Going for the W: Chad Reed
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 | 4:40 PM
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Chad Reed was finally back on the box. The man who once owned a starts-to-podium percentage well up into the 90 percent range had been through hell over the last two supercross seasons—one podium last year, and zero through the first three rounds in 2011.
Over the weekend at Oakland, he finally got a start, finally stayed on two wheels on the first lap, and finally put his TwoTwo Motorsports Bel-Ray Racing Honda on the box. He even outdueled defending SX Champion Ryan Dungey for second.
At first, Chad flashed his old smile, high-fived the team and celebrated what amounts to a breakthrough for the first year team owner. But an hour after the event, with time to reflect, he wasn’t quite as happy.
“It feels nice to get a good start and ride up front,” he said after the race. “But I didn’t ride that great, to be honest. Everyone is asking me how it feels, and I’m excited to be on the podium, and I’m so bummed with how I rode. And that’s probably the biggest thing I’m fighting right now.”
Reed got the start and finish in Oakland, but he's looking for more.
Photo: Garth Milan
Indeed, Reed is just now getting through the same things contenders like Ryan Villopoto experienced at the opening rounds. No one feels that ride their best early in the season, but Reed has started slower than most.
“I’ve said it before in other interviews. Villopoto has been off longer than I was, and Stewart was off longer than all of us, and they’ve had no trouble jumping right back into the pace. I’ve struggled a bit to get into race pace. So I’m struggling with some things, small things I need to do. I think it’s consistent with starting in the middle of the pack at a lot of these races, compared to getting up front and having to get fast immediately. But from the issues I had and how bad I rode, I’ll take second.”
Digging deeper, it turns out that not all of Reed’s riding issues can be traced to the rider. At Oakland, his bike began misfiring as soon as the race began. “I was annoyed to be honest,” he explained. “I don’t know what it was, the moisture or what. As a team owner I’m a little concerned. We’ve clearly got an issue we need to work on, it wasn’t like we were riding through water like we were at Daytona a few years ago.”
Those two events—a misfiring bike, and Reed’s lack of recent experience running at the front from the very start of the race—let Stewart and Villopoto get away.
As a team owner now, Reed has a lot more to worry about than just podiums.
Photo: Garth Milan
“Right from the get go I had to be careful,” said Reed. “I had to ride around some issues, I was kind of nervous. Both of those guys got me. James went by, and I wasn’t really worried about him. He was riding really well, I wasn’t able to keep pace with him and do the jumps like he did. I tried it once and it scared me. I had to be careful, I could have been hurt if the bike cut out on a triple. At least the issue was consistent, I was able to pick where to push and not to push.”
Villopoto later fell, and Reed took over second, a big distance behind Stewart. Then Dungey made a move, but Reed didn’t relent, chasing him until the last lap and unleashing a pass in the very last corner of the race. While Reed has been struggling with his starts, he seems confident in his ability to finish a race. In fact, he wasn’t at all surprised to outrun Dungey, known as one of the fittest riders in the game, at the end of twenty laps.
“I think the gap was big enough where Ryan got a little lazy,” said Reed. “And I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I’ve been working hard with Platinum Fitness and it’s going well. I’ve never looked at Ryan as some guy who was stronger than me. I think he had a great year last year, but this is a whole new year.”
And that’s the kind of confidence you expect to hear from the old Chad Reed, the one who had zero fear of mixing it up with anyone. Could this podium be just the start of a run? After a few tough weeks, Reed and his new team may have turned the corner.
Reed (rear) tracked down Dungey on the final turn and made the pass for second place.
Photo: Garth Milan
“Besides that one particular issue, the bike’s great. As far as turning, handling, engine suspension, it’s great, and we had a great week. The big gains we were achieving the first two weeks aren’t coming anymore. I think we’re in the window now, and to move forward and get some more gains won’t be easy. But we’re close, and I don’t think you’re ever on the money. When you’re on the money, it’s just a week where you’re just riding awesome—in motorsports, normally you’re chasing something anyway. I think having the bike so close helped, it gave me more time to work on my starts this week.”
