Chad Reed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chad Reed
Reed in 2009
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1982-03-15) 15 March 1982 (age 43) Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia
Motocross career
Years active	1998–2020
Teams	•Troy Yamaha (2003-2006) •San Manuel L&M Racing Yamaha (2007-2008) •Rockstar Energy Makita Suzuki (2009) •Monster Energy Kawasaki (2010) •Team TwoTwo Motorsports (2011-2015) •Monster Energy Factory Yamaha (2016-2017)
Championships	•2002 AMA Supercross 125cc East •2004 AMA Supercross 250cc •2008 AMA Supercross 450cc •2009 AMA Motocross 450cc
Wins	•AMA 125/250cc Motocross: 1 •AMA 125/250cc Supercross: 6 •AMA 250/450cc Motocross: 10 •AMA 250/450cc Supercross: 44 Total: 61

Chad Mark Reed is a famous Indigenous Australian motocross and supercross racer. He was born on March 15, 1982, in Kurri Kurri, Australia. Chad is known for winning the AMA Supercross 450cc championship twice. He also won the AMA Motocross 450cc championship once. He holds the record for the most main event starts in AMA Supercross history. He has started 265 races and finished on the podium 132 times.

Chad's Early Racing Days

As a young boy, Chad had a horse named Fern. But when his cousin, Craig Anderson, started riding dirt bikes, Chad became very interested. He decided to trade his horse for his first motorcycle, a Yamaha PW50. His family then bought a small piece of land near Kurri Kurri. It was a wild, bushy area with no house or electricity. Chad's family worked hard to clear the land by hand. They built a home and several tracks for Chad to practice his riding skills.

Chad's family always supported him in his early racing years. Every weekend, his dad Mark, mom Robyn, and younger brother Troy traveled across Australia. This allowed Chad to compete against other riders from all over the country. Chad was often seen as the "underdog," but that soon changed. He became very skilled on 80cc bikes. In 1997, his amateur career took off when he won the Australian Junior Championship.

Racing in Australia

Starting as a Pro: 1998-2000

Chad Reed officially started his professional racing career in Australia in 1998. He moved straight from junior races to the top 250cc class. He did not race in the 125cc class first, which was unusual. Chad quickly became a strong competitor in both motocross and supercross. He won the Australian 250cc Supercross Championship in both 1999 and 2000.

Returning Home in 2007

In 2007, Chad came back to Australia to race in the Australian Motocross series. He competed in round 4 at Raymond Terrace. He won both races, beating Daniel Reardon. This race helped Daniel Reardon become known internationally.

Super-X Championship: 2008

In 2008, Chad Reed helped create and partly paid for the new Australian Supercross Championships, called Super-X. He also raced in this series. Chad was very dominant, winning six out of seven races. He easily took home the Australian Supercross Championship title.

Another Win in 2009

In 2009, Chad Reed rode his new Monster Energy Kawasaki KX-450F. He won four of the seven rounds in the series. Chad won the championship by 23 points over Daniel Reardon. This was Chad's fourth Australian Supercross Championship.

2010 Race in Newcastle

Chad raced in the first round of the 2010 Super X series. It was held at the Newcastle International Sports Centre in Newcastle. He rode a Honda sponsored by Vodafone. Chad won the event, beating American riders Josh Hansen and Justin Brayton.

International Racing Career

Racing in Europe: 2001

In 2001, Chad Reed went to Europe to race in the FIM World 250cc Motocross Championships. He rode for Jan DeGroot's factory Kawasaki team. Chad was amazing on his KX250. He won the Grand Prix of Lierop in the Netherlands. He finished the year in second place, behind the multi-time World Champion Mickaël Pichon. Chad was the first Australian to win a 250cc World Grand Prix race.

Moving to the USA: 2002

Chad moved to the United States in 2002. He joined the Yamaha of Troy team. That season, Chad won almost every Supercross race. He won the 125cc East Coast Supercross championship.

Chad also got his first and only 125cc National victory at Mount Morris, Pennsylvania. He finished third overall that season. Chad's very first Supercross race in the USA was in San Diego, California.

