Chad Reed is up to his old motivational tricks. A few weeks ago we ran a Monday Conversation with him where he said, “A year later it’s the same old thing. It’s crazy, you know? I’ve been doing this thing—racing in the big-boy class since 2003—and it’s the same thing. It seems like every year you’re getting the same questions and the same critics. I feel like the questions are still the same.”
This is not true. After last year’s pair of epic Anaheim rides, where Reed took the measure of the best in the business, no one is questioning him. Until Chad himself says he’s done, only a fool would count him out. Further, this was only the latest in a series of against all odds Reed comebacks.
I’d heard he was done after James Stewart waved him by and then re-passed him at Unadilla in 2002, I heard he had made too much money and was over it by 2006, heard he was out of shape prior to 2009, heard he would probably never race in America again after 2010, heard he couldn’t possibly start his own team and build his own bike and be competitive for 2011, heard he’d never mentally recover from the Millville “Chadapult.” We’ve just amassed a full paragraph on all the times Reed had been doubted only to recant the doubters.
This is what he does.
Based on that, I actually expected good things from Chad last year. At this point it’s pretty clear he knows the formula for success. If he does what he feels is right and says he has the feeling, I trust him. I’d say everyone trusts him at this point. So, then, how can he say he’s being doubted again? Don’t we all believe in him now? How can he say there are critics and questions?
Well, let’s take out the truth serum. Yes, we all say we believe in Chad, and we will never doubt him again. However, if someone told you to bet your life savings on a rider winning this year’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, would Chad Reed be your pick?
That’s the problem. We believe Chad is capable of having another amazing season, of getting up front and winning races again. But he believes he can win the championship. There’s the disconnect. It’s easy to believe that Chad will be good in 2015. But is it easy to believe he will be champion?
The recent track record isn’t good. Chad was once the most consistent man in the game, but he hasn’t made all of the SX rounds since 2011. He was faster than ever in 2012 but busted himself in a crash and wasn’t fully recovered for 2013. He was fast again last year but crashed again, ending his season early, again.
Chad has shown a will to win that has led to hero rides, but he’s also made mistakes. This year could be a little different. Without the threat of Ryan Villopoto, there could be less emphasis on winning races and more on just making it to the finish. Davi Millsaps’ 2013 season proved it was impossible to take a title over Villopoto just through consistency. Davi was solid all year while Villopoto faltered quite often. But then RV just started winning races and made up points in huge chunks. It’s very difficult to win a title by winning just two races when someone else wins ten. Reed has seen this himself, first hand. In this field, though, no one rider might be able to win ten races. Consistency could rule the day.
We expect to see a fast Chad Reed again in 2015. What we hope to see is that old Chad Reed consistency and longevity, too, because it will just make this title chase that much more interesting. There’s still a question if he can deliver on that front—but as always, questions just motivate the man that much more. If Chad comes through this time, he’ll have proven everyone right, and also a little wrong, too.
