CHAD REED:

Rain played havoc with the penultimate round of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Moto-X 338 in Southwick, putting pay to a certain overall victory for Australia’s Chad Reed, the newly-crowned 450 class champion.

There was little pressure on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki rider, having wrapped up proceedings a round earlier with an unbeatable points lead.

It soon became apparent that Reed would not be backing off at all, determined to put on a show for the crowd that had braved the damp day out.

He took a dominant victory in the first moto, showcasing the style and speed that made him the standout of the world’s most competitive motocross series all season long.

It took little time for Reed to establish himself as the front-runner in moto two, but a spectacular crash following a cross-rut on lap nine ended his hopes.

Eighth overall was all he could muster after finishing up in 31st place in the second moto.

“I felt good going into the round and really wanted to get out there, have some fun and show my thanks to those that have supported me,” said Reed.

“It’s been a big season and a lot of people have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to win this championship.

“I got the holeshot to start and managed to win the first moto, the track was barely holding up but it was nothing compared to moto two.

“I felt I had the win and overall in me but cross-rutted and came down hard at the half-way point.

“It was a disappointing end to the day but has no bearing on the championship.”

The result only put a small dent in Reed’s massive points lead, which saw him unofficially wrap up the title at Budds Creek.

At present he has 459 points next to his name, over 100 points clear of Andrew Short in second.

The final round of the championship will be held at Steel City Raceway next weekend.