Rookie Year in 250cc: 2003

In 2003, Chad moved up to the 250cc class, riding for Factory Yamaha. In his first 250cc Supercross season, Chad finished second to his main rival, Ricky Carmichael. He lost the title by only 7 points, even though Chad won 8 races and Carmichael won 7.

Chad finished his first 250cc Motocross season in third place, behind Carmichael and Kevin Windham.

Winning the 2004 AMA Supercross

In 2004, Chad Reed won the AMA 250cc Supercross series. He battled with riders like Kevin Windham, Michael Byrne, and Tim Ferry. Chad earned 10 victories that season.

He finished second to Carmichael in the motocross season that year.

New Rivals in 2005

The year 2005 saw James Stewart Jr. join the 250cc class, racing against Reed and Carmichael. All three riders won multiple races. Carmichael won the championship with seven wins. Reed was second with five wins, and Stewart was third with three wins.

Close Race in 2006

In 2006, Chad Reed was still very competitive, even after hurting his shoulder badly mid-season. His injury made it hard for him to race his best. In the last race of the season, Reed and Carmichael were tied for points. This made it the closest AMA Supercross championship ever. Chad finished third that night, and Carmichael finished second. Chad lost the 2006 AMA Supercross title to Carmichael by just two points. Chad won two races that season. His shoulder injury came back, and he had to stop racing the Nationals after the Millville round.

Starting His Own Team: 2007

In 2007, Chad Reed announced he was leaving the factory Yamaha team. He wanted to start his own private team, like Jeremy McGrath had done before. Yamaha, The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Thor, and Nike supported him. He even brought in Larry Brooks, McGrath's old team manager, to lead the new team, called L&M Racing. Chad won one race that season and finished second in the championship to James Stewart Jr.

Second AMA Supercross Title: 2008

In 2008, Chad Reed won nine out of 14 races in the AMA Supercross season. He beat Kevin Windham to win the AMA Supercross title for the second time. This season had many exciting battles. Chad raced hard against Davi Millsaps, Kevin Windham, and Josh Hill for race wins. In the end, Chad won the championship by 13 points over Kevin Windham.

Joining Suzuki and Motocross Title: 2009

Chad joined the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team for the 2009 season. He had tough battles with his rival James Stewart Jr. during the 2009 AMA Supercross Championship. They even had some crashes. Chad lost the title to Stewart by a very close 4 points. Chad won 3 races this season.

Reed in 2009 at the Spring Creek National

Chad decided to race the 2009 motocross season after not racing it for two years. He won the AMA Motocross Championship at round ten, with two rounds still to go. He also won the Monster Energy Triple Crown Championship during the motocross season. He won 5 out of the 12 races that year.

Tough Year in 2010

For the 2010 season, Chad Reed joined the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team. His new teammate was Ryan Villopoto. Chad had a tough start to the season. In round one, he crashed and broke spokes in his front wheel, so he couldn't finish. In round two, he crashed with James Stewart Jr. and broke his hand, again not finishing. Chad returned for round 13 of the Supercross series. Even with a bad start, he finished fourth. Chad later stopped competing, saying he had Epstein-Barr virus. He also shared that becoming a new dad and the death of his friend Andrew McFarlane might have affected his performance.

TwoTwo Motorsports: 2011

After winning the first round of Super X in Australia in October, Chad returned to the US. He tested different bikes and looked for a team for 2011. Chad used Twitter to share clues about his new bike and gear. When talks with other teams didn't work out, Chad decided to create his own team, TwoTwo Motorsports. He rode a Honda CRF450R with support from Honda, Bel-Ray, Shift, and other sponsors.

The 2011 season was a five-way battle between Reed, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart Jr., Ryan Dungey, and Trey Canard. It came down to the final race in Las Vegas between Ryan Villopoto, Reed, and Ryan Dungey. Chad won the Las Vegas race but lost the championship by 4 points to Ryan Villopoto. Chad received the "2011 Rock Hard - Ride Hard Bret Michaels Supercross Award" in Vegas. This was for his amazing effort in starting a new team and still finishing second in the championship.

