Image: Pete Peterson

Chad Reed @CRtwotwo
"Well I spent the day in the hospital yesterday here's the damage.. 2 broken ribs, broken spinous T6. Torn ACL and fractured tib fib.."

Could this be a career-ending injury for Reed or an injury where the already accomplished racer says it's time to say I have done it all and it's time to just be a team owner and hang up his racing gear?

It is unknown if he will have surgery yet - although he probably will down the road to repair the ACL.

Official Media Release


Carlsbad, California - In a devastating blow for TwoTwo Motorsports Chad Reed, injuries sustained at last weekend's Dallas round of the AMA Supercross, have forced him to retire from the remainder of the 2012 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship.

Reed suffered a horrific crash while challenging for the race lead on Lap 7 and was unable to finish the race.

Initial scans have revealed the Australian has torn his anterior cruciate ligament, broken his tibia and fibula, sustained two broken ribs and has a broken T6 vertebrae.

At this point in time doctors are waiting for the swelling on his knee to subside before they conduct surgery.

"To say I am hurting right now would be a major understatement," Reed said. "I am just trying to figure out what hurts more, the injuries or the fact that I am going to be out for a while with knee surgery.

"This is bitterly disappointing, I felt like I had everything in my corner this time. I've never felt more comfortable, from the bike and team to my riding.

"I was genuinely in a position to fight for race wins week in week out and expected to be going to Las Vegas for a shot at the title.

Reed goes down hard, Villopoto extends points lead, Barca wins East Lites
Words and Photos: Pete Peterson

It was round 7 for the 450 class but opening round for the East Coast 250F riders who've been waiting for their time on the track. Rains soaked the pits all day but under the roof of Cowboy Stadium the dirt was dry and the racing was tight. The crowd on hand was as eager for the racing with a good turnout even for practice. At the end of the night the 250F class showed its cards as a potentially exciting season, and the 450 class had a points mix up and a crash that could have season-changing repercussions.

Supercross/450 Class

Ryan Villopoto grabbed the lead before the third straight and never looked back, but it wasn't easy. Chad Reed was right with him and looking like the faster racer. Both were taking an aggressive leap into the soft, rutted sand section and the move bit Reed early and he crashed hard. Reed went to the Asterisk rig while Villopoto went on to an easy win. Ryan Dungey was the man on the move, climbing back from a bad start, after a bad gate pick, after a bad heat race, after a bad crash on the second straight, after a bad start. Second in the main was pretty good for a night with such a bad start. Jake Weimer didn't make it easy, fighting Dungey during most of that final lap but eventually taking third. James Stewart had another night he's likely rather forget, but at least he didn't have a night he did forget. He got held up when he bumped into Milsaps and stalled his bike. It wasn't really a crash, but it looked like one to the results sheet. Mike Alessi converted a holeshot into a well-ridden forth place, and fifth went to Josh Hansen.

Chad Reed - The talk is all about Chad Reed's gruesome crash when he shorted his leap into the rutty sand section and tumbled, with the bike catching a hold of him and yanking him along with it. Reed, historically not a fast practice rider, set the fastest laptime in practice while making it look easy. In his heat race he passed his way into second and gained on heat-winner Stewart, and looked like a few more laps was all he needed. Basically, he looked great. In the main, he hounded Villopoto, able to take alternate lines and catch right back up at will if a mistake dropped him back. It looked like Reed had the win, and knew it, and was picking his time to strike. Unfortunately the track struck first and he endoed into the tricky sand section and was carried off the track, and taken right to the Asterisk rig. There's no word yet on how serious his injuries are. It's very reminiscent, though not nearly as harrowing, as his crash at Millville. Reed was looking that good, that comfortable, that likely to win, until he hit the ground.

Ryan Villopoto - RV is the new RC. He's blazing fast, can get out of shape - and pull it back in - without losing any time, seems to have speed in reserve when he needs it, and seems able to tough out the competitors that look like they might have an edge. Ryan was fast but not flawless holding off Reed in the main. The two were riding a notch above everyone else on the track. If Reed is out for the season, it could be a one man show from here on out.