Reed also had a little extra motivation off the start. He lined up next to Austin Stroupe, who you may remember collided with Reed off the start at Anaheim 1 last year and ended Reed’s night early.
“I started next to Stroupe, and that kind of made me nervous,” said Reed. “I had the better gate pick, so when he lined up next to me, I was like “Oh God he were go again!” I had flashbacks of Anaheim 1 last year. And he’s been killing his starts, so it kind of fired me up a little bit, to be on my game, be in the zone. I think I could have had the holeshot but I was really careful in the first turn in the mud. I think Ryan went up the inside and officially got it. But it just felt nice, just as soon as the gate dropped, I was out of there.”
So now it’s coming together. The bike. The starts. And the honest judgements. Will Reed really be a contender for wins this year? Can he close the gap that Stewart and Villopoto had on him early in Oakland, and early in the season? Hard to say, but it’s clear after this one that motivation isn’t the issue. Reed at least wants to run up front as much as he ever has.
“Honestly, it was nice to see the front guys and be in the battle,” he explained. “It hurt my feelings last week to be down on the ground, to be half a lap behind and hear the crowd going nuts for this battle, and to not be in it. I don’t want to feel that way anymore.”
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Definitley a new CR22 in my opinion. He is taking ownership of his issues, no pun intended and delaing with them rather than the whining approach he has had in the past. Everyone knows what CR22 is capable and I for once actually want to see him rise to the occassion. I think RV, JS, CR and TC are all going to have to have a bad night for Dungey to win.....If one or more of those 4 are up front along with Dungey, I think we'll see the same results, Dungey getting pushed backwards and not running up front the entire race....RD will be a consistent top 5 rider and will take advantage of others mishaps as the come, but a win while RV and company are right there with him seems bleak at this point....going from 1st to 2nd or 3rd and the winner being 12-15 seconds ahead of you isnt a good sign if you are the champ...but we'll see...I like Dungey, great kid, great rider,,, just not sold on him yet as champ...
Starting out slow has ALWAYS been Reed's problem. The last half of the '03 and '05 SX seasons, Reed was clearly faster than RC, but just had to many points to make up,,, and RC never had a bad race those years..
Reed and Stewart talking in private somewhere....:
Stewart: Hey Chad, maybe if we stop hating each other, the 'haters' will go away...whadda'ya think ?
Reed: Yeah James, maybe you're right. The fans on your side hate me, and the ones on my side, hate you. Hate sucks. Lets just go ride and have fun with it. Last one to the finish line is a rotten egg.
Stewart: Yeah, chad, I think you are right. If we give them nothing to work with, maybe they will just go away.
Reed: See you on the podium, my friend...
HAHAHA Love it^^^^
It will be very interesting to see how many more times Reed makes the podium this year.
I think we will see CR22 on the podium quite a few more times this year. I don't believe it will be in the #1 spot, but everytime RV2 or JS7 makes a mistake and goes down i think CR22 will be in place to fill the position. No one in the 450 class has shown the speed to keep up with RV2 or JS7 and i don't think anyone will have that speed by the end of this year. I know it's early but if everyone stays healthy this is going to turn into a 2 man show with CR22 scoring a few occasional 3rd place podium spots.
MxSxPlanet.com
I like reeds gear, it looks more oldschool.
Ha,ha.. Nice one trick...
Clearly a new and more mature CR22.. Maybe he had enough time to reflect on during the '10 season.. And maybe being a father now besides a racer & team owner.. Makes him more likeable...
Not fond of Reed.. But respect to him for being a privateer... And I hope he finally gets the bike running in order for him to bang wheels with JS7 & RV2... A win, might be far fetched... But hell... He does so.. He will be making history anyway.. Just for that, I will be hoping he gets a win.
Ha,ha.. Nice one trick...
Clearly a new and more mature CR22.. Maybe he had enough time to reflect on during the '10 season.. And maybe being a father now besides a racer & team owner.. Makes him more likeable...
