Chad Reed

Chad Reed

Personal information
Full name	Chad Reed
Nickname	Speedy Reedy/Thunder from down under
Date of birth	(1982-03-15) 15 March 1982
Place of birth	Cessnock, Australia
Bike Number	22
Current team	Discount Tire Racing Kawasaki
Website	http://chadreedracing.com/
Major Titles
1997 Australian Junior Motocross Champion 1999 Australian Supercross Champion 2000 Australian Supercross Champion 2002 AMA East Coast Lites SX champion 2003 U.S Open Champion 2003 FIM World Supercross Champion 2004 U.S Open Champion 2004 AMA Supercross Champion 2005 X-Games Supermoto- Bronze Medal 2007 King of Bercy Supercross Champion 2008 AMA/FIM World Supercross Champion 2008 Australian Supercross Champion 2009 Monster Energy Triple Crown MX Champion 2009 AMA National Motocross Champion 2009 AMA Athlete of the Year 2009 Australian Supercross Champion 2011 Bret Michael's Rock Hard-Ride Hard Supercross Award

Chad Mark Reed AM (born 15 March 1982, in Kurri Kurri, Australia) is an Australian motocross and supercross racer. He is a multi-time supercross and motocross champion. He was taught from a young age as being capable of competing at the sports most elite level. He has proven to be the most consistent supercross/motocross racer in the 2000-2009 decade.^[1] He has since ascended the international ranks of the sport to become Australia's most successful motocross racer.^[2]

Amateur career

After a few years of honing his skills on 80s, Chad's amateur career really started to take off in 1997 when he took the top spot at the Australian Junior Championship.

Australian career

2010 Reed raced the first round of the 2010 Super X series held at Energy Australia Stadium, Newcastle on a Honda sponsored by Vodafone. Reed won the event beating Americans Josh Hansen and Justin Brayton who finished in second and third respectively.^[3]

2009 Chad Reed, aboard his new Monster Energy Kawasaki KX-450F, won 4 out of the 7 rounds of the series. Reed won the championship by beating Daniel Reardon by 23 points. This is Reed's fourth Australian Supercross Championship.^[4]

2008 In 2008 Reed was responsible for developing and partially funding the new Australian Supercross Championships, dubbed Super-X. He also competed in the series and dominated all but one race to take the Australian Supercross Championship. Reed won 6 out of the 7 races.^[5]

2007 Reed revisited his home in Australia to race the Raymond Terrace, round 4, of the Australian Motocross series. He beat Daniel Reardon with a 1-1 performance, providing Reardon with international notoriety for holding Reed off for a significant portion of the races.^[6]

1998-2000 Reed formally began his professional career in Australia in 1998. He emerged from the Australian junior ranks to compete in the then-premier 250cc class, bypassing the traditional stepping stone of 125cc racing. Reed was immediately competitive in both motocross and supercross, winning the Australian 250cc Supercross Championship in 1999 and 2000.^[7]

International career

2014 After disappointing 2013 season, which he finished twice in the podium, one in Anaheim 2, and the other in St. Louis, Reed returned racing and has switched brands of motorcycle from Honda to Kawasaki, but he continues to ride his own team and owner rider for Discount Tire and TwoTwo Motorsports. Throughout the season, Reed continues to struggle and ride hard with a new bike, but he finished 3rd in the Season Opener in Anaheim. He got back up passing Ken Roczen for 2nd place and then James Stewart, Jr. for the lead, and won the 3rd round in Anaheim 2, and got back up leading all 20 laps and won the 5th Round in Anaheim 3.^[8]

2013 After the long hiatus, Reed returned racing with his new bike and new name Discount Tire, but he keeps his TwoTwo Motorsports Honda. While battling with Ryan Villopoto, Davi Millsaps, Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard and Justin Barcia, Reed struggles to ride hard, even though he tried to get the pass for the lead. On March 23, 2013, Reed announced after the race in Toronto, Canada that he had a knee surgery on Tuesday, and missed one round of competition in Houston, Texas. He did came back in Minneapolis to race, however, in the Main Event in Seattle, Reed crashed in the first corner, where he tweaked his right arm, although he's getting better and came back in Salt Lake City, but he had problems with his engine, and result of putting him in the LCQ, and finished the lead. In the Main Event in Salt Lake City, he was getting lapped by the leaders Ryan Villopoto, Davi Millsaps, and Ryan Dungey on Lap 16, and resulted of finishing 10th Place.

2012 While competing at the seventh round of the 2012 AMA Supercross series in Dallas Texas and going in an Epic Battle with Ryan Villopoto, Reed crashed and sustained numerous injuries including his left knee. The most serious of the injuries required surgery for a torn ACL. Consequently, Reed was forced to drop out of the 2012 title chase while sitting second in overall championship points.

2011 After racing & winning the first round of Super X in Newcastle, Australia in October, Reed returned to the USA to test various bikes and teams searching for a suitable 2011 team structure. Reed embraced social media using Twitter^[9] to publish hints as to the likely brand of bike and apparel that he would be using in the 2011 AMA Supercross series. Failing negotiations with established teams, Reed decided to create his own team, TwoTwo Motorsports, aboard a Honda CRF450R, with support from Honda, Bel Ray, Shift and many other sponsors. The 2011 season had been a 5 way battle between Reed, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart, Jr., Ryan Dungey and Trey Canard. It came down to the final race in Las Vegas between Ryan Villopoto, Reed, and Ryan Dungey. Reed won the Las Vegas race but lost the championship by 4 points to Ryan Villopoto. Reed was presented with the "2011 Rock Hard - Ride Hard Bret Michaels Supercross Award." at Vegas for his great work starting a new team and still finishing 2nd in the championship.

