Australia?s dirt bike star, Chad Reed, took Sydney Superdome by storm last night, totally dominating the final Round of the 2002 Spokes Promotions Supercross Masters.
Anybody will tell you that Chad is good. And he is. Very, very good.
During the 250cc racing, all eyes were on Reed, riding with number 103 for the Boost Mobile Yamaha of Troy Team. With silky skills and almost freakish talent, Reed made it look easy, leaving others in his wake time and time again.
Reed won the 2002 EA Sports AMA 125cc Eastern Region Supercross Championship earlier this year ? creating history by becoming the first Australian to ever achieve that feat. Last night he showed the several thousand fans who?d gathered for the final Round of the 2002 Championship exactly how he did it, giving his rivals a lesson or two in the process.
Every time the 20 year old?s name was mentioned, the crowd went ballistic, and the young Australian was delighted with the reception.
?It?s great to be back in Australia and to see the crowd here,? Reed, who hails from Newcastle, New South Wales, said.
Next year Reed will ride for the Yamaha Corporation USA?s Yamaha Factory Motocross Team in the 250cc supercross and motocross nationals.
One can only ponder the impact Reed may have had on the Motocross of Nations, held this weekend in Spain. Australia and the USA withdrew their teams when the original venue and date were changed just a week before the event was to take place. The team would have consisted of Reed, his cousin Craig Anderson, and Andrew McFarlane ? a lethal combination which would almost certainly have seen Australia take a podium position.
Anderson, who will be riding the USA circuit in 2003 alongside his cousin, won the Championship overall last night, after Kiwi Daryl Hurley, who was only a couple of points behind Anderson leading into the final Round, had to withdraw earlier in the week due to injuries sustained at practice.
The twenty four year old Anderson has now won three titles in 2002 ? the Maxxis Tyres Australian Motocross Championship; the ADB Thumper Nationals, and Spokes Promotions Supercross Masters/Australian Supercross Championship. Not a bad way to begin his USA campaign.
Troy Carroll won the 125cc event, winning the title overall ahead of Robbie Marshall and Mitchell Hoad.