Not fond of Reed.. But respect to him for being a privateer... And I hope he finally gets the bike running in order for him to bang wheels with JS7 & RV2... A win, might be far fetched... But hell... He does so.. He will be making history anyway.. Just for that, I will be hoping he gets a win.
Can't believe how little talk of Reed spinning his fastest lap on the last lap of the race and it being only 8/10ths off of Villopoto's best lap on lap 2 (with a bad ignition no less). Didn't think Reidy would have it this year but I think last weekend changed my mind...
Oh please, the only reason Reed beat Dungey this week is because a lapper (and ironically fellow australian) named Reardon got in Dungeys way on the last turn. You Reed-tards should savour the moment because this may be Chads last podium...EVER.
do you forget reed would of still been on the podium with a 3rd if he hadnt of passed dungey??? awsome ride!
The old dogs teaches the new kids old tricks...GO JS
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reed has not changed one bit in all the years he's been racing sx. its you guys who have changed, the fans. you guys change your 'favorite rider' and your opinion of each rider every year.you 'respect ' someone one year, hate him the next.
everyone is cool to do it, its what being a fan is about, but damn, these guys ain't gonna change what is not broke.
i can see reed on the podium 3 or 4 more times. but without someone else crashing, I don't see him winning beating the 2,5, and 7. Not all 3 the same night. We'll see...
I wanna see KW up there again. Pimp.
Smee113 nice comment but Dunge wouldnt have had the gap if he hadnt bypassed part of the track either, Reardon didnt do anything wrong and Dunge made the rookie mistake following reardon that let Reed pass him. If Reed conceded the spot and didnt put down his fastest lap of the night forcing a mistake he wouldnt have been second. Give credit where its due, not make excuses like Reed would have done in the past.
Smee, come on man, are you serious??? Chad Reed is one of the BEST supercross riders in the world, no one can question his abilities. To say he may never make a podium ever again just goes to show how little you know. You'll eat your word, I can tell you that. I would bet a lot of money Chad wins at least one this series, he's beaten both RC and # 7 before, both top supercross riders. Except for last year, he's been in contention for ever indoor title chase.
Your a loser.
Stop being an ignorant troll.
So far the guys have put on some AWSOME RACES!!! JS7-CR22-TC-RV
Great article, I believe that out of all the front runners, CR is the one that will improve the most as the season moves on, all the factory riders had lots of testing. It will just keep getting interesting.
Good on Reed. people writing him & Dungey off after 4 rounds are silly. Silicone would've sealed the ECU......or duct tape. Should've snatched the one hanging off a certain #33 bike parked under the awning...........and then the suspension......and then the motor.......and then.......and then.....
Chewitt-Yes I realize that it wasn't Reardon's fault, it was Dungey's. What I'm trying to say is that you guys act like Reed had him clearly beat when that was not the case.
Motoguy-I'm guessing from the rude comments directed towards me that your a Reed-tard? The reason Reed won't podium again is two fold. (1) He's getting up there in age. (2) Theres too much talent in his way- Stewart and Villopoto are clearly faster and Dungey and Canard are about equal if not slightly faster. But its a long season, anything can happen so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Smee113 looks like you're on Dungey's corner, but you should not count Reed out, the one thing that you can count on is that if RV and JS are there, Dungey will NOT win.
These articles are good but that Cox fellow really knew how to shake things up a bit!!!!
I have always been on Js7's bandwagon, since he was 4 and I saw him race at Ponca City...but I have to say that I cheer for Reed to do well, even win...He is a great rider, 38 wins great...and is man enough to take insurance policies out on his own results, and start his own team...EMIG, STANTON, CARMICHAEL, & MCGRATH all said RD5 is going to be the man this year, they also said Cr22 can't make it on his own team...amazing...4 legends could be wrong about RD5...or they could be right on...too early to tell but they were wrong about CR22 for sure.
I see RD and TC falling off the pace starting around Round 10. TC is too young and simply cannot maintain the mental and physical stamina THIS season. The pressure and disappointment is too much for RD this year. IF RV and JS keep this pace one of them is bond to miss a race or two. I don't see CR winning the series but see him on the podium regularily starting in a few rounds.
stanton picked trey canard.
