Dual champion Chad Reed was fifth in his debut as owner/rider of TwoTwo Motorsports at A1. Image: SupercrossOnline.com.

While Ryan Villopoto was the big winner of today’s opening round of the Monster Energy Supercross, an FIM World Championship, series, Australia had four of our best representing our country at Anaheim’s opener in California.

The Aussie contingent included dual world champion Chad Reed along with rookie wonders Brett Metcalfe and Tye Simmonds in the Supercross Class, while Aussie regular Ryan Marmont was the lone charger in the Lites.

Here’s the rundown of how our boys’ season openers kicked off at A1 with all their results and a quick report card on their first performances of the 2011 season.

Supercross Class Riders:

Chad Reed – TwoTwo Motorsports
Qualifying: 3rd
Heat Race: 4th (heat two)
Main Event: 5th
Rundown: You have to admire the determination that Australia’s greatest of all time Chad Reed has shown entering the 2011 season. In an all-new team on a bike that he’s never raced in the U.S. before, Reed put in a solid performance at A1. He showed his speed with the third fastest time in qualifying and then took fourth in his heat for a direct transfer to the main. Fifth in the main event wasn’t exactly what Reed ordered, but considering he completed lap one in 13th then we’ll give him five stars for surging through the all-star pack.

Brett Metcalfe – Rockstar Makita Suzuki
Qualifying: 13th
Heat Race: 3rd (heat two)
Main Event: 8th
Rundown: As defending champion Ryan Dungey’s teammate at Suzuki, there’s a lot of pressure sitting on Brett Metcalfe’s shoulders entering his rookie 450 season. His day started slow in a packed field, however come race time he impressed with third in the first heat – ahead of Reed. Metty got a good start in the main, riding to a consistent eighth. Don’t count out his podium potential.

Tye Simmonds – JDR/J-Star/KTM
Qualifying: 22nd
Heat Race: 10th (heat one)
LCQ: 4th
Rundown: With experienced part-time teammate Dan Reardon ruled out just days before the Anaheim round, 18-year-old AMA Supercross first-timer Tye Simmonds had the pressure of the entire JDR/J-Star/KTM team on his shoulders in the 450 Class. It was a case of so close on two occasions to qualify for the main for Simmonds at A1, missing out by one position in the heat and then by just two positions in the LCQ. He’ll be back next week for another shot though – and with Reardon hopefully alongside him – so we look forward to the massive future ahead for Simmo.

Lites Class Riders:

Ryan Marmont – JDR/J-Star/KTM
Qualifying: 17th
Heat Race: 8th (heat two)
Main Event: 14th
Rundown: As a multiple-time Lites class champion in Australia, it’s surprising that A1 in 2011 marked Ryan Marmont’s first ever AMA Supercross race for his decorated career. Doggy impressed by transferring straight to the main event via his heat race and then started off the main event well inside the top 10. In the end he finished up 14th, losing a position on the final lap, but impressing nonetheless. As his confidence grows, look for Marmont to climb the leaderboard before he returns to Oz for his maiden Pro Open assault this year.