Ricky Carmichael may be starting a new career in NASCAR from 2007, but AMA rival Chad Reed might also be considering a four-wheel switch after a very impressive debut in a V8 Supercar.
Reed stepped into the driver's seat of Paul Morris's Sirromet Wines Commodore, at the Holden Performance Driving Centre on the Gold Coast of his native Australia, on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old Yamaha star, who has long harboured the ambition to get behind the wheel of a V8 Supercar, impressed in his first ever test and said he was extremely grateful for the opportunity to realise a long term goal.
"It was awesome to have had the opportunity to drive a real V8 Supercar," Reed said "I have always had a long term goal of being able to drive in the endurance races and particularly Bathurst. Although today did wet my appetite for more time in a V8 Supercar, I still have my current goal of winning the 2007 and 2008 AMA Supercross Championships to accomplish. That is what I am focused on at this point but you never know what I might have time for in the off season
"Driving the V8 Supercar was something that I have always wanted to do and it was amazing to finally have the chance to get behind the wheel. I am extremely grateful to both Yamaha and Paul Morris Motorsport for being been kind enough to make this test day happen," he added.
Before hopping into the V8 Supercar, Reed completed instructional laps in a road car prior to undertaking a number of sessions in the V8 Superschool race experience cars under the tuition of Morris.
Reed then completed two, six lap sessions in the Paul Morris VZ Commodore to be raced by Alan Gurr at Indy this weekend, returning the racecar to the pits in the same condition in which it left. His only error was a missed gear change, an offence that is still common amongst even the most experienced drivers.
![Yamaha's Chad Reed [Photo: Ray Archer].](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/47134.jpg )
