Chad Mark Reed (born 15 March 1982, in
Kurri Kurri
Kurri Kurri is a small town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Cessnock LGA. At the , its population was 6,174. Kurri Kurri is the largest town in a group of towns and hamlets, including Stanford Merthyr, Pelaw Main, We ...
, Australia) is an
Indigenous Australian
Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
and
supercross
The AMA Supercross Championship (commercially known as Monster Energy AMA Supercross) is an American motorcycle racing series. Founded by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1974, the AMA Supercross Championship races are held from ...
racer. He is a two-time AMA Supercross 450cc champion, a one-time AMA Motocross 450cc champion, record holder for the most main event starts in
AMA Supercross history with 265 starts, as well as podium finishes with 132.
Amateur career
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
Kurri Kurri is a small town in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Cessnock LGA. At the , its population was 6,174. Kurri Kurri is the largest town in a group of towns and hamlets, including Stanford Merthyr, Pelaw Main, We ...
. The 25-acre property was overgrown with thick bushland and was yet to even have a house or electricity on the land. The family went to the property to clear the tea tree shrubs by hand at any spare chance they could find, which resulted in the family home being built along with several tracks for Chad to practice on.
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. Honing in on his skills on 80cc bikes, Reed's amateur career started to take off in 1997 when he took the top spot at the Australian Junior Championship.
Australian career
1998-2000
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 was immediately competitive in both motocross and supercross, winning the Australian 250cc Supercross Championship in 1999 and 2000.
2007
Reed revisited his home in Australia to race the
Raymond Terrace, round 4, of the Australian Motocross series. He beat Daniel Reardon with a 1-1 performance, providing Reardon with international notoriety for holding Reed off for a significant portion of the races.
2008
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. Reed won 6 out of the 7 races.
2009
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. This is Reed's fourth Australian Supercross Championship.
2010
Reed raced the first round of the 2010 Super X series held at the
Newcastle International Sports Centre
Newcastle International Sports Centre, currently known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knight ...
,
Newcastle
Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
on a
Honda
commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
sponsored by
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Public Limited Company () is a British Multinational company, multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates Service (economic ...
. Reed won the event beating Americans
Josh Hansen and Justin Brayton who finished in second and third respectively.
International career
2001
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
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
) and eventually finishing the year second to multi-time World Champion
Mickaël Pichon
Mickaël Pichon (born 13 February 1976) is a French people, French former professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1992 to 1994 and the AMA Motocross Championships from 1995 to 1999, befor ...
. He is the first Australian to win a world 250cc GP race.
2002
Reed moved to the United States in 2002 and picked up a ride with
Yamaha of Troy. Reed won all but two Supercross races that season to win the 125cc East Coast Supercross championship.
Reed won his first and only 125cc National victory at
Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, and finished the third season behind
James Stewart Jr.
James Stewart Jr. (born December 21, 1985) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer, widely regarded as one of the most talented and dynamic riders in the history of the sport. Known for his raw speed and innovative ridi ...
and Branden Jesseman.
Reed's first-ever SX race was in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
2003
Reed moved to the 250cc class in 2003 riding for
Factory Yamaha. In his rookie 250cc Supercross season Reed finished second to chief rival
Ricky Carmichael, losing the title by only 7 points to Carmichael despite winning 8 races to Carmichael's 7.
Reed finished his first 250cc Motocross season a distant third behind Carmichael and
Kevin Windham.
2004
In 2004 Reed won the 2004 AMA 250cc Supercross series, battling with Kevin Windham,
Michael Byrne, and
Tim Ferry with Reed earning 10 victories for the season.
Reed finished 2nd to Carmichael in that year's motocross season.
2005
2005 marked the entry of James Stewart to the 250cc class alongside Reed and Carmichael. Each scored multiple wins. Carmichael won the championship with seven wins, Reed was in second with five wins, and Stewart was in third with three wins.
2006
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. Reed's shoulder injury resurfaced, causing him to withdraw from the Nationals after the Millville round, where he had held second place.
2007
In
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
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. Reed took 1 win for the season and finished 2nd in the title chase to James Stewart Jr.
2008
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. This was a season full of great battles with Reed duking it out against
Davi Millsaps, Kevin Windham, and Josh Hill for race wins, with Reed, in the end, winning the championship by 13 points over Kevin Windham.
