Roger DeCoster has split from Suzuki after 15 years as Motocross team manager.

The championship-winning Rockstar Makita Suzuki team and Roger DeCoster will be parting ways after the close of the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross season.

DeCoster has been team manager for Suzuki’s Supercross and Motocross efforts for 15 years, and together they have earned numerous titles and championships. DeCoster will continue to lead the team through the final two rounds of the Motocross series.

“You can never replace an icon like Roger,” Yoshimura R&D of America vice president Don Sakakura said. “However, with Suzuki and Yoshimura’s racing DNA still strong as ever, and with the core nucleus of the team staying the same, we are looking forward to defending 2010’s championships.

“Roger has made great contributions with Suzuki and certainly has the utmost respect, friendship, and our acknowledgement of a job well done. We wish him nothing but good luck in the future.”

The championship-winning Rockstar Makita Suzuki team led by Ryan Dungey earned the 2010 AMA/FIM Supercross title in May and wrapped up the 2010 Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross championship last weekend at Southwick, making him the most successful rookie in Supercross and Motocross history.

For now, the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team plans to focus on finishing off the 2010 season strong and celebrate the incredible year it has been.

For 2011, the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team looks forward to defending its championships with Dungey sporting the number one plate in both the Supercross and Motocross series. The team will begin the search for a new manager in preparation for the 2011 race season.

It’s expected that DeCoster will spearhead the factory KTM effort as team manager in the United States for next season, with American press reports indicating that he may be reunited with Australia’s Chad Reed in orange after the pair enjoyed a successful season together at Suzuki in 2009. Watch this space…