Reed surges to AMA SX lead

Australian Chad Reed (Honda) is the new leader in the 2011 AMA Supercross Championship after a second place finish in Toronto on Saturday, March 26.

Although victories are proving to be difficult to come by – he has just one to his name so far – Reed’s consistency has been his lifeblood, with the latest second place behind defending champion Ryan Dungey (Suzuki), with Ryan Villopoto only finishing ninth on his Kawasaki.

“I am pumped to come away with the points lead but I can’t get too carried away. I still have a bit of work to do,” Reed said.

“I need to quit making mistakes, these guys are to on it for that. Ryan (Dungey) rode a great race, and he was faster in the whoops and turns. It took everything I had to try and pressure him into making a mistake.

“The industry decided not to give me a chance this season. I want to win this championship so bad. It would be a bittersweet speech for sure.”

Last week’s winner Trey Canard (Honda) continued his great form with third in Toronto, ahead of James Stewart (Yamaha) and Justin Brayton (Yamaha).

Villopoto was caught up in a jam on lap one which started when Stewart found himself on the ground. At the conclusion of lap one, Villopoto crossed the line in ninth while Stewart sat 13th. The duo moved through the field in tow of one another before Stewart attempted to pass Villopoto. The two riders made contact, falling to the ground. While Stewart got straight back down to business, Villopoto pulled off the track to address an issue with his bike.

Meanwhile, Dungey led all 20 laps to capture his first win of the season, in a campaign that’s just starting to gain some real momentum.

“It’s been a tough one (this season) and it feels great to pull (a win) off,” said Dungey. “Everyone goes through this at some point because it’s a tough road. I got a great start tonight which was huge. The track was really tough and you had to watch the mistakes.”

Australians Michael Byrne (Suzuki) and Tye Simmonds (KTM) were 14th and 15th in the final.

Reed’s now on 233pts, from Villopoto (233), the ominous-looking Dungey (228), Stewart (216) and Canard (214) – the only five riders capable of clinching the championship.