Chad Reed swaps two wheels for four
TWO-TIME world and American supercross champion Chad Reed will temporarily swap two wheels for four as he steps into a rally car for a test drive.
While Reed is in Brisbane today for the final of the Australian SuperX series on Saturday night, he is taking the opportunity to test Toyota’s Australian Rally Championship-winning car.
It is not the first time Australia’s richest motorsport identity has tried his hand at four wheels.
The 26-year-old also tested with the Brisbane-based Triple8 V8 Supercar team at Queensland Raceway last year and earlier this year said he would like to drive in the series when he turned 30.
“V8 Supercars would be the ultimate thing for me to do,” he said.
“Mainly because of the appeal of being able to race at home in Australia.”
However, today he gets behind the wheel of the Team TRD Rally S2000 Corolla of Neal Bates and Coral Taylor at Queensland Raceway Rally Track, with Taylor in the navigator’s seat.
“I’m used to it just being me and my right wrist twisting a throttle; it will be interesting to see what it’s like with a navigator beside me telling me what to do,” he said.
“The test came about after I showed a lot of interest through the right people.
“I’m incredibly excited to be affiliated with such a company. I also have a Toyota rally car being built for me back in the US.”
Reed is not the first motorcycle racer to switch to four wheels at the end of a bike career.
Former world 500cc champion Wayne Gardner, of Wollongong, drove in V8 Supercars and was quite successful in Japanese GT car racing.
Retiring World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss has also expressed a wish to race cars and six-times world champion Valentino Rossi, of Italy, has competed in several rallies and tested a Formula One car.
Reed is leading the Australian SuperX series having won every round until Saturday night’s loss to Jay Marmont in the sixth round in Townsville.
However, with only 14 points separating him and Marmont, Reed said the championship would come down to the last round which features a new format of four five-lap sprints.
Reed has invited his long-time supercross idol Jeremy McGrath of the US to compete in the two Queensland rounds.
“I do R & D for Honda and still compete in a few fun races each year,” the veteran racer said.
“I like it ’cause there’s no pressure, although the Australian riders are really very good and competitive.”
Reed said he expected up to 20,000 people to attend the final round at QSAC.
Three truckloads of soil an hour have been rolling into the grounds since yesterday to shift about 6000 tonnes of dirt to make the 771m track including 29 jumps, an 83m straight, two “whoops” sections and a long “stutter”.
After the series, Reed will return to the US to prepare to defend his current titles.
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