KTM Reaches Extension with DeCoster
Thursday, January 31, 2013 | 5:50 PM
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Even though Roger DeCoster, Team Manager of the Red Bull KTM Factory Teams in the USA, had a valid contract through to the end of the year, the course for the future was settled a few days ago when his cooperation with the factory team was extended to 2016!
Pit Beirer, Head of KTM Motorsport engaged Roger DeCoster, five-times Motocross World Champion from Belgium in 2011 to manage the company’s US factory team. One year later DeCoster brought his protégé Ryan Dungey into Red Bull KTM lineup. The team celebrated its first victory, and KTM’s first in the big class of the Supercross World Championships in the second race of the season at Phoenix. The year concluded with an impressive performance and title victory by Dungey in the US Motocross Championship.
Pit Beirer, KTM Head of Motorsports: “Roger had a valid contract from KTM but it was the wish on both sides to extend it before it was due to secure stability in the coming years. The contracts with all other team members were also extended as well as new infrastructure, workshops and team truck.”
Roger DeCoster, Red Bull KTM Factory Team Manager: “The job continues to be fun for me and to work with KTM is very refreshing. It’s easy to get things done, decisions are made quickly and I can have a lot of influence on the team and the bike. It is our goal to fight for the title in both Supercross and Motocross – ideally in the future also with two factory riders per class.”
The name Roger DeCoster stands for the sport of Motocross and his nickname “The Man” is no coincidence. He made a huge influence with his smooth and controlled riding style and his dedication to very hard training at the height of his racing career. He established himself as one of the best motocross riders of all time with his five World MX Championship titles. DeCoster went on to end his racing career in the Grand Prix of Luxembourg 1980 with his usual victory.
After this, DeCoster spent a lot of time in the USA and proved to be just as successful as a team manager as he was in his active career. KTM is proud that a legend of the quality of Roger DeCoster has become part of the KTM family!
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WOW thats cool. Sounded like he just wanted a 3 year deal from Suzuki and he was going to call it a day. This is good news for the sport.
Long live the PUMPKIN
KTM keeps making all the right moves.... congrats to them and Roger, they've surely got a great thing going..
Looks like RD will be doing some R&D for young RD for a few more years, if RD can talk RD into staying on the KTM
This is a HUGE deal for KTM! Awesome!
Good for Roger and KTM. Suzuki letting DeCoster, and by extension Dungey, go was the biggest mistake I've seen a race team make in a long time. I think Honda letting Carmichael go in '04 was a similar situation. Just like Mitch Payton said "Somebody was asleep at the wheel."
Who will get the second 450? Are they waiting for Kroc to move up or will they outsource? Interesting....
Muscle Milk can't keep Canard, Barcia and Tomac can they? I think DeCoster would like ETs work ethic. He and RD would be peas in a pod.
What's bigger than The GOAT? THE MAN. He built this thing.
to reach an extension you must have to stretch
From watching this cat as a lil man on rabbit eared black & white TV sets battling that Belgium dentist to Team Guru. And still going. Unreal what Da Man has done for motocross. Rog has made it "Cool to KTM".
KTM asked, "do you still want to do this?". Roger said, "yes".
They handed him a blank check and resigned everyone else immediately. It is refreshing to at least see some common sense out there. For KTM in the future the question may become, does it make sense to keep Dungey if it means we can't keep Roczen? Can Dungey handle being the 2nd fiddle if Roczen proves better when he moves up?
KTM should go get Tomac, but i think he is going to end up on the Geico 450.
KTM picking up Decoster was a perfect match at a perfect time, watch out big-4, a European company kicking the Japanese. The 70's in reverse.
KTM management with Pit Beirer at the helm is doing phenomenal
JimM
Pala374
@ mintermoto14, hilarious & (probably) correct.
KTM ensures their continued world domination.......
With Red Bull bucks, the reality of Tomac going orange is the second most likey scenario in my mind.........behind Honda finding a way to match funds.