Disclaimer - I hope this doesn't start a Pourcel bash-fest, because that's not my intention.
CP and Reed were in very similar positions a few months before A1. CP stayed home (some would say for good reason) and Reed threw together a SX team and went racing. That to me says a lot about CR's heart and love of the sport. He's got a tough task in front of him, no doubt, but he can usually turn a good start into a good finish. Wins? I'm not so sure about that. More podiums, for sure.
Good interview, and Reed has never started a season strong that I remember. Even outdoors. He took RC six races in a row I think and still lost because he started off so slow. But he may hit the podium a few more times. Not sure if he can get a win though. He may have to holeshot, and Stewie and RV get caught up somewhere bad.
I have a feeling I know who wrote that I MISS COX bit! hahaha but I will tell you ALL something, I used to HATE Reed with a passion because of something he did in 02! But the man really made a fan of me at Hangtown last year. I believe he can win and I love the way the man is acting now a days it's awesome to see him so laid back and respectful to everyone! Go Reedy, show everyone you CAN still ride that bike!
P.S- That last corner was all Dungeys fault, he made the misteak Reardon did nothing wrong and initially even I was mad(I was there) but ALL Dungeys own fault. CR22 gonna hit #1? I think so!
MX bob... I could not agree more on Reed's huge, huge task being a rider & team owner. Unlike MC in the past... He has virtually no official factory support... Everything he does for his team is coming out of his own pocket... Of course, needless to say he has pretty deep pockets.. nevertheless... Shows he is dedicated in continuing racing... Despite his age.
Some might argue he blew it like CP by asking absurdly high salary... In a way.. He thinks he deserves it... So yeah, I will be hoping he will do well this season.. As for CP... He's surrounded by stupid people who make silly decisions for him... What on earth was he thinking?
Somebody to watch is Trey Canard...
See you on here after Reed Podiums again Smee?
halfe316, I don't think the 4 legends ever said Reed couldn't make it on his own team. I heard a couple of them say it would be tough though. Alot of people are saying it's a 2 man race, yes so far it is, but the season isn't even 25% complete. I really would like for all the riders to stay healthy and have no mechanical issues for the whole season, but that will probably never happen. After seeing those practice crashes of Bubbas, he was very fortunate to be able to make the main. And what's up with alot of people not giving Dungey respect he's only 14pts back. I beleive some of the riders haven't pushed the envelope that hard yet. Dodger stadium IMO was the only race this year where the Dunge gave it hell. I don't think they're going to wait much longer to turn it up though. They can't let them go too far! Look for RD, CR, TC, KW or JB to claim the top spot soon. If Austin Stroupe can get into race shape soon, he has the speed to run up front too. I think A2 is gonna be a good one!!!!!!!
ride4ever...i guess i have to say i agree on most points...i think people are disappointed that 5 didn't come out and put a stamp on this series from the get go. He is missing his mojo and he needs to find it. i think 2 is more likely to take himself out of this series than 7...he has way more near misses and never knows when to back it down(good for him though). As far as STROUPE goes...everytime i watch him ride i like his speed, but i always get a feeling that he is about to injure someone...looks way too out of control...A2, indeed...
Reed is far from done......slow starter, especially slow starter this year. I get pumped now when I come on here and see a Reed article, his interviews are awesome and he provides a lot of information. Everyone will write him off for wins as usual, but that's no different than any other year when he'd steal wins from RC and JS all year. It's almost like he's frowned upon for being consistent, safe, and not crashing his brains out. To me that shows smarts and all of the above will allow him to compete as long as he wants, similar to Windham.
Halfe316, I think just trying to finish 17 rounds of SX is a feat in itself. Regaurdless what people may think, Dungey is no dummy. I think he has his eye on what's going on and doesn't want to take himself out of the game unnecessarily. Racers know when you push that hard bad things tend to happen. I'm definately not wanting anything bad to happen to anybody though. I'm just saying he has been putting it off to push that hard, it's not really his style to ride like that. But if it comes down to the championship, I bet he will do whatever it takes to keep his #1. I beleive this kid has alot more heart than people are giving him credit for.
