, but on the big stage, in front of the best races in America, he failed to win a major title between 2016 and 2026.

Herlings, who would win the 2012 MX2 world championship didn’t have as large a space of not winning title, with two MX2 titles in 2013 and 2016, but injuries did play a major part in his career. Not as horrible as that of Roczen, but for sure, seasons and championships were missed for the Dutchman.

Roczen is 12 in the all-time AMA winners list, when it comes to main events and overall success, and is seventh in the all-time winners list for AMA 450 motocross, with 20 wins. Now, his overall victories don’t stack up to “The Bullet”, who famously has 121 GP wins, but both stand tall in their selected championships.

Of course, Herlings is on the road to winning a sixth world motocross championship, to make him the third most successful rider of all time, when it comes to statistics. Only Stefan Everts and Antonio Cairoli will be above him if he can claim that sixth title, but his overall wins of 121 tell a story of his dominance, when fit.

Interestingly, they are also both one-time winners of the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations, with Roczen winning with Team Germany in 2012 and Herlings with Team the Netherlands in 2019.

The fact Roczen will be the defending AMA 450 supercross champion in 2027, and Herlings looks more than likely to become the defending MXGP world champion the same year, means we are not only seeing these two veterans once again rule the world, but we will be having a season, that should be celebrated in all types of ways.

Back in 2009 and 2010, when these boys arrived on the scene, many were saying, they will be the two best riders the sport has seen. Both unfortunately fell short in the stats, but on pure adulations and respect, I am not sure we have seen two riders arrive with such brilliance and lasted so long after it seemed both their careers were more or less over.

Now 32 and 31 years old and having raced at this high level for more than half their lives, 2027 might just bring more success, more surprises and more trophies. Sitting here now, I cannot believe it myself how their careers have followed a similar path.

At this very moment, Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings should enter the off-season, with the two biggest prizes in the sport and now they deserve that (surely the motocross gods cannot be cruel enough to stop JH84 winning). Kenny will head to Paris and Australia for some off-season races, Jeffrey to the Fastcross in Italy and probably some other races somewhere, because if there is one thing that has kept their careers alive, its the passion for the sport and for that, we are all very thankful.