“Reed: Australian for Fast”
An Interview with Chad Reed
Story & Photos by Eddie Graveline
 You’ve seen
those beer commercials that say, “Fosters: Australian for Beer”, right? Meet
Chad Reed, Australia’s definition of speed and the latest import from down
under to make a crack at Supercross stardom in the United States. Chad is
only a 3rd year pro in the sport, but he’s made the most of that
time. After representing Australia with surprising poise at the 2000 MX des
Nations, Chad was offered a 250cc Grand Prix ride by the Kawasaki factory.
Though his dream was always to race in the U.S., the opportunity to compete
aboard factory equipment was something that no one in their right mind would
pass up. Chad fared better than most expected during the ’01 GP campaign,
eventually finishing second to Suzuki’s Mikael Pichon. His ability to learn
and compete quickly impressed more than a few stateside teams and finally,
he signed a contract with Yamaha of Troy to ride the 125 East Supercross
series and 125 Nationals aboard a YZ250F. As a bonus, Reed was allowed to
contest the first few West Coast rounds in the 250 class. Once again, the
19-year-old Aussie turned heads by finishing in the top five, ahead of many
established factory riders. Once the 125 East got started, Reed came out of
the gates swinging and won the first three races of the series. With a
learning curve like that, it would seem that the sky is the limit for Chad
Reed’s career. I got the chance to talk with Chad right before the season
started. We talked about his past as well as his future and in doing so, I
discovered that he is one of the most driven and determined individuals I
have ever met.
Q: Chad, I
know from reading past interviews with you that your number one goal has
always been to race Supercross in America. Now that you’ve gotten here, what
is your mindset?
A:
“Basically, it hasn’t changed. The 250 class is for sure where I want to be
one day. So far, I love America. It’s a nice country and it’s pretty much
like home. Once I get my house, I’m here for the long haul. I want to be
here for the next ten years or so. Hopefully, I can get it together and do
well.”
Q: You had
a very successful GP season last year. Did knowing that you could go back
and challenge for a World Championship make your decision to move to the
U.S. any harder?
A: “It
was kind of tough because, like you said, I went from basically nothing to a
lot. I started off the year just wanting to finish in the top ten and ended
up second in the World Championship. In my first year away from Australia,
that was quite a good accomplishment for me. But staying there and winning a
World Championship wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. My whole life, I’ve
looked toward America and wanted to be an American champion. Being World
Champion doesn’t interest me so much. If America doesn’t turn out just how I
want it, I can always go back to Europe. I left a good impression there.
Maybe one day I can go back there.”
Q: There
have been quite a few successful GP riders that have come to America to
race. Many of them have had success outdoors here, but struggled in
Supercross. You’re more of a Supercross rider than them, though, aren’t you?
A: “My
whole life, I’ve had a Supercross track in my back yard. Just because
I’m coming from the Grand Prix scene doesn’t mean I’m not used to Supercross
and being around Supercross. I’m probably more comfortable in Supercross
than I am in motocross. Going to Europe and learning the way they ride
motocross, I think, is only going to help my motocross and Supercross
skills. Hopefully it will all work out and we can do really well this year.”
Q: Did you
arrive in the U.S. early enough to test with your new team and bike enough
to where you feel prepared going into the season?
A:
“Basically, we have factory front forks on the bike and shock. Basically
that’s it. I think the head and cylinder is pretty much standard. I haven’t
really done that much testing. I was here quite late and I went home for
Christmas because I had to do my visa and all of that stuff. I haven’t had a
lot of testing, but my real season starts five weeks from now. This weekend
(the season opener) means a lot to me, but I can’t look at it as my number
one priority right now.”
Q: I’m sure
you got in quite a few laps at the Yamaha track and some other places around
Southern California, but practice at the first round was the first time you
actually rode an AMA Supercross track. Were there any surprises or was it
what you expected?
A: “No,
it’s everything that I’ve watched on television. It has the big stadium. The
only thing missing is the whoops and the crowd, but come Saturday, I’m sure
they’ll all be in and screaming for the American guys. Everybody knows this
is what I’ve always wanted to do. I just want to go out there and have fun
and find where I’m at in Supercross here in America.”
