Supercross

One on One with Chad Reed from Anaheim 1

Author: Gina Cleaver

Author: Gina Cleaver

Posted:

Friday, January 4th, 2013

9:02 AM

In the lead up to the opening round of the 2013 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Gina Cleaver who will be following the Australian riders progress throughout the championship for Fullnoise.com.au. along with keeping us up to date with all the action during the season, headed to the pre-season rider press conference.

Read below as Gina catches up with the biggest name in Australian SX, Chad Reed during the Anaheim 1 press day to get his personal thoughts of where he is at heading into the 2013 season and also gets his thoughts on the Australian riders who are racing in the U.S and also those who are not!

Fullnoise: You're here ready to chase the SX 2013 Championship, Last season ended prematurely due to Injury sustained at Dallas Supercross Rd 7, How confident are you feeling heading into A1?

Reed: Yeah I feel good, that injury is 10 to almost 11months old now, I've pretty much come full circle now, no excuses , it's time to not be hurt.

We drop the gate 2 nights from tonight and I feel like I'm ready where at Monster Energy Cup I really struggled and didn't feel great at all. In saying that racing back home in Oz really helped me a lot, the last few months has been a lot of fun.

Going home, spending time with Family and getting back up to speed, Since that I've felt really good and confident.

Fullnoise: Aside from racing Terex Supercross in Australia how else have you mentally prepared yourself for the 2013 Monster Energy AMA 17 round series?

Reed: We worked on the team, tweaked a few things, moved some personnel around different divisions in the race team which I think makes us stronger and makes people more confident within the team, basically I think for us find a happy place, my happy place is near, its always a good thing to feel that coming into the first race.

Fullnoise: Do you have a game plan for the series and what anticipations do you have??

Reed: I anticipate it to be a 17 race series, you're going to have to be there every weekend,As I say be in it to win it.

For me new guys come and go all the time. I was one of them & you never know what you're going to get as far as the season goes. It takes being there every round, sacrificing some race wins for people who try to be on the foot of you and being fast on bad weekends.

I am just going to try to do my thing and hopefully end up in Vegas with a shot at the title.

Chad Reed will go head to head with 2011 and 12 champ Ryan Villopoto in 2013 - Credit: Gina Cleaver

Fullnoise: Do you approach this season any different to your past seasons due to being the sole representative of your personal Two Two motorsports team?

Reed: No not really you can switch your brain off from the racing part of it and focus on the race team alone.

Honestly the race team takes up more space in my brain these days than the actual racing does. The racing is what you really just drive yourself crazy with.

To not think about racing 24-7 its actually a positive thing, It works out good, I'm looking forward to the near year & the new guys we have currently on the team.

Fullnoise: This your 11th Supercross season with 41 wins under your belt, after so much race time is the hunger still there?

Reed: Yeah its still there, that's why I'm still here (laughs). When you go through moments like I did last year, you ask yourself is it all worth it, getting hurt to come back and put yourself in that position again?

I love what I do I've been doing it for a long time now and I'm ready to get right back out there and walk the fine line.

Fullnoise: What are your thoughts on the large contingent of Australian's contesting A1 and the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross series as a whole??

Reed: Yeah there's a lot actually, I seen a list last night, there seems to be 5 -6 of us. Hopefully all of us will be in the main event and ready to represent as best we can.

It's a tough harsh comment but there doesn't seem to be a lot of kids willing to push the line to get over here any more. Australians need to take the next step I think and there's not a lot of them willing to make the drive for it.

Racing is a lot less, stress is a lot less, racers make a lot of money in Aus, they are also in a familiar place and comfort zones are there.

I do question that aspect, I think those kids need to aim for here to better themselves. Hopefully in the near future we will see those younger Aussies over here in there competing for podiums and race wins.

Fullnoise: Australia hopes so too, Thanks Chad all the best for A1

Reed: Thanks

Top Image: Chad Reed along with Villopoto (Right) and Barcia (Left) at the A1 Press Conference.
Credit: Gina Cleaver