Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128136
Yamaha of TroV's Chad Reed ith u.s. supercross racing at an all-time high, and top Yank racers being snatched up almost out of the womb, American teams have become quite creative in where they seek out new talent. Europe, South Africa, Latin America, Australia, even the strange land of arenacross - all are breeding grounds for potential new supercross stars. The newest rider to emerge from Down Under is Chad Reed, a 19-year-old who finished runner-up in the 2001 250cc World Championship Motocross Series. But where Reed is really said to shine is on the few man-made stadium tracks that he has had occasion to ride, which made him a hot commodity when American teams began looking for riders to fill out their '02 rosters. Reed, who was picked up by the powerhouse Yamaha of Troy squad to race a YZ125 in the Eastern Region (he'll also contest the first six Western rounds on a YZ250), joins fellow Aussie Michael Byrne (an Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Journeys/Competition Accessories rider) in the States, and although American fans don't know much about him yet, his new sponsors hope they'll soon be hearing his Australian accent making thank-you speeches from the victory podium. The Newcastle youngster turned in consistent results at Paris' Bercy Supercross in November, leading home Jeremy McGrath on two occasions and putting serious pr.essure on eventual winner David Vuillemin. Not only that, he notched a victory at his home supercross in October, defeating Travis Pastrana in the process. Clearly, the aura that surrounds Reed is beginning to grow, and there's an increasing sensation that this guy may be even more of a contender than some of the other nonAmerican riders in the EA Sports Supercross Series. He is not here to finish second. "I am no different to many of the riders on the American series," Reed said recently. "I know I can't come out and say I can beat Carmichael - that would be stupid - [but) he has two legs and arms just like me, so he's beatable. You have to have the attitude that you're here to win races. I look at Michael Byrne's results in 2001, and he finished in the top eight in some races and did really well. I know where I am compared to Michael, and I will be looking for top-five finishes in the early 250 rounds. In the East Coast 125cc Series, I will be paid to win races, and if I win I can make some nice bonuses. But winning is without a doubt what I will be aiming for - the money is not even in my mind." So he's confident, but he's not cocky. Although Reed found his debut season of international racing in Europe to be a piece of cake, he does not expect to arrive in America and dominate. On the contrary, he's very aware that not many riders have scored victories in their debut years in America. The teenager is prepared for a tough year but won't let the pressures dampen his enthusiasm. "America won't be like Europe," Reed says. "Alii have ever wanted in my whole career was to race in the USA. I enjoyed Europe and was at times sur- 12 JANUARY 9,2002' cue I e n Australia's Chad Reed is one of the most anticipated foreign prospects to come along in AMA competition In years. prised my results were so good, so quickly. Supercross is everything for me - the chance to race guys like Carmichael, McGrath, Pastrana - it's all I've ever wanted. When 1 was an 80cc rider, Pastrana was the guy to beat. When I raced him in Australia at the end teams I had talked to were support teams, and when I was offered a ride on the Kawasaki factory team in Europe, I had to take it. I also figured if I could get some good results in Europe, I would get noticed in America and possibly sign for a good "I know I can't come out and say I can beat Carmichael· that would be stupid· [but] he has two legs and arms just like me, so he's beatable." of the 2001 season, I was so pumped to beat him. It gave me a lot of confidence for the 2002 season. America will be tougher than Europe; I'm prepared for that, and I'll work harder than ever before." So what attracted Yamaha of Troy to Reed in the first place? The young Aussie had talked about coming to America in 200 I, but the deals offered back then weren't sufficient enticement. "I had talked to Jeremy McGrath at the Bercy Supercross last year," Reed said. "He told me if I'm going to America, I would need a good team. The - -_ - - - e s team. That's pretty much what happened, so I'm glad I waited to go to race in America." Soon after heading to Europe last year, Reed notched a victory over multi-time World Champion Stefan Everts in a Belgian supercross, and he backed that up with a string of podiums in the Grands Prix. The success put him into another mind frame, giving him an attitude he had never enjoyed. "Beating Everts was awesome," Reed recalls. "It was a small supercross race in Everts' home town. While he's not a great Supercross rider, he is still a -------------