 Q: You raced
the Bercy SX before the season started and had a highly (perhaps overly)
publicized run-in with Jeremy McGrath on the track after you made an
aggressive attempt to pass him. Was that a case of you just racing for the
win like you always do, or do you want to send a message to your competition
that you’re for real?
A: “It
wasn’t meant to be like that. It was just one of those incidents. Jeremy
turned off of the berm quite fast and I went inside to pass. Our lines came
together and we crashed. It wasn’t meant to be anything really. It was just
meant to be a pass and me come second, him come third. As far as me feeling
things out, I have four races to get into the swing of things and then the
125 East Coast championship starts. That’s the championship that I want to
win and do really well at. I’m hired to win races and if I don’t win races,
the 250 guys aren’t going to be so interested. I need to get my act together
and put two series together, which is the 125 East and the 125 outdoor
championship and hopefully move up to the 250 class.”
Q: Yamaha
of Troy hired Craig Dack as their team’s Assistant Manager. Craig is a
fellow Australian and someone you’ve worked with in the past. Does having
someone like that on board make settling in here easier for you?
A: “Yeah,
it’s definitely easier when you have someone like Craig. As you said, I have
worked with Craig. I actually rode for his Australian team in 2000.
Communicating with someone that I’m familiar with and trust a lot, sure it’s
going to be a lot easier. The same as when I went to Europe last year, I
knew nobody. I got hired to ride the factory Kawasaki, I was there to do a
job and that’s exactly what I had to do.”
Q: What are
your expectations for yourself while riding in the 250 class in the first
few rounds?
A: “I
want to finish in the top ten. This first race, I want to go out and qualify
and be in the main and hopefully be in the top ten. My own personal goals
are quite high. I’ve always set personal goals really high. I’m really a
determined kind of person, so if it doesn’t happen, I’ll do everything in my
power to try and make it happen. We’ll see where we go five weeks from now.”
Q:
Obviously, the last thing you’d want to do is get hurt riding 250s before
the 125 East starts, though.
A: “Yeah,
that’s right. As much as I want to ride 250s, I can’t take it 110% seriously
because, as the team has pointed out a number of times, it’s not the series
that I’m contracted to do. I’ve just go to go and feel my way out and have
some fun. I don’t want to get hurt at all on a 250, which is not the bike
that I’m contracted to ride.”
Q: As far
as the 125 East series goes, what do you really expect to do there?
A: “I’d
like to win. There’s a lot of fast, top guys in there, so it’s for sure not
going to be easy. But life’s not meant to be easy. It’s just going to take a
lot of hard work and consistency. There’s going to be Langston, Brown,
myself and a couple of other guys battling it out, so hopefully I can put me
and my Yamaha up on top.”
Q: Do you
have an opinion on the whole 125 vs. 250F controversy and whether or not the
250F is an advantage in Supercross?
A: “From
riding both, I don’t see it as an advantage, really. It has its advantages
and it has its disadvantages. I think when you weigh the two of them out,
they’re on par. They’re pretty much identical bikes. I’ve never really
looked at it like that because even if you have the fastest bike out there,
you’ve still got to be able to turn the throttle. I don’t see it as an
advantage, no.”
Q: The
Australian media, and specifically my friend Geoff Meyer, are really
pumped about you coming here to race. We’ve seen some Australian riders put
in some good rides here in America, but nothing with any longevity. Are you
wanting to be the first Australian to really break through and become a
household name in American racing?
A: “Yeah,
sure, to say the least. I’ve always said that this is what I wanted so I’m
going to do everything in my power to break the Australian ice and put us up
there. I did my best in Europe this year and got second. I’m going to do my
best here in America also.”
Q: Is it
important for Australian motocross and the growth of the sport there to have
someone come to America and do really well?
A: “For
sure. At the moment we have a few young guys that are really fast. I think
that between myself and Michael Byrne, we set a really good example for the
Australian riders. I’m hoping that in a few years we have a lot of
Australians over here. We’re just the same as the rest of the world. We all
have two legs, two arms and a heartbeat. There’s nothing that they can do
that we can’t do. We’ve just got to go out there and prove it and go from
there.”
Q: Thanks
for your time, Chad. I wish you the best of luck and have fun.
A: “Thank
you.”
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