MOTOCROSS OF NATIONS 2022 // WHO WILL BE THE THREE RIDERS TO REPRESENT TEAM USA? ROGER DECOSTER FILLS US IN

Managing Team USA in the Motocross of Nations race is a big job, that takes a big person to do. With his vast experience and passion for winning, roger de coster has managed this team for many years now, and this is in addition to his day job as race director for KTM, gas gas, and Husqvarna. With the motocross season after mid-point, and MXDN team rumors swirling, we tracked down Roger well after the last Millville moto had ended. While eating a to-go salad for dinner, we quizzed “the man” on his thoughts about the 2022 team and race.

 BY JIM KIMBALL

 ROGER CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE USA MXON TEAM? Well on the big bikes it has been easy. Eli (Tomac) is riding and Chase (Sexton). It is obvious. You don’t have to be Einstein to figure that out. It has been a little more difficult for the 250. Basically, we think we should bring a 450 guy down to the 250 because we don’t have anybody that really stands out and is consistent on the 250. Somedays, there may be someone speed-wise, but not results. We feel that the third rider is a condition that the guy is willing to go down and ride a 250 would be Jason (Anderson). He is the most consistent, but he needs some back surgery before next season, and he does not want to wait another two or three weeks to do it after the MXON for next season.

A COUPLE OF 250 GUYS IN MY OPINION WOULD BE MICHAEL MOSIMAN, RJ HAMPSHIRE, OR JUSTIN COOPER. They are not consistent enough, and Justin is not back up to the endurance he had before his injuries. We are looking at Christian Craig and Justin Barcia right now. That is the thinking right now.

Roger Decoster with Honda’s Dan Bentley.

WHAT COMES NEXT? They are both going to ride the 250 and see what they are feeling and get back to us. They will know what they feel. They are not going to want to be on the team and not perform.

THAT SEEMS REALLY KEY TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CERTAINLY WANTS TO REALLY REPRESENT THE COUNTRY. This year we will have three riders that want to be there for sure.

IS IT YOURSELF AND THE AMA RACE DIRECTOR MIKE PELLETIER WHO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION? No. We take the opinions of the team managers, including from the other teams. I also especially this year wanted to have Eli’s and Chase’s input, what they feel because they obviously see the speed and who can do what. 

As much as Roger wants his own guys on the MXDN team, he wants what is best for team USA and his riders aren’t the answer. 

There is not one person that makes that choice. It is a group team. Kawasaki is involved and Honda is involved, Yamaha is involved.

OFTEN THE TEAM MIGHT BE ANNOUNCED AT UNADILLA. That is what the AMA would like to do and maybe we will be able to announce it by then, but not 100% sure because the two riders that we are considering for the 250 must have a chance to ride the 250 and see what they are feeling. They cannot do it this coming week. If everything goes well, maybe they can decide next week, you know, after Washougal but it may take another week.

WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING AFTER THE 2018 REDBUD MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS? It was kind of a disaster, and the weather did not help. We did not have the best feeling around the team. I think one thing that was a bummer that affected everybody was that we were racing in the U.S., and they look forward to racing in the U.S. on a track that they have all raced on.

The last time the MXDN was at RedBud was in 2018. The track was muddy and very sandy. Team USA was hindered do to the conditions. 

RIGHT. But they changed the track so much that it was not like the normal RedBud track anymore. They brought in tons of sand and the Europeans are used to riding in those conditions because these days, many of the GPs are done in an area that is not a natural track. It is in a flat area, and they bring dirt and put it on top of asphalt or on top of dirt and they ride more in the conditions that we had in RedBud. A lot of things were changed and so when they saw that before practice and qualifying, everybody was bummed out. The Europeans rode very good in the bad conditions. And Giuseppe Luongo (Infront Moto Racing President), MXGP Organizer) put a lot of pressure on Tim (Ritchie) to change this track and it was a lot of work for him. He did not do it by choice. I don’t think that would happen this time. 

FROM RACER TO TEAM MANAGER, YOU STILL HAVE THAT WINNING PASSION DON’T YOU? Yes, I love winning. Winning is fun and it is fun to work with competitive people. I am lucky that I have a good crew also and good people on our team. We are struggling a bit this year, but we are going to get through it and get back to where we belong.

AS THE RACE DIRECTOR OF KTM AND NOW GASGAS AND HUSQVARNA, ARE YOU OKAY WITH ONE OF YOUR RIDERS NOT GOING? I just want to go with the best team, a team that based on what we know has the best chance of winning, whether that is on a KTM, GasGas, Yamaha or on something else, I would be happy. That is the goal, to win.