Chad Reed, feisty as ever, looks to make his bid for the AMA Supercross Champion in 2015. Photography By Andrea Wilson
ANAHEIM, CA, JAN. 2 – Coming off a disappointing season last year, TwoTwo Motorsports team owner/racer Chad Reed is ready to get back to AMA Supercross racing. He’s healthier, happier and looking for title number three.
“I think healthy and happy go hand and hand, so looking forward to it,” Reed said about the season. “This is not my first go around. I’m just excited to go racing and see what this new group [of racers] has to offer.”
For the first time since starting his own race team, Reed has a teammate: Josh Grant. Does having a teammate change the dynamic?
“Josh has been mainly on the west coast, we spent about four days [training together] in Florida total,” Reed clarified. “And I haven’t been on the west coast at all this off-season. Although we’re teammates we haven’t been around each other a whole lot. They’ve just been doing their thing out here and I’ve been doing my thing in Florida.”
Also new for TwoTwo Motorsports this Supercross season, are tires. Reed made the switch towards the end of the outdoor season to Pirellis and although the Supercross season has yet to kick off, he no concern about the switch.
“It’s been good,” Reed said. “No stand out issues. I think the product has come a long way in the last few months that I’ve been there. I’m excited to go racing and see where we’re at.”
Not one to be shy, when a journalist pointed out that the panel of riders at today’s pre race press conference at Angel Stadium were a bit stiff and looked as thou they didn’t want to be there, preferring to just get to the racing, Reed fired back.
“I don’t know if it’s that we don’t want to be up here,” Reed said. “It’s just for the most part we’ve done it a time or two. I think the media always thinks, ‘ah yeah, this guy’s stiff, he’s a bit of a robot,’ but your guys’ questions aren’t that amazing either. So, what do you expect from us? Ask us a good question, we’ll give you a good answer.”
Reed’s keeping it real moment got a big response and laughter from the room. But what would Reed ask Chad Reed?
“I don’t know,” he said. “Like, are you feeling the best ever? Is your bike amazing? All the normal things…”
As for the future, Reed says he’s still got gas in the tank and looks forward to seeing what the new crop of racers have got. Photography By Kit Palmer
It’s no secret. Reed at 32-years old is in the twilight of his career. He has no illusions about that.
“At least one, I think,” Reed said about how many years he has left. “This off-season for the first time in awhile, I haven’t changed a whole lot. So it’s been nice to be able to build from one thing and not be changing bikes or major sponsors or anything like that. It’s just been fun, being home a lot and doing my thing back east. I always try to set a goal of make it through the season and weigh up where I stand.”
Reed also has the advantage of being able to put in a good word with the boss—himself.
“Being a team owner I have the luxury of deciding whether I go on or not,” Reed said. “I feel like I decide my own fate, not wondering whether I’m good enough to be hired to be on a factory team or something. At this point I feel like I have got a lot to give. I want to be up here with these guys.”
For Reed 2014 was a rollercoaster year. He was competitive, winning races and then he was out with an injury after crashing at the San Diego Supercross. Reed’s AMA Motocross season was just as painful. But the Australian has picked himself back up and is serious about making the bid for the 2015 Supercross Championship.
“It’s no secret that my years are running out here,” Reed said. “To be in form last year and be comfortable winning races and feel like you have a real shot at the championship… It hurt last year. It took a long time to rebound emotionally. Just knowing that the clock is ticking and knowing that it all ended when I was feeling really good and I had a shot at the title.
“You try to pick yourself off the ground again and build yourself up, get back on the program and try to put yourself in that position again. History shows that if I make it to Vegas I have a solid shot at the championship, so try to do that this year.”
