Chad Reed says he’s inked a two-year deal with Honda to receive full factory support for his own, privately funded TwoTwo Motorsports team. Reed, who formed the team just prior to the 2011 season, began last year riding his own Honda equipment but ended it receiving help from Honda – an arrangement that will continue for next year and beyond.
“I’ve been working with Honda over the last few months, trying to come up with a deal that we’re both comfortable with and happy with, and we’ve got a two-year commitment,” said Reed who we spoke with today while he was out testing with the factory Honda team at their test track in Corona, California. “For me it’s huge going into another year and riding Hondas. To align yourself with Honda and have the good bikes and parts, and all of the guys on the race team, the upper management, they’ve been awesome to work with this year. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The two-year commitment is with Reed’s team, not necessarily with Reed himself.
“With TwoTwo Motorsports, it’s a two-year deal,” Reed said. “Myself, as a rider, my only guarantee is to the sponsors. I’ll be racing in 2012; there is no commitment at this point beyond that. How much longer I race is undecided.”
Reed says he’ll be getting the same equipment as Honda Muscle Milk factory riders Trey Canard and Justin Brayton.
“Everything Trey and Justin have will be available to me, as well.”
And Reed will have access to the factory shop.
“All my guys [will] work out of the Honda shop – they put us in the road-race side of things, with [Honda] no longer racing in road racing, so it’s a great deal for [us].”
Reed added that TwoTwo Motorsports will still be just a one-rider team, and he’ll again be that rider.
“Right now it’s just me – at this point, there’s no budget for a second rider.”
Reed added that the look of his team will be very similar to 2011.
“Within the team there have been some changes, but from the outside it will seem much the same,” Reed said. “I’ll be wearing Shift gear…doing a lot of the same stuff. As far as team sponsors, everything like that is still a little bit up in the air. It looks like Bel-Ray will be sticking around – I’ll be happy if that happens.”
Reed will compete in both the Supercross and outdoor MX Championships.
