Chad Reed: Australia's greatest supercross rider retires

When Chad Reed left his hometown of Kurri Kurri in 2001 to chase international success, no one could have predicted that, nineteen years later, he’d retire as one of the greatest motocross and supercross riders of all time.

The Australian was already a star on home soil, having won multiple junior titles plus the Australia 250cc Supercross Championship in 1999 and 2000.

In 2001, aged just 18, he travelled with his future wife Ellie to Europe to compete in FIM World Motocross Championship. It was a bold move, and one that his parents weren’t initially fond of, but it proved to be a stroke of genius.

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Racing for Jan De Groot’s Kawasaki team in 2001, Reed became the first Australian to win a 250cc Motocross Grand Prix. That win came at the notorious sand circuit, Lierop, in the Netherlands. The Australian rider also finished second in the championship behind Mickael Pichon.

The following year saw Chad and Ellie move again – this time across the Atlantic to America. With a Yamaha of Troy contract, Reed won the 125 East Coast Supercross Championship on debut.

Reed moved up the then-premier 250cc class where he battled Ricky Carmichael (also known as the GOAT) to finish second in the AMA Supercross Championship.

But it was 2004 where everything changed. Not only did Reed marry Ellie, but he also claimed the 250cc Supercross Championship, winning ten races for the season. It was the first time an Australian rider had achieved such a feat, and it would be the start of a dominant period for Reed.

Reed won the premier class championship again in 2008. By then, the AMA Supercross Championship had been declared an FIM World Championship. He won the AMA Pro Motocross 450cc Championship in 2009.

Over the years Reed also won countless other titles, including multiple Australian Supercross Championships. He also represented Australia multiple times in the Motocross of Nations, with the team’s best result a 3rd in 2011 at St. Jean d’Angely, France.

The Australian had many rivalries over the years, with none more heated than that with James Stewart Jr. Reed and Stewart together created much hype and interest in the sport, with both becoming fan favourites.

In recent years, Reed has struggled to match the heights he reached in the mid to late 2000’s, but he has always refused to give up. Even in his last race in Salt Lake City, the 38-year-old battled through the main event to finish a very respectable 10th.

And if you had any doubts about how good Chad Reed was, here are some telling statistics:

• 1st all-time premier class starts (265)
• 4th all-time premier class wins (44)
• 1st all-time premier class podiums (132)
• 1st all-time premier class top-5 (160)
• 1st all-time premier class top-10 (210)
• 1st all-time wins in different seasons (11)
• 2nd all-time podiums in a row (25)
• 6th all-time most wins in a season (10)
• 3rd oldest rider to win a main event (32 years, 11 months, 6 days)

After a long, successful, and sometimes tumultuous career, Reed has finally called it quits, with the COVID-19 affected 2020 AMA Supercross Championship his last. While the door is open for a farewell race in front of fans in 2021, Reed will certainly now be able to enjoy his well-deserved retirement with Ellie and their three children.

His influence on a whole generation of dirt bike riders is unquestionable. In 2011, he was named a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to motorsport.

As for what’s next, no one really knows, but there has been past talk about the champ trying his hand at Supercars racing in his home country. It certainly would be a triumphant return for the home-grown hero after spending most of the last 19 years abroad.

Regardless of what he does, it’s safe to say Reed is well and truly one of the greatest two-wheeled athletes to emerge from Australia. We thank Chad Reed for entertaining us for the last 19 years and wish him well in retirement.