Stefan Peirer (who runs both Cross Industries AG and Peirer Industrie AG). Cross Industries AG owns shares of KTM, Pankl Racing Systems, Wethje Carbon Composites, Peguform plastics, Durmont carpet, WP suspension/radiators
The success of KTM is amazing since Peirer took command. KTM sold 107,142 motorcycles in 2012. They grew 32 percent worldwide and increased their market share by 7.5 percent.
Oh and they bought Husky from BMW today. Sounds like folly but look what they have done with KTM
JimM
Pala374
he left suzuki because they could not afford him anymore
I have a feeling Honda will let canard go and stay with Tomac and Barcia. KTM could grab turbo trey. Or Barcia ....
Maybe they will grab Stewart to second fiddle to Dungey?! Lol
B-KR: Was that sarcasm or are you an idiot?
meankx,
Canards not here to Fxxx spyders and BamBam will end up slam slam the way he's approaching the big boy class..
Too bad The Man signed up till 16
Peirer might need him to spearhead Husqvarna's dream team before that
Dungey will be on a 125 four stroke dual sport or scooter if Bajaj gets control.
Five titles? Hard training? Check out Joel Robert.
"Joël Robert (born 26 November 1943 in Châtelet, Belgium) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer who won the 250cc Motocross World Championship six times including five times in a row.
He continued his winning streak with Suzuki by capturing the 250cc Grand Prix championship in 1970, 1971 and 1972. His record of 50 motocross Grand Prix victories stood for more than 30 years until it was broken by fellow Belgian, Stefan Everts, in 2004.
Robert is remembered as one of the most naturally talented motocross riders in history. In one of the most physically demanding disciplines in sports, he was notorious for his lack of training as well as his cigarette smoking. He once even put his cigarette out on the crossbar of Sylvain Geboers's handlebars while on the start line at a series finale, which Robert eventually won. American Grand Prix motocross racer, Jim Pomeroy, commented on Robert's impressive physical strength in an interview, recalling how he watched him lift the rear end of a small car."
6 titles, 5 in a row. 50 wins. It takes a lot of balls to put a cigarette out on another rider's crossbar on the starting line. I'm still laughing about that one. How many riders can pick up the rear end of a car? What a bad ass. He had to be in shape to ride 45 minute motos, but they say he didn't train. He was probably training his ass off and telling people he didn't train. You can't hammer 45 minute motos and beat the best in the world without working your ass off.
Joel was great no doubt, but, if you wanted to race the best, you raced the 500GPs, not the 250's. Thats a fact.
I cant think of anyone who can influence a race program like Roger. Da Man!
Roczen has said in a few different interviews that this will be his last year in the Lites class. That almost certainly means he'll be the 2nd factory 450 guy.
Decoster has told many stories about Joel, who loved to mess with other riders head..at one race Joel made sure he was spotted drinking from a whiskey bottle before the start of the race...quickly word spread that Joel was drinking before the race...which he was...but he had replaced the whiskey with tea..he had some fun and got in the head of his competitors....suppose that is where the Jammer learned to screw with people....
@RCRDDW:
Sarcasm? One comment I made was meant to praise DeCoster, the other was a legitimate question as to whether Roczen will be better than Dungey on a 450 in a few years. Dungey currently makes $2.5 mil per year. Either you dislike DeCoster or are a Dungey fan who has zero objectivity when it comes to the possibility that Roczen may be the top dawg at KTM in 2 years. In either case, I'm sure you think I'm an idiot.....or maybe you just can't follow what someone writes?
Dungey will be cut at the end of the year to make room for Rocky. You read it here first.
Thanks KTM for giving Roger the respect he deserves and shame on you Suzuki for never even giving Roger a call right after he won five world championships for you. Yes, that's right "five" world championships for you and you treat him like that? KTM is making all the right moves and becoming a role model for our sport.
KTM know a good thing and scooped up Roger D...THe best move they could have done! The japanese have proven to be shady dealers...I have learned over the years the japanese are not loyal people.....mabey they never were...