PICKERINGTON, OH – July 31, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend Roger De Coster has retired as the manager of the U.S. Motocross of Nations team, capping a 44-year career during which he guided U.S. riders to 25 titles at the annual Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme World Championship event.
“Roger De Coster’s impact on Motocross in America is indelible and without compare,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “On behalf of the AMA Board of Directors, AMA staff and AMA members everywhere, I extend our heartfelt gratitude for the decades of leadership, guidance and numerous FIM World Championships. Roger, we couldn’t have done it without you.”
The MXON is the premier motocross race in the world. In 2024, three-rider teams from 36 countries converged on Matterley Basin in Winchester, U.K., to battle for the FIM Chamberlain Cup. This year’s event is at Ironman Raceway USA in Crawfordsville, Ind., Oct. 3-5.
De Coster has managed the MXON Team USA 36 times, four of those in the Trophee des Nations race that prior to 1984 featured 250cc motorcycles. With De Coster at the helm, Team USA has won the MXON 21 times and the Trophee des Nations four times.
“I always wanted our sport to become bigger, more important and more respected around the world,” De Coster said. “This is why I raced in many places around the world besides the GPs — Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Australia — and ended up in the United States for good. For me, the Motocross of Nations became the single biggest race of the year, and I am very thankful to the U.S. riders and all the people who supported this event with their best efforts and gave me the support to fulfill a lot of my dreams. Thank you, all.”
MX Sports Pro Racing, the promoter of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, and Feld Motor Sports, the promoter of AMA Supercross, join the AMA in thanking and congratulating De Coster.
“There has not been a more important or popular global ambassador for this entire sport than Roger De Coster,” said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. “In the 1960s, Roger helped introduce Americans to professional motocross through the Inter-Am tour, and then showcased the sport to much of the rest of the world during his reign as a five-time FIM 500cc World Champion in the 1970s. After retiring as a racer in 1980, Roger quickly moved to America and helped lead Team USA to the top of the world for the first time in 1981, and he has helped maintain that success ever since. Throughout his time with American Honda, Suzuki, and most recently KTM, Roger De Coster has played a vital role in leading each brand to new heights on the AMA circuit. His influence and leadership contributions will be felt for many years to come.”
Added Feld Motor Sports Vice President – Supercross Dave Prater: “Roger has inspired generations of racers to want to compete in the Motocross of Nations and represent their home countries. Roger is in a class by himself and his success with Team USA is unequaled and will go unmatched. On behalf of Feld Motor Sports and the SMX League, we would like to thank Roger for his enduring commitment and passionate leadership to Team USA.”
Starting this year, in alignment with the approach of most FIM National Federations, the AMA director of racing will lead the team, working closely with the individual riders’ team managers to prepare the riders, develop strategy and take responsibility for key decisions.
“The hardest job in the world might be following in the footsteps of Roger ‘The Man’ De Coster because it should go without saying that no one can fill Roger’s shoes,” said AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier. “Of course, that’s not our intention here, but simply to adopt the model that other national teams use with success, allowing ourselves to leverage the contributions and input from our riders and their managers. Team USA almost always includes riders from multiple teams with different ideas and strategic thinking.”
De Coster has one of the most storied careers in the sport. As a racer, he won five 500cc Motocross World Championships, numerous 500cc Motocross Grand Prix victories and four Trans-AMA Motocross Championships.
He also was a member of six winning Belgian MXON teams, 10 winning Trophee des Nations teams, was a Gold Medalist in the International Six Day Trial and earned numerous national championships in his native Belgium, including a national trials title.
De Coster was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2011, the Hall of Fame recognized De Coster as an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend, a notoriety bestowed upon Hall of Famers whose contributions have transcended categories.
De Coster remains active in the sport as the motorsports director for KTM North America. Previously, he was the team manager for the KTM factory team in both AMA Supercross and Motocross.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Source: American Motorcyclist Association
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