RYAN, HOW DID YOU FIRST
MEET ROGER DECOSTER? Back
in 2005, I had just moved up to the
big bikes. I started winning some
Amateur races and had support from
the Amateur Suzuki team. Around
that time I had been approached by
the WBR team, which was a Suzuki-supported program. They had some
pretty good equipment and wanted
me to turn Pro and race the last four
Nationals that summer; however, I
had always wanted to be a factory
rider. I told my dad, “Let’s go talk to
Roger DeCoster and see if there is
any opportunity for a factory Suzuki
ride.” After Loretta Lynn’s, I went
to watch the Millville National, met
Roger and told him, “I look forward
to riding for you one day.” He was
shocked! I still remember him saying,
“Oh, yeah?” Our relationship started
developing when I went to more
professional races as a spectator. I
always made it a point to seek him
out in the pits and say hello.
AT THAT TIME YOU WERE
STILL AN AMATEUR. WHAT
TRANSPIRED NEXT? In 2006,
almost a full year after first meeting
Roger DeCoster, I went to the Las
Vegas Supercross. At the race I told
my dad that we should ask Roger if a
factory Suzuki ride was available. The
conversation went well. Roger had
been keeping tabs on me. He said
that he would see if a ride was
available. A few days later I got a
phone call from Roger letting me
know that he had set up a test day
for me at Glen Helen and that Ricky
Carmichael would be there too. I
tested all day long with the Suzuki
guys. I was really nervous, but I
overcame the pressure and had an
awesome day of testing. Roger was
impressed with me and said that
he would get a contract drafted up.
Before I knew it, I was on the line
at Millville, making my Pro debut at
my hometown race with a two-year
deal. It all seemed to happen so fast.
Thankfully, I had already been
preparing mentally and physically to
be at that stage of the game.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A DREAM
COME TRUE. It was. I wasn’t a
dominant amateur by any means,
although during my last year I did
win some titles. I probably got the
break of a lifetime that many Amateur
riders dream about. I made a promise
to myself that I would make the most
of this opportunity and give it my all.
I was going to do everything it would
take for me to become a top factory
rider. It was difficult to shut up all of
the doubters. I heard a lot of
chatter about how I didn’t deserve
a factory ride. There was a lot of pres-
sure on me to do well, but I believed
in myself. Now we are some eight
years into it. If it weren’t for Roger
giving me the chance, then none of
this would have been possible.
“IT WAS DIFFICULT
DECOSTER ASIDE, WAS
THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO
HELPED YOU LEARN THE
ROPES? I really had a lot to learn
when I first turned Pro, and I owe
a lot of my early success to Roger.
He was there by my side, and who
better to learn from than him? He
was a great team manager but also
a great friend. He did everything for
me, and he was always there. Ricky
Carmichael and Ivan Tedesco were
my first teammates. Every day at
the track we would test and ride. I
always gauged myself, as far as my
riding and what I needed to do to
get better, by chasing after them. I
saw what it took to be a top athlete
by spending time with them. It was
an inside perspective on what it took
to be a champion, so that’s what I
focused on.
DECOSTER HAS CRITICIZED
YOU PUBLICLY. DID THAT
AFFECT YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
There have been some difficult
conversations, but I need someone to
be brutally honest with me. If I rode
well, then Roger was there to give me
praise. If I didn’t ride well, then he
would certainly let me know. I’m
not going to lie; Roger gets
frustrated with me sometimes. What
I really appreciate about the guy is
that he saw promise in me that I just
couldn’t see back when we were both
at Suzuki. He realized what I was
capable of.
LIKE WHAT? Sometimes he
would tell me things and I’d look
at him like he was crazy, but then
I’d try his suggestions and they
would work. I have a habit of underestimating myself, but Roger gives
me the encouragement to do better.
What’s great about Roger is that he
doesn’t beat around the bush. He
wants to win. We’re a good fit, and I
wouldn’t ever want a different team
manager. We have a great friendship
that will outlast our racing careers. I
owe the guy a lot.
WAS IT A LEAP OF FAITH
SIGNING WITH KTM IN 2012?
I’ll admit that 2011 was tough after
Roger went to KTM and I was still at
Suzuki. I missed him a lot. If Roger
wasn’t with KTM, then I probably
would never have gone there;
however, I trusted Roger’s opinion
that we were going to have strong
bikes and knew that if there were any
problems Roger would take care of
things. We spent a lot of time trying
to get things figured out. Naturally,
we encountered a couple problems
along the way, but it all worked out.
I had to change my riding style, and
the team spent long hours getting the
bike tuned for me. It really has been a
great time being at KTM, but if Roger
had not been there, then I would not
have signed on the dotted line.
YOUR FINAL YEAR ON
SUZUKI DIDN’T EXACTLY GO
AS PLANNED. It was frustrating to
lose both the Supercross and National
Championships by less than 20 points
that year. We put a lot of effort in,
and it was just difficult. I’m not
taking anything away from Suzuki,
though. They tried hard and ran the
team the way that they wanted to.
There were no hard feelings when
we parted ways. After that season, I
knew that it was time for a change,
and KTM was it. It’s been cool to
work with a manufacturer and a team
that want to grow. I’ll always do my
best for KTM.
WHAT ARE THE PRIME
MOTIVATING FACTORS WHEN
SIGNING A CONTRACT? It’s
always nice to get paid for your profession, and I am blessed to have the
job I do. At the same time, I’m never
out on the track during the last lap
thinking about my bonus for winning
a race. I want to win and be the best
that I can, plain and simple. KTM has
done a great job with its bikes. Deep
down, I know that they want to win
very badly, as do I, but they do not
put any pressure on me. I’m the one
who puts pressure on myself. KTM
has a family environment. They are
incredibly committed to racing, and
the team that they have all around
the world is so cool. It’s neat to see
how it all evolves, and they have so
many great people. As a rider, it’s a
