ONE PHOTO & ONE STORY: AN ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER CONTINUES?

Photo and story by John Basher

Chad Reed will be a first-ballot AMA Hall of Famer when he decides to hang it up for good. The question remains as to when the Australian will call it quits. Reed has already threatened to walk away from the sport several times, yet he always finds a way to come back and win. The native from Kurri Kurri, Australia, began his U.S. career in 2002, although that’s not quite accurate. Reed raced a 125 West Supercross in 1999 and finished 17th. Once Reed committed himself to U.S. racing in 2002 he caught everyone off guard. Since then he has continued to surprise, even after all these years.

Chad Reed is a four-time AMA Champion. He battled Ricky Carmichael, Ryan Villopoto and James Stewart in their prime. Most impressive is how Reed has only failed to win a Supercross in two out of 14 years. In 2010, while racing for factory Kawasaki, Chad broke his hand at Phoenix. It kept him out of action for three months. The only other time Reed went winless–2013–he was vocal in his distaste with factory Honda’s support and the dreaded air fork. If you need further proof that Chad was off his game in ’13, it was the worst overall finish of his 450 Supercross career when remaining healthy for the duration of the series. He ended up fifth overall. Many racers would love to end the season inside the top five. Not Chad Reed! When you’re a perennial threat for the title it doesn’t matter what place you finish unless it’s on top of the podium.

REED AND STEWART ARE FOREVER INTERTWINED. YOU CAN’T MENTION ONE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER. THEY’VE HAD SO MANY EPIC KNOCK-DOWN BAR-BANGING BROUHAHAS THAT YOUTUBE WOULDN’T BE HALF AS POPULAR WITHOUT THE SMATTERING OF STEWART VS. REED VIDEOS THAT LITTER THE SITE.

Reed and James Stewart are forever intertwined. You can’t mention one without talking about the other. They’ve had so many epic knock-down bar-banging brouhahas that YouTube wouldn’t be half as popular without the smattering of Stewart vs. Reed videos that litter the site. Okay, so that might be a stretch, but the duo have produced tons of gossip and noise for their on-track antics. Remember when Reed tried to harpoon Stewart’s front wheel on the fast left-hand sweeper outside Sam Boyd Stadium during the 2009 Supercross finale? Or when Reed grabbed Bubba’s neck following the Jacksonville round that same year? One of the best battles happened in Atlanta back in 2011 when Reed submarined Stewart on the final lap and both went down.

It all started back in 2002 after Chad publicly stated that he could run Stewart’s pace outdoors if he could only get a start. At Unadilla James was leading, but slowed down and let Chad catch up. After allowing Reed to pass, Stewart wicked it up and re-passed his soon-to-be bitter enemy. That was the catalyst that began the decade-long charade. Chad Reed, like James Stewart, is not a dirty rider. Rather, both are very competitive and passionate. They also happen to go together like oil and water.

In 2011, Chad was making headlines despite launching his own TwoTwo Motorsports team. Anyone from the team would likely admit that 2011 was the most enjoyable year for the race operation. Starting anew, they blazed their own path and quickly became revered by factory teams. Reed was doing things his way (there’s an “Ol’ Blue Eyes” reference for the codgers among us), and it was working. He won two 450 Supercross mains and finished second to Ryan Villopoto in the series. That summer Reed came out swinging, winning four out of six overalls to start the Nationals. The photo that coincides with this story was shot at High Point during practice. Reed was rocking the red number one plate and finished third overall on the day.

He had 16-point lead on Ryan Villopoto heading into Millville. Things went south in the second moto when he hit a kicker on the opening lap and shot into the air. It was the crash seen ‘round the world. Somehow he walked away, but it took the wind out of his sails. Reed ended up third overall in the 450 Nationals. It was a shoulda, coulda, woulda year for Chad.

Will Chad Reed line up to the gate at Anaheim 1? According to the AMA’s event entry list he will be racing a Yamaha YZ450F, although no sponsors have been listed beside his name. Whatever the case, let’s hope Reedy throws his hat in the ring for another year. Chad is good for the sport. He’s a fan favorite (Reed seems to have cornered the middle-aged female market. Just ask your wife). Let’s see if his winning ways continue, and if 2016 will bring more epic Reed vs. Stewart battles. Wouldn’t that be something?