When Chad Reed hung up the boots at the end of the 2020 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, the sport saw one of its legends retire. The Australian rider came over to the United States of America and embarked on a several-decade journey through different eras of bikes and riders in AMA Supercross and Motocross.
Tonight, Reed will be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025.
Chad Mark Reed was born on March 15, 1982, in Kurri Kurri, Australia. As a child, Chad owned a horse named Fern. After his cousin Craig Anderson started riding a bike, Chad discovered his interest in motorcycles and decided to trade in his horse in place for his first bike - a Yamaha PW50.
The family soon purchased a small property located just outside of Kurri Kurri. The 25-acre property was overgrown with thick bushland and was yet to even have a house or electricity on the land. Reed's family supported him along the way in his early years of competition. Without fail, weekend after weekend, his father Mark, his mother Robyn, and his younger brother Troy, spent the majority of their time traveling around Australia so that Chad could compete against the rest of the country. Chad was often dubbed the 'underdog', but that was certainly something that would change in the future.
Consider a 15-year-old small-town Australian kid in 1997. He has photos of American motocross racers taped to his walls.
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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 revisited his home in Australia to race the Raymond Terrace, round 4, of the Australian Motocross series.
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. 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.
Reed raced the first round of the 2010 Super X series held at the Newcastle International Sports Centre, Newcastle on a Honda sponsored by Vodafone.
Reed travelled 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.
Reed moved to the United States in 2002 and picked up a ride with Yamaha of Troy. Reed won his first and only 125cc National victory at Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, and finished the third season behind James Stewart Jr. Reed moved to the 250cc class in 2003 riding for Factory Yamaha.
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Won 8 of 16 rounds during the 2003 Supercross season, his premier class rookie year. Chad Reed won Anaheim 1, 2003, accomplishing a feat even his idol, Jeremy McGrath couldn’t do: win the opening round of his rookie season.
2005 marked the entry of James Stewart to the 250cc class alongside Reed and Carmichael. Each scored multiple wins.
In 2006, despite suffering a level three shoulder separation mid-season, Reed remained highly competitive. His injury, however, hindered his ability to compete at his highest level. In the final event of the season, Reed and Carmichael were tied for the points lead, resulting in the closest AMA Supercross championship in history. Reed secured third place that night, while Carmichael took second place, resulting in Reed narrowly losing the 2006 AMA Supercross title to Carmichael by only two points. Throughout the season, Reed won two races.
Chad Reed’s Greatest Moments Compilation {career tribute}
In 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.
In 2008 Reed won nine out of 14 races in the AMA Supercross season to edge out Kevin Windham and win the AMA Supercross title for the second time. Chad Reed and team celebrating the 2008 Monster Energy Supercross Championship.
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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, with the pair coming to blows on more than one occasion. He narrowly lost the title to Stewart by 4 points. 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. Chad Reed after winning the 2009 Pro Motocross Championship.
Chad Reed (#22) gave Carmichael fits in Moto 1 at Millville. Carmichael still led 13 of the 15 laps, however. In sync: Chad Reed (#22) and James Stewart battle at the 2008 Phoenix Supercross. Chad Reed battling Kevin Windham at the 2008 Las Vegas Supercross.
For the 2010 season, Reed joined new teammate Ryan Villopoto riding the KX-450F for the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team.
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 which resulted 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 the competition stating he has Epstein-Barr virus.
After racing & winning the first round of Super X in Newcastle, Australia in October, Reed returned to the US to test various bikes and teams searching for a suitable 2011 team structure. 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.
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. After the long hiatus, Reed returned to racing with his new bike and a new sponsor, Discount Tire, but he kept his TwoTwo Motorsports Honda. While battling with Ryan Villopoto, Davi Millsaps, Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard and Justin Barcia, Reed struggled to ride hard and pass for the lead.
On 23 March 2013, after the race in Toronto, Canada Reed announced that he underwent knee surgery on Tuesday, and missed one round of competition in Houston, Texas. He came back to Minneapolis to race, however, in the Main Event in Seattle. Reed crashed in the first corner, where he tweaked his right arm. He came back to Salt Lake City, but had problems with his engine, putting him in the LCQ.
After a disappointing 2013 season, finishing twice on the podium, one in Anaheim 2, and the other in St. Louis, Reed returned to racing. He switched brands from Honda to Kawasaki, but he continued to ride for his team TwoTwo Motorsports and for Discount Tire. Throughout the season, Reed continued to struggle and ride a new bike. He finished 3rd in the Season Opener in Anaheim. He got back up passed Ken Roczen for 2nd place and then James Stewart Jr. for the lead, won the 3rd round in Anaheim 2, and got back up leading all 20 laps and won the 5th Round in Anaheim 3.
While competing at Round 6 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Reed crashed hard in the whoops on the Final Lap after clipping Ken Roczen's rear wheel as he tried to take over 3rd place and then suffered a shoulder injury. He tried to race in Arlington, Texas during qualifying practice and his shoulder is getting worse due to a broken collarbone. Consequently, Reed was forced to drop out the remainder of the 10 rounds of the 2014 AMA Supercross Series while sitting second in overall championship points.
In 2015 Chad Reed would see one of his most disappointing professional seasons earning one win in the Supercross Championship along with 2 podium finishes. He would withdraw from the AMA Motocross championship midway through the season due to motocross competing sponsorship reasons. He would later announce the folding of his TwoTwo Motorsports Team which was founded in 2011.
In 2016, Reed competed in the 2016 AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship with Factory Yamaha. On 2 February, He finished Top Five (5th place) at the AMA Monster Energy Supercross in San Diego. On 23 February, Reed finished on the podium in 3rd in the AMA Monster Energy Supercross in Detroit, Increasing his record of most all-time AMA Supercross podiums to 132. On 23 March, He crashed at the start of the main event during the Seattle, WA supercross event.
In the previous year, Reed had announced that 2020 would be his last season. Midway through the year after the break caused by COVID-19, Reed switched from Honda to KTM.
Key Accomplishments
- Reed is the only rider to win a supercross main event on four different brands (Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda).
- Reed has the most SX wins in San Diego (6) and is tied for most wins at Anaheim (8), Las Vegas (4) and St.
- Reed started a record 116 consecutive Supercross main events from round 1 of 2003 through round 2 of 2010.
- Finished 1st or 2nd in 103 SX main event.
- Of the top 8 all-time Supercross race winners, Reed competed against (and beat) 7 of them.
- Third oldest Supercross winner (32 yrs. 11 mos.) and oldest Supercross podium finisher (36 yrs. 11 mos.
Throughout his career, Reed showed grit, determination, and emotion and there are plenty of memorable moments from his long career. When it was all said and done for Reed, he sat a top or near the top of the history book in several categories. Reed is the only rider to win a supercross main event on four different brands (Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda), but his most prestigious stat is his all-time premier class supercross podiums, which he recorded a whopping 132 before he hung of the boots on his professional racing career. His final podium came in the 2019 Detroit SX Triple Crown event inside Michigan's Ford Field. In that race, Reed finished third overall at about three weeks away from being 37 years old.
Create any type of all-time stats chart for Supercross or combined SX+MX and Chad Reed is likely in the top 10. Here’s a few examples.
As an athlete you never arrive; you’re always working to be better. There’s many things that I want to achieve.
And all of that was just the beginning of his accumulation of accomplishments. If 2003 seems like 10 years ago but 2020 seems like 20 years ago you’re not alone. We feel the same. Years from now, Lawrence - indubitably - will be the next Australian SX/MX rider voted into the AMA HoF.
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