Image: AUS-X Open.

Australia’s greatest-ever export Chad Reed turned heads during the AUS-X Open weekend in Sydney as he announced he will almost certainly be in search of a two-year extension on his factory Yamaha contract that would see him continue through 2019.

The 34-year-old two-time Monster Energy AMA Supercross title winner revealed during the show that he hopes to clinch a new deal during the early stages of 2017 to keep racing at the elite level of the sport for at least two more seasons.

Reed’s inspiration comes from close friend and fellow factory Yamaha hero Valentino Rossi, the 37-year-old nine-time world champion who continues to reinvent himself as a MotoGP title threat despite the ever-increasing influx of youthful talent. Rossi himself this year renewed with Yamaha on a two-year deal through 2017-2018.

Such a contract would be widely-welcomed by Reed fans worldwide and especially Australians, who have been in awe of his global achievements since departing domestic racing near two decades ago to contest grand prix racing in 2001. He moved to the US in 2002 and has been a fixture at the front of the field since.

“That’s the goal,” Reed confirmed to MotoOnline.com.au post-race. “There’s no discussion happening within my circle of trustees and with Ellie and I. It’s not about setting ‘hey, this is when I’m going to retire’, the focus is trying to live in the now and achieve the goals early on in 2017 that will put me in the position to go on and hopefully extend my relationship with Yamaha two more years as a rider. But yeah, I mean I’m sure that it’s not going to be easy, but I’m up for the challenge.”

It’s been no secret of Reed’s that he’s knuckling down to once again elevate his performance ahead of 2017, sparked further by the addition of highly-rated 450 rookie Cooper Webb to the factory Yamaha team alongside him next year. Webb, who turned 21 while down under, was also on hand in Australia for the second year in succession, going 4-2 in the finals.

Reed once again headlined Sydney’s AUS-X Open at Qudos Bank Arena across the weekend, dominating the main events to stamp his authority in what doubled as the final rounds of this year’s Australian Supercross Championship.