Chad Reed PR:

Australia’s Chad Reed has identified the ‘first few laps’ as vital in the race to convert practice and qualifying form to moto wins at this weekend’s third round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship.

Outdoor competition resumes on Saturday at Freestone Raceway in Wortham, Texas, a track known for its varying soil surface and technical obstacles.

The Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider has made a solid start to his motocross campaign, placed third in the points after two rounds.

Reed said re-learning the unique elements of outdoor competition had proven challenging, and was hoping to factor more significantly in the results at Freestone Raceway.

“I know I’ve got the speed, the team is well on top of the RM-Z450 and it’s the fastest bike out there across practice and qualifying which is promising,” said Reed.

“When it comes to motos, those first few laps are very important. Clear track is one of the biggest advantages you can have, and a slow start means you’re spending all your energy early just trying to get through the pack.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” Reed continued. “I’m starting to feel really comfortable and each opportunity to get out on bike, whether it’s a mid-week practice or a competitive moto, is resulting in improvement.

“Freestone Raceway is different again in terms of the challenge to riders; the surface changes quite a lot and a lot of different lines start to emerge as the day goes on.”

“The heat will play a factor for sure – two 30-minute motos can really take it out of you.”

Reed is a point shy of second place in the 450 class, and a further 19 points off leader and teammate Mike Alessi.

Australian fans can catch the action live on allisports.com as well as watching comprehensive highlights videos from each round. Go to http://www.allisports.com/tours/lucas-oil-ama-pro-motocross-championship for more information.