Yamaha’s Chad Reed finds himself in the points lead of the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series as the championship moves to Atlanta’s Georgia Dome on February 25 - after two unexpected turn of events in this past Saturday’s race in St. Louis.
Defending AMA Supercross champ Ricky Carmichael lost his points lead after his Suzuki suffered mechanical problems resulting from a first-turn crash in St. Louis. He finished 20th, his worst result since crashing out of Anaheim I in 2002.
That opened the door for Kawasaki’s James Stewart to move into the series lead, but Stewart could not capitalise on the tremendous opportunity handed to him. He crashed as well and spent nearly a lap trying to bend his lever back into place and getting his bike started. Stewart eventually got back in the race, but could only muster a 17th-place finish.
Meanwhile Reed took maximum advantage of his rivals’ misfortunes. The 2004 AMA Supercross champ moved past Suzuki’s Ivan Tedesco just past half-way and pulled away to a convincing 11.3-second victory. It marked Reed’s first victory since the Las Vegas round last year and led to an emotional podium celebration for the Australian rider.
"It’s unbelievable," Reed said after winning Saturday. "I’ve been pulling my hair out this season trying to find my speed. At times I almost felt like giving up. I kept telling myself that it was a long series and I still had what it took to win. I’m so happy for my team. It felt horrible to see them working so hard and not being able to produce the results. I thank my wife and my fans for believing in me. Their support made all the difference in the world. Now we’re starting fresh and I’m ready for the second half of the season."
Carmichael dropped to second in the standings, nine points behind Reed - but still holds the top spot in the World SX GP battle by 1-point over Stewart (with Reed a close third). Stewart is now third in the AMA standings, eight points behind Carmichael.
