Page 26 - Issue_72

CHAD REED
450 SX / 7TH
IMAGE / KILPATRICK WORDS / WARNER DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> It’s been a long season for Chad Reed. After barely making it to Anaheim One here we are at round thirteen and he continues to get better. Seventh place is an unglamorous nish for a former two-time champion, but it was Chad’s best nish of the season! Based on how Chad’s season has been so far qualifying has been one of his biggest struggles. Once he’s in the night show he seems to get things gured out. Couple LCQ’s, but he gets it done. When the weather forecast was shown this week I was concerned about how Chad would fair in the mud. We know Chad can ride the mud, if you are unsure rewatch Daytona 2008. My concern more stemmed from his struggles this year alone and in qualifying Saturday I could not have been more wrong a Chad went out and quali- ed ninth. Chad started Heat Two in eighth place and by lap three was up to third behind Tomac and Anderson. For a brief moment I thought “man their might be a chance for
him to win this” based on Anderson tipping over multiple times. However Tomac would make little to no mistakes and win by over thirty seconds in just a Heat Race. Chad would cross the stripe third. To start the Main Event Chad was eighth, he quickly got all the way up to fth. I thought at that point he might run fth for awhile and then begin to fade back, but Chad rode strong and held his ground all the way until the nal lap. On the last lap Cooper Webb nally caught and passed him. Chads bike had been puking coolant for ninety percent of the race and two turns to go the bike nally started to let go. Going up in a cloud that made vision nearly impossible Chads bike quit just feet from the nish line. Daytona 2008 came to my mind immediately “no, his best nish all season is gonna turn into a dnf.” Chad then proceeded to push his bike up this nish line face and thankfully the start stop line was lower in the face and he was awarded seventh place. His best nish so far in 2018! There are four rounds left, can change reach the podium? We will see!
26 GRITMOTO • APRIL 8, 2018