Chad Reed expected to debut new machine in Perth
By, Trevor Hedge
Fresh from wrapping up his second World Supercross Championship Chad Reed is expected to make his debut with a new team at the opening round of the Australasian Supercross Series in Perth on October 4.
Reed’s World and AMA Championship wins have all come aboard Yamaha machinery but with prime rival James ‘Bubba’ Stewart set to switch from Kawasaki to Yamaha the dirtbike world has been abuzz with speculation about who Reed is expected to ride for. An announcement surely must come soon.
Chad Reed is big business and switching brands involves some major corporate shenanigans behind the scenes. Reed currently ranks sixth on the table of Australia’s highest earning sportsmen and any deal will involve at least seven figures and may even approach eight figures.
Millions of dollars worth of merchandise has been sold in recent years featuring Reed’s famous #22 on the blue background that is synonymous with Yamaha so any brand switch is also sure to be a boon for merchandise sales to the Reed faithful. All intelligence suggests that from now on Reed merchandise will feature the yellow background that is the signature of Suzuki. Reed has been spied testing an RM-Z450 and is regarded to have already done the deal.
Chad Reed is not only a contender for the 2008 Australasian Supercross Championship but he is also a partner in the new company formed to run the exciting new series. The collaboration between Reed and Crusty Demons promoters is known as Global Action Sports and is headed by Mike Porra, the man behind the highly successful Uncle Toby’s Ironman Series.
While Reed will be the major drawcard at all events, some other big names are expected to come Down Under. Negotiations are well underway with American legends Jeremy McGrath and Travis Pastrana. Michael Byrne is expected to make a return to home soil competition alongside reigning Australian Supercross Champion Daniel Reardon.
“This is the biggest venture the sport has seen and the Perth Super X event will mark a moment in history as it kicks it all off,” said CEO Mike Porra.
“As the opening event, Perth will redefine the perception of Super X in Australia. Previous Supercross tracks in Australia were approximately 2,500-3,500sqm on average. We will build tracks an incredible 12,000-15,000sqm,” he said.
“Bigger tracks means more action and the opportunity for a new breed of hungrier and more committed riders to step up and challenge for the podium.
“The series is creating a buzz worldwide, especially with the inclusion of our current World Supercross champion Chad Reed in the lineup for all seven events in 2008.”
Reed is also excited about realising his ambition of helping to boost Australian competition to a whole new level.
“It’s fantastic to be visiting Perth as the first event of Super X, we are determined to bring the sport to all corners of the country and I know there is a huge dirt bike following in Western Australia,” said Reed.
The schedule for the seven round Australasian Supercross Championship (Super X) is as follows:
– October 4 – Perth Motorplex – 15,000 capacity
– October 18 – Adelaide Showgrounds – 15,000 capacity
– October 25 – Skilled Stadium Geelong – 20,000 capacity
– November 8 – Parramatta Stadium – 20,000 capacity
– November 15 – WIN Stadium Wollongong – 20,000 capacity
– November 22 – Dairy Farmers Stadium Townsville – 26,500 capacity
– November 29 – Brisbane QSAC – 50,000 capacity
Race Formats
As well as the standard 20 rider, 20 lap format, Super X will break the boundaries of regular competition by introducing four innovative race formats for the Open class finals to test riders and enthral fans – trackside or on live television.
Super X Super Sprint
Pace is at a premium in this hard-charging battle for a berth in the finals, the heats will separate contenders and pretenders.
• 4 heats of 10 riders, 1st place to the finals, 2nd-5th to the semi’s
• 2 semi finals of 8 riders, 1st-4th to the finals
• 12 riders will contest the final 5-lap event for event honours• All races over 5 laps
Super X Survival
It’s every rider for himself as five fall at a time, with only a limited time between each stoush. The night’s fastest five will square off in a 5-lap dash to the flag for event honours.
• 2 heats of 20 riders, 1st-10th in each heat to the finals
• 20 riders will become 15, then 10 and finally 5, with the slowest eliminated each time. Four separate races each over 5 laps
• The final 5 riders will do battle in a 5-lap sprint to event honours
• Riders will have a limited time to refocus between stages in this fast-paced format which will require strong endurance skills
Super X Man-on-Man
Finishing up front is the only way to move through the man-on-man format, with the full field reduced to a final of just 3 riders through an exciting elimination process.
• 2 heats of 20 riders, 1st-8th in each heat to format finals
• 8 heats of 2 riders on just one flying lap, winners progress to quarter finals, losers eliminated
• 4 quarter finals of 2 riders on just one flying lap, winners progress to semi finals, losers eliminated
• 2 semi finals of 2 riders on just one lap, winners progress to final, losers face-off in a last-chance battle for a place in the final
• 2 finalists and the last-chance winner do battle in a 3-way, 2 lap dash for event honours
Triple Challenge
The final 20 riders will face off in 3 separate 6 lap races where riders will gain round points depending on their finishing position in each of the 3 races. At the end of the 3 races the total points granted over all three races will be totalled to find the overall winner of the round.
Track Design
Renowned American track designer Mark Barnett will design and build AMA style tracks at each venue. Rated by the worlds leading riders as the best track designer and builder there is, Barnett currently designs training tracks both in the USA and Australia for World Supercross Champion Chad Reed.
Television Package
Dedicated and comprehensive coverage of Super X will help to raise the profile of riders, manufacturers and sponsors. The television schedule is as follows:
Fox Sports
2 hour season preview, 8:00 – 10:00pm Saturday
2.5 hour LIVE coverage of all 7 rounds, 8:00 – 10:30pm Saturday
2 hour season highlights package, 8:00 – 10:00pm Saturday
Fuel TV
All 9 two-hour programs will be televised on Fuel TV on a delayed basis the following day (Sunday Afternoon) and again on Fox Sports.
Network Ten
1 hour season preview, weekend daytime
1 hour highlights package for each of 7 rounds, weekend daytime
1 hour season highlights package, weekend daytime
Prize Money
There has never been more of an incentive to win than with the new Super X series, with a major increase in prize money for riders and some exciting performance-based rewards.
Total prize money for the series is $210,000. This is an increase on the 2007 Australian Supercross Championship of over 300%.
Classes of Competition
Competitors will battle it out on either Open or Lites machines with wildcards expected to inject some youthful exuberance.
Classes are divided under current MA regulations
Pointscore (pays positions 1-20 per round) NB: The scoring for the new race formats will be unique and are still TBC, but will always result in the same amount of points for each round.
P1. 25 points
P2. 22 points
P3. 20 points
P4. 18 points
P5. 16 points
P6. 15 points
P7. 14 points
P8. 13 points
P9. 12 points
P10. 11 points
P11. 10 points
P12. 9 points
P13. 8 points
P14. 7 points
P15. 6 points
P16. 5 points
P17. 4 points
P18. 3 points
P19. 2 points
P20. 1 point
Reed is widely tipped to ride a Suzuki in the Australasian SX Series
