Ken youngest World Champ!

By TMX Archives on 9th Sep 11

Colunists Ken Roczen

Ken Roczen is the youngest world motocross champion of all time, clinching the World MX2 title 128 days after his 17th birthday, he beats the previous record, which has stood with Sebastien Tortelli since he won the 125cc title in 1996, by 216 days.

Bill Nilsson was 24-years and 237-days old when he became the sport's first world champion in 1957. The Swede's record remained in the record books for the 500cc class until Graham Noyce (22-168) knocked a couple of years off it in 1979 and Graham remains the youngest title holder in the class to this day.

When the 250cc GP class was promoted from ‘European' to ‘World' status in 1962, Torsten Hallman immediately set a new mark, being just 22-years and 320-days old when he made sure of gold, but his record was to last just two-years before Joel Robert won the first of his six titles at the age of 20-years and 231-days.

This remained in the record books until fellow Belgian Georges Jobe became the first teenage world champion at 19-years and 196-days. This is still the record outside 125/ MX2.

The 1980s brought the first generations of teenage superstars in the 125cc GPs, but Eric Geboers missed Jobe's outright record by five-months in 1982 and it was left to Holland's Dave Strijbos four-years later to take over as the youngest World Motocross champion. He was 18-years and 296-days when he clinched gold at the third attempt.

A further nine teenagers have since been crowned champion in the 125cc or MX2 classes – Jean-Michel Bayle, Stefan Everts, Greg Albertyn, Sebastien Tortelli, Grant Langston, Ben Townley, Toni Cairoli, Christophe Pourcel and Marvin Musquin – but only Everts and Tortelli beat Strijbos' record.

Roczen's record could last for many years. Had Jeffrey Herlings managed to turn this year's series round, then he would have been champion in Fermo one day before his 17th birthday, but he can no longer defeat Roczen's record.

The Dutch teenager will be as old as Roczen is now before a wheel is turned in the 2012 series!

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