2009
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 won 3 races this season.
Reed elected to race the 2009 motocross season after a 2-year hiatus. He won the
AMA Motocross Championship
The AMA Motocross Championship (commercially known as Pro Motocross Championship) is an American motorcycle racing series. The motocross race series was founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1972. The series is ...
at round ten, out of the 12-round series. He also won the Monster Energy Triple Crown Championship during the motocross season. He won 5 out of the 12 races in this season.
2010
For the 2010 season, Reed joined new teammate
Ryan Villopoto
Ryan Daniel Villopoto (born August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer who competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014; a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a ...
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.
James Stewart Jr. (born December 21, 1985) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer, widely regarded as one of the most talented and dynamic riders in the history of the sport. Known for his raw speed and innovative ridi ...
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. In an open letter published on his website, Reed admits that becoming a new dad and also the death of his close personal friend Andrew McFarlane may be reasons people look to for his poor performance.
2011
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. Reed embraced social media using Twitter to publish hints as to the likely brand of bike and apparel that he would be using in the 2011 AMA Supercross series. Failing negotiations with established teams, Reed decided to create his own team, TwoTwo Motorsports, aboard a Honda CRF450R, with support from Honda, Bel-Ray, Shift and many other sponsors.
The 2011 season had been a 5-way battle between Reed,
Ryan Villopoto
Ryan Daniel Villopoto (born August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer who competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014; a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a ...
,
James Stewart Jr.
James Stewart Jr. (born December 21, 1985) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer, widely regarded as one of the most talented and dynamic riders in the history of the sport. Known for his raw speed and innovative ridi ...
,
Ryan Dungey and
Trey Canard. It came down to the final race in Las Vegas between
Ryan Villopoto
Ryan Daniel Villopoto (born August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer who competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014; a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a ...
, Reed, and
Ryan Dungey. Reed won the Las Vegas race but lost the championship by 4 points to Ryan Villopoto. Reed was presented with the "2011 Rock Hard - Ride Hard Bret Michaels Supercross Award." at Vegas for his great work starting a new team and still finishing 2nd in the championship.
2012
While competing at the seventh round of the 2012 AMA Supercross series in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
and going in an Epic Battle with
Ryan Villopoto
Ryan Daniel Villopoto (born August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer who competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014; a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a ...
, Reed crashed and sustained numerous injuries including his left knee. The most serious of the injuries required surgery for a torn ACL. Consequently, Reed was forced to drop out of the 2012 title chase while sitting second in overall championship points.
2013

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
Ryan Daniel Villopoto (born August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer who competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014; a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a ...
,
Davi Millsaps,
Ryan Dungey,
Trey Canard and
Justin Barcia
Justin Barcia (born 25 March 1992) is an American motorcycle racer from Monroe, New York. Barcia competes in both the AMA AMA Supercross Championship, Supercross and Motocross Championships. He is a two-time AMA Supercross 250cc East Champion.
C ...
, 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
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, 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. In the Main Event in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
, he was lapped by the leaders
Ryan Villopoto
Ryan Daniel Villopoto (born August 13, 1988, in Fortuna, California) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer who competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 2005 to 2014; a four-time 450cc AMA Supercross Champion, a ...
,
Davi Millsaps, and
Ryan Dungey on Lap 16, and finished in 10th Place.
2014
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
Ken Roczen (born 29 April 1994) is a German-American professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2009 to 2011 and the AMA Supercross Championship, AMA Supercross Championships since 2011. ...
for 2nd place and then
James Stewart Jr.
James Stewart Jr. (born December 21, 1985) is an American former professional motocross and supercross racer, widely regarded as one of the most talented and dynamic riders in the history of the sport. Known for his raw speed and innovative ridi ...
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
Ken Roczen (born 29 April 1994) is a German-American professional motocross and supercross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 2009 to 2011 and the AMA Supercross Championship, AMA Supercross Championships since 2011. ...
'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 the Lucas Oil MX Series, he finished around 10th overall in the points and won 2 holeshots.
2015
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. Reed would later announce that he would be riding a Yamaha for the continuation of the 15' Season and the 2015 Monster Energy Cup.