James Stewart - Don't count out James Stewart, but it does look like his time away from the outdoors and much of last year's supercross racing may have taken away his competitive edge. Or maybe he just made the mistake of letting everyone else figure out how to win, because he doesn't have the field mentally defeated. He had some bad luck in Dallas, stalling his bike after running into his downed teammate, but all through the day he looked a little 'off.' Stewart used to look like he could bend the laws of physics. Now he looks like he's struggling to pull off things he used to do with style to spare.

Ryan Dungey - The sport's "nice guy" is slow to pass, even riders he has no trouble distancing once around. His conservative style paid off big at Dallas with a second place after recovering from a heat race crash that netted him a bad gate pick for the main. His late-race dice with Weimer was a thriller, and Dungey came out with the 22 points. His consistency would be seen as championship-strategic, if it weren't for Villopoto consistently winning. One of Dungey's great strengths is his ability to take advice when the advice is good - and with Roger DeCoster managing the KTM race effort, don't be too surprised if this far into the season has been more about preventing mistakes rather than going all out for wins.

Jake Weimer - It's good to see the Factory Kawasaki rider back on the podium. He raced Dungey hard but didn't get wild or foolish and accepted third step on the podium rather than risking an aggressive move. He was set up for one, too, on the last lap, in the same corner where Malcolm Stewart tried to take out Boggle and got himself stopped in the process. Weimer's approach was wiser. Podiums are good.

Lites/250F Class

Darryn Durham, in his first race with Pro Circuit Kawasaki, grabbed the lead early but mid-way through the fist lap Blake Wharton slipped by. It lasted about two straights for Wharton before Durham forced his way past on an aggressive inside line that pushed Wharton to the ground. Defending champion, GEICO Honda's Justin Barcia didn't waste much time and with KTM rider Ken Roczen on his tail, moved past his teammate Justin Boggle and then eventually into the lead at the halfway mark. Barcia's passes were aggressive but his riding was within his ability and he never looked like he was going to throw away the lead. Durham rode like he belonged in a podium slot, and Roczen, who looked aggressive and ready for a win all day and night, had an uneventful race that ended him in third.

Justin Barcia - Please don't call this the 'lites' class because the intensity on the track is hard to appreciate until you see it up close. The young racers are not afraid to race close, and none moreso than Justin Barcia. He's never been shy about letting other riders know he wants the line they're in 'right now!' He hit some riders but was merciful on the rev limiter. He looks like he's got the attitude that no one is going to take away his number one plate, or its leader-designator red color.

Ken Roczen - Roczen can be a wild rider, pulling out speed that often comes at the price of a hard fall. He rode his practices and heat like a man set on winning the night, but when it came down to it in the final he didn't take any foolish risks and motored smoothly for a third. Not bad for a rider freshly back from injury. That's a good way to start a series, and five points is easier to make up that 25.

Justin Bogle - Bogle impressed at the end of the 2011 outdoor series and looked confident and fast running up front in his first supercross. He crashed when Malcolm Stewart put a take-out move on him. Bogle's leg caught in Stewart's rear wheel, stopping Stewart until Bogle could be untangled from the bike. Stewart's move was a cheap shot, but so was Boggle's poor sportsmanship in slapping Stewart's head.

Blake Wharton - Wharton was fast on his Rockstar Suzuki but hitting the ground on the fist lap is a good way to let a lot of fast riders past you. Wharton charged back to fourth, showing a dangerous amount of speed for the next race. Wharton's crash wasn't his fault, so look for him to be primed to set the record straight at the Atlanta round.

Blake Baggett - The other Pro Circuit rider had a bad night one turn into the main when he went down hard. His fifteenth place finish didn't put him into a good position to take the title, but maybe being the man with the least to lose can make him ride like... oh, Justin Barcia. It could be a very interesting series!