Halfe316, your comment about Stroupe: I know what you are saying, he's just a little rusty. He has been racing for a long time though, and he doesn't really have a history as being dangerous. He just has that attitude, he believes he belongs out front.
Steve Cox is a great writer!!!! I got a chance to talk to reedy a lil bit @ LA round and seems he's came back down to earth i think this sport can easily make you forget how to be the humble person you were when you came into the sport @ the pro level. He's a good guy and i can say im a CR fan again!!
I see reed winning in anaheim
A week ago I wondered if Reed would ever be on the podium again, with all the young talent. Then this rutted and tough track happens and he shines again. So far either JS or RV have washed the front end out every race. Reed and Dungey don't. You have to wonder what will happen if the front end snakebite gets both of them at the same race.
I agree with you BD I believe Cox is excellent! I just assumed he wrote that bit! LOL and how could I hate someone with the same last name. haha Man A lot of good points on here I agree with most of you guys, good to see some positivity! Halfe316 you live in cali?
I like when this forum is with people that KNOW what the hell they are talking about!! I also think #74 is startin to lose the cool guy attitude that him and izzy got by hagin with J-law! He looks pretty good being as thou hes not on the best equipment.
mikewainman,,, after last season batteling with Pourcel,, I'm pretty sure TC has the mental and physical stamina to do well.. He may not keep pace with JS and RV,, but i'm willing to bet he will be fighting for 3rd..
Hey Smee, put your money where your mouth is. I'll be you $20 that Reed gets another podium this year. If he doesnt, I will pay up. If he does, you pay up. If youre not willing to do that, then maybe shut your pie hole.
haha - good one Monster, I would bet the same thing, only I have a lot more confidence than $20 that we'll see ol # 22 on the box a lot more!
Don't count on Smee paying up though - he's a keyboard racer, or just a plain old interent troll, you can tell from the guy's posts that he has his head stuck up in a dark smelly place. And he seems to bag on non-Americans. Seems like a loser to me. He won't take your bet.
LOL, you Reed fans crack me up. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship going on here. I mean sure i hate you guys because yall like the rider I can't stand, but I admire your persistance, so I'd like to take back two things 1) Sorry for calling yall Reed-tards, I was out of line there 2) I think Reed can get a few podiums this year if he continues to ride the way he is now, but I don't think he'll win, and I will bet on that.
I see Reed nabbin a win before factory Honda (Canard).
I don't know about that either. Trey Canard is an awesome rider and he's getting better each week on the 450 too. Chad will win, there's no question about it. He's a very intelligent rider, he has an independent personality and has the experience and maturity to know when to go for the win. A good track without too much loose dirt in the turns and a bike that's running right...it'll happen!
For his starts, Reed needs to visualize 'austin stroupe', sitting on the gate right next to him, every time, for each round, for the rest of his life.
I think this is a two rider battle as a lot of you have said, JS and RV. I also think RV is like a young JS. He is the fastest rider on the track but can't quite control it for 20 laps every race. I think JS has finally learned to be patient and you dont have to be the fastest to win. It takes RV riding on th edge to be faster but when he learns to control it he will be one of the greats. I'm interested to see, how many of you feel Canard will get his first win this year? I do feel he will get 1 or 2 wins because he has the pace but I'm not sure about his pace for 20 laps. He will have to get a great start while the other two are battling in the back - my opinion.
Reed will get it done in the next few rounds..
hey snakebyte i would have to say i think canard could get his first win this year. he looked good last week tracking down the leaders coming from the bad start he had. i think the stars would have to be a lined for it to happen. he isn't quite there yet i think to win it by tracking down and passing RV2, JS7 or CR22 but could with a good start and some trouble for the other riders. if he could get a gap i think he has a fast enough pace to servive for a win. and as far as reed goes he'll get it figured out and he will be a podium contender and even get some wins. Oakland wasn't the first time reed tracked down dungey and pasted him this year. reed's got dungeys # and i think dungeys confidence isn't as high as it was when he was winning and lack of confidence will slow a rider down.