Injuries in 2012

While racing at the seventh round of the 2012 AMA Supercross series in Dallas, Texas, Chad was in an exciting battle with Ryan Villopoto. He then crashed and got many injuries, including his left knee. The most serious injury needed surgery for a torn ACL. Because of this, Chad had to stop racing for the 2012 title. He was in second place in points when he crashed.

Returning in 2013

Reed in 2013

After a long break, Chad Reed returned to racing. He had a new sponsor, Discount Tire, but kept his TwoTwo Motorsports Honda bike. He raced against Ryan Villopoto, Davi Millsaps, Ryan Dungey, Trey Canard, and Justin Barcia. Chad found it hard to ride aggressively and take the lead. On March 23, 2013, after a race in Toronto, Canada, Chad announced he had knee surgery. He missed one race in Houston, Texas. He came back to race in Minneapolis. However, in the Main Event in Seattle, Chad crashed in the first corner and hurt his right arm. He returned for Salt Lake City but had engine problems. In the Main Event in Salt Lake City, he finished 10th.

2014 Season

After a tough 2013 season, Chad returned to racing in 2014. He had finished on the podium twice in 2013. He switched from Honda to Kawasaki but still rode for his TwoTwo Motorsports team and Discount Tire. Chad continued to face challenges with his new bike. He finished 3rd in the first race in Anaheim. He then won the 3rd round in Anaheim 2 and the 5th round in Anaheim 3. At Round 6 in San Diego, Chad crashed hard after hitting Ken Roczen's rear wheel. He suffered a shoulder injury and a broken collarbone. Chad had to stop racing for the rest of the 2014 AMA Supercross Series. He was in second place in points when he got injured. In the Lucas Oil MX Series, he finished around 10th overall and got two "holeshots" (meaning he was first out of the starting gate).

Team Changes in 2015

The year 2015 was one of Chad Reed's most disappointing seasons. He won one race in the Supercross Championship and had two other podium finishes. He stopped racing the AMA Motocross championship halfway through the season due to sponsorship issues. He later announced that his TwoTwo Motorsports Team, which he started in 2011, was closing down. Chad then announced he would ride a Yamaha for the rest of the 2015 season and the 2015 Monster Energy Cup.

Factory Yamaha in 2016

In 2016, Chad Reed raced in the 2016 AMA Monster Energy Supercross Championship with Factory Yamaha. His sponsors included Yamaha Motor Corporation, Monster Energy, Yamalube, Chaparral Motorsports, Yamaha Financial Services, Oakley Motorsports, and Pro Circuit.

Record-Breaking in 2018

In 2018, Chad Reed set a world record. He achieved the most career Monster Energy Supercross main event starts ever.

Injuries in 2019

On February 2, 2019, Chad finished in the Top Five (5th place) at the AMA Monster Energy Supercross in San Diego. On February 23, he finished 3rd on the podium in Detroit. This increased his record for most all-time AMA Supercross podiums to 132. On March 23, he crashed at the start of the main event during the Seattle supercross. He suffered many injuries, including a broken scapula (shoulder blade), eight rib fractures, and a collapsed lung. These injuries ended his 2019 Supercross season.

Final Season: 2020

Chad Reed had announced that 2020 would be his last racing season. Midway through the year, after a break caused by COVID-19, Chad switched from Honda to KTM. His best finish in 2020 was 10th place at the final race.

Chad's Sponsors

Chad Reed has ridden for many different sponsors throughout his career. These include: Yamaha Motor Company, Husqvarna, Monster Energy, Red Bull, Oakley, Fox Racing, Shift, Discount Tire, Boost Mobile, Pro Circuit, 360 Fly Camera, and Penrite.

Chad's Achievements

• 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

Special Recognition

On June 13, 2011, Chad Reed received a special award. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia. This was for his great service to motorsports as a professional supercross motorcycle rider. It recognized his achievements at both national and international levels, and his contributions to the community.