2010 For the 2010 season, Reed joined new team mate Ryan Villopoto riding the KX-450F for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team.^[10] Reed failed to finish during the round one final due to a collision with another racer's footpeg, breaking spokes in his front wheel. During round two he collided with James Stewart, Jr. in the final, breaking his hand resulting in another DNF. Reed returned to race round 13 of the supercross series, and despite having a bad start, Reed finished fourth. Chad Reed withdrew from competition stating he has Epstein Barr Virus. In an open letter published on his website Reed admits that becoming a new dad and also the death of his close personal friend Andrew McFarlane may be reasons people look to for his poor performance.^[11]

2009 Reed joined team Rockstar Makita Suzuki for the 2009 season. Reed battled hard with his rival James Stewart, Jr. during the 2009 AMA supercross championship, narrowly losing the title to Stewart by 4 points. Chad won 3 races in this season.

Reed elected to race the 2009 motocross season after a 2 year hiatus. He won the AMA Motocross Championship at round ten, out of the 12 round series. He also won the Monster Energy Triple Crown Championship during the motocross season. He won 5 out of the 12 races in this season.^[12]

2008 In 2008 Reed won 9 out of 14 races in the AMA Supercross season to edge out Kevin Windham and win the AMA Supercross title for the second time. This was a season full of great battles with Reed duking it out against Davi Millsaps, Kevin Windham, and Josh Hill for race wins, with Reed in the end winning the championship by 13 points over Kevin Windham.^[13]

2007 For 2007 Reed announced his plans to leave the factory Yamaha team to form his own private team, similar to Jeremy McGrath in the past. Obtaining support from Yamaha, The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Thor and Nike, even brought in McGrath's former team manager Larry Brooks to spearhead the new effort, dubbed L&M Racing. Reed took 1 win for the season and finished 2nd in the title chase to James Stewart, Jr.

2006 In 2006 Reed was again very competitive despite suffering a level three shoulder separation in mid-season which hampered his ability to compete to his highest ability. Going into the final event of the season, Reed and Carmichael were tied for the points lead, making the 2006 season the closest AMA Supercross championship in history. Reed took third place that night to Carmichael's second, narrowly losing the 2006 AMA Supercross title to Carmichael by only two points. Reed won 2 races that season.

Reed was in 2nd in the AMA Nationals until he had to withdraw from the Nationals after the Millville round, citing the recurrent shoulder injury.^[14]

2005 2005 marked the much anticipated entry of James Stewart to the 250cc class alongside Reed and Carmichael. Each scored multiple wins making for an exciting season but again it was Carmichael winning the championship with 7 wins over Reed in 2nd with 5 wins and Stewart in 3rd with 3 wins.

2004 In 2004 Reed won the 2004 AMA 250cc Supercross series, battling with Kevin Windham, Michael Byrne and Tim Ferry with Chad earning 10 victories for the season.

Reed finished 2nd to Carmichael in that year's motocross season.

2003 Reed moved to the 250cc class in 2003 riding for Factory Yamaha. In his rookie 250cc supercross season Chad finished second to chief rival Ricky Carmichael, losing the title by only 7 points to Carmichael despite winning 8 races to Carmichael's 7.

Reed finished his first 250cc motocross season a distant third behind Carmichael and Kevin Windham.

2002 Reed moved to the USA in 2002 and picked up a ride with Yamaha of Troy. Reed won all but two supercross races that season to win the 125cc East Coast Supercross championship.

Reed won his first and only 125cc National victory at Mount Morris, PA, and finishing the season third behind James Stewart Jr. and Branden Jesseman.

2001 Reed traveled to Europe in 2001 to compete in the FIM World 250ccc Motocross Championships, riding for Jan DeGroot's factory Kawasaki team. Reed was a revelation aboard his KX250, winning the Grand Prix of Lierop (Netherlands) and eventually finishing the year second to multi-time World Champion Mickaël Pichon. He is the first Australian to win a world 250cc GP race.^{[citation needed]}

Sponsorships

In November 2010, Reed announced the formation of his own race team called TwoTwo Motorsports. He recruited an amateur rider named Nick Howard (2-time 125cc Motocross Champion). Howard is now a part of Reed's racing team. He also recruited a number of industry stalwarts to help with the operation and will ride a Honda CRF450 with technical support from ProCircuit. He announced a sponsorship from Bel-Ray oils and Shift clothing.^[15]

Honda (2010–2013), Kawasaki (2000–2001, 2009–2010, 2013–present), Suzuki (1999–2000,2008–09), Yamaha (2001–2008)

Fox Racing, Shift, Alpinestars, Pro Circuit, Discount Tire

Major titles

• 1997 Australian Junior Motocross Champion
• 1999 Australian Supercross Champion
• 2000 Australian Supercross Champion
• 2002 AMA East Coast Lites SX Champion
• 2003 U.S Open Champion
• 2003 FIM World Supercross Champion
• 2004 U.S Open Champion
• 2004 AMA Supercross Champion
• 2005 X-Games Supermoto- Bronze Medal
• 2007 King of Bercy Supercross Champion
• 2008 AMA/FIM World Supercross Champion
• 2008 Australian Supercross Champion
• 2009 Monster Energy Triple Crown MX Champion
• 2009 AMA National Motocross Champion
• 2009 AMA Athlete of the Year
• 2009 Australian Supercross Champion

Honours

On 13 June 2011, Reed was named a Member of the Order of Australia for service to motorsports as a professional supercross motorcycle rider at national and international levels, and to the community.^[16]

References