2016
In 2016, Reed competed in the 2016 AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship with Factory Yamaha. His sponsors include Yamaha Motor Corporation, Monster Energy, Yamalube, Chaparral Motorsports, Yamaha Financial Services, Oakley Motorsports, and Pro Circuit.
2018
Chad Reed obtained the world record for the most career
Monster Energy Supercross
''Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame'' is a motocross video game series developed and published by Milestone srl for various platforms. The series has been released annually since early 2018 (except in 2024 when there was no game pu ...
main event starts ever.
2019
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
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 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. He sustained multiple injuries including a
broken scapula, eight
rib fracture
A rib fracture is a break in a rib bone. This typically results in chest pain that is worse with inspiration. Bruising may occur at the site of the break. When several ribs are broken in several places a flail chest results. Potential complicat ...
s, and a
collapsed lung
A pneumothorax is collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve is formed by ...
ending his 2019 Supercross season.
2020
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
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, Reed switched from Honda to KTM. His best finish in 2020 was a 10th at the finale.
Sponsorships
Reed has ridden for a variety of sponsors over his career, including:
Yamaha Motor Company
is a Japanese mobility manufacturer that produces motorcycles, motorboats, outboard motors, and other motorized products. The company was established in the year 1955 upon separation from Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. (currently Yamaha Corporation) a ...
,
Husqvarna,
Monster Energy
Monster Energy is a brand of energy drink, energy drinks that was created
by Hansen Natural Company (now Monster Beverage Corporation) in April 2002. In 2022, Monster Energy had a 30.1% Market share, share of the American energy drink market, th ...
,
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
,
Oakley,
Fox Racing
Fox Head, Inc. (doing business as Fox Racing) is an American extreme sports (primarily motocross and mountain biking), protective equipment, and lifestyle-clothing brand founded in 1974. Fox is owned by Revelyst, having been previously owned by ...
, Shift,
Discount Tire
The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation, doing business as Discount Tire and America's Tire, is an American tire and wheel retailer. It operates in 38 of the lower 48 states, and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 1960, it is considered ...
,
Boost Mobile
DISH Wireless L.L.C., doing business as Boost Mobile, is an American telecommunications company and wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation. Boost Mobile is the List of mobile network operators in the United States, fourth largest wirele ...
, Pro Circuit, 360 Fly Camera, and
Penrite
Penrite is an Australian independent international lubricants company for vehicles established in 1926. The head office is located in Dandenong South in Melbourne, Australia, with other major offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auck ...
.
Career AMA Supercross/Motocross Results
Recognition
* 1997 Australian Junior Motocross Champion
* 1999 Australian Supercross Champion
* 2000 Australian Supercross Champion
* 2001 Motocross of Nations (Belgium) - Race 2 (125/250), 1st Place
* 2002 AMA Eastern Regional Supercross Champion
* 2003 U.S Open Champion
* 2003 FIM World Supercross GP Champion
* 2004 U.S Open Champion
* 2004 AMA Supercross Champion
* 2005 X-Games Supermoto - Bronze Medal
* 2007 King of Bercy Supercross Champion
* 2007 Motocross of Nations (USA) - Race 1 (MX1/MX2), 2nd Place
* 2008 AMA/FIM World Supercross Champion
* 2008 Australian Supercross Champion
* 2009 Monster Energy Triple Crown Motocross Champion
* 2009 AMA National Pro Motocross Champion
* 2009 Motocross of Nations (Italy) - Race 1 (MX1/MX2), 2nd Place
* 2009 AMA Athlete of the Year
* 2009 Australian Supercross Champion
* 2011 Motocross of Nations (France) - Race 1 (MX1/MX2), 1st Place
* 2016 AUS-X Open Champion
* 2018 The Ironman of Supercross (Most AMA Supercross Starts Record)
* 2018 SX-Open Champion
* 2018 FIM Oceania Supercross Champion
Honours
On 13 June 2011, Reed was awarded a
Member of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
for service to motorsports as a professional supercross motorcycle rider at national and international levels, and to the community.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Chad
1982 births
Living people
People from Kurri Kurri
Sportsmen from New South Wales
Australian motocross riders
AMA Motocross Championship National Champions
Members of the Order of Australia
21st-century Australian sportsmen