Page 28 - ISSUE _38

CHAD REED
450 SX / 7TH
IMAGE /MPG WORDS /HARNISHFEGER DESIGN / WILSON
>> Chad Reed has had countless numbers of battles in the Georgia Dome. I’m sure the venue will always be remembered by the Aussie as one of his favorites and he wanted to give it one more win as a parting gift. The task would be tough as Reedy has been wildly inconsistent this season but he was hoping to turn things around once and for all. After all his last win was here in the Georgia Dome back in 2015. He looked really good in practice and the lap times proved it. He had the second quickest time and asserted himself as a favorite for the main event win.
The gate dropped in the heat race and Reed reassured us that he was still feeling it after practice. He started fourth but swiftly moved by Malcolm Stew- art. He was making the toughest whoops of the year look effortless and they helped him pass Broc Tickle for second a few laps later. He set his sights on Dungey but frankly ran out of time. Nonetheless he was onto the main event to try and put on a show.
Reed got another good start in the main rounding the opening lap in fifth place. This time around instead of moving up, he got passed early by Cole Seely. He seemed caught a bit off guard so he locked in behind him and started chasing him back down. The pair of riders passed both Alessi and Bogle when disaster struck for Reed. He put on a charge through the big, jagged whoops and got bucked right at the end pushing his front end into the ground and he washed out going into the corner. The engine stalled costing him valuable time. He remounted in thirteenth and went into damage control mode. He strung together some fast laps and showed he had some poten- tial race winning speed as he climbed back up to finish in seventh. Despite the fall, that seventh place was still his best since his stellar second place in Glendale four weeks ago. Look for Reed to go out for revenge next weekend in Toronto.
28 GRITMOTO • FEBRUARY 26, 2017