Official Dallas Monster Energy Supercross Results

Supercross/450 Results: Dallas
1. Ryan Villopoto (Kaw)
2. Ryan Dungey (KTM)
3. Jake Weimer (Kaw)
4. Mike Alessi (Suz)
5. Josh Hansen (Kaw)
6. James Stewart (Yam)
7. Kevin Windham (Hon)
8. Brett Metcalfe (Suz)
9. Justin Brayton (Hon)
10. Kyle Chisholm (Kaw)
11. Broc Tickle (Kaw)
12. Nick Wey (Kaw)
13. Kyle Partridge (Kaw)
14. Bobby Kiniry (Yam)
15. Davi Millsaps (Yam)
16. Matt Goerke (Suz)
17. Gavin Faith (Hon)
18. Nico Izzi (Yam)
19. Jeff Alessi (Suz)
20. Chad Reed (Hon)

Lites/250 Results: Dallas
1. Justin Barcia (Hon)
2. Darryn Durham (Kaw)
3. Ken Roczen (KTM)
4. Blake Baggett (Kaw)
5. Phil Nicoletti (Hon)
6. Malcolm Stewart (KTM)
7. Jake Canada (Hon)
8. PJ Larsen (KTM)
9. Cole Thompson (Hon)
10. Lance Vincent (KTM)
11. Alex Martin (Hon)
12. Hunter Hewitt (Suz)
13. Austin Politelli (Hon)
14. Justin Bogle (Hon)
15. Blake Baggett (Kaw)
16. Les Smith (KTM)
17. Angelo Pellegrini (Suz)
18. Sean Hackley (KTM)
19. Matt Lemoine (Kaw)
20. Kyle Cunningham (Yam)

2012 Monster Energy Supercross Point Standings: As of Dallas

Supercross/450 (7 of 17 rounds)
1. Ryan Villopoto (158/4 wins)
2. Ryan Dungey (145/1 win)
3. Chad Reed (128/1 win)
4. James Stewart (116/1 win)
5. Jake Weimer (92)
6. Kevin Windham (92)
7. Brett Metcalfe (88)
8. Mike Alessi (81)
9. Justin Brayton (80)
10. Josh Hansen (80)

Lites/250 East (1 of 7 rounds))
1. Justin Barcia (25/1 win)
2. Darryn Durham (22)
3. Ken Roczen (20)
4. Blake Baggett (18)
5. Phil Nicoletti (16)
6. Malcolm Stewart (15)
7. Jake Canada (14)
8. PJ Larsen (13)
9. Cole Thompson (12)
10. Lance Vincent (11)

The most incredible aspect of the recent King of the Motos motorcycle race is not that only six of 21 riders managed to complete the grueling 65-mile course.

It's that six riders did complete a three-hour marathon that entailed navigating across sand-filled washes and ominous-looking boulder fields that for most of the field were impassable.

Some riders implied that the first-ever event, staged in the desert near Barstow, Calif., might have been the most extreme off-road motorcycle race ever (see video below).

It featured invited riders known for their expertise on harsh terrain. But down they went, one by one, either from exhaustion or mechanical breakdowns (riders could not receive pit-crew support).


Dirt Rider magazine editor Jimmy Lewis, who co-directed a competition patterned after a similar race for four-wheel-drive vehicles, described King of the Motos as "a motorcycle survival race."

Most of the damage was inflicted on a 10-mile stretch of fraught with boulders. Trial-riding skills were required to make it over some of the larger obstacles, and crashes were frequent and, in some cases, painful.

The course contained few markings, so riders relied on GPS units to maintain a proper line. And when the dust settled in this bone-rattling struggle of attrition, British endurance specialist Graham Jarvis was the winner, with a time of 2:57:19.

The Husaberg rider's prize was $10,000 in the winner-take-all event, but five others deserve mention merely for finishing: Kyle Redman (second place), Destry Abbott, Mike Slawson, Cody Webb and Jimmy Jarett.

Presumably, their kidneys are thankful that this competition will not be held again for another 12 months.

If you enjoy a motocross race filled with challenging, rocky terrain, 10-mile boulder fields, and a scarcely marked course, then King of the Motos is the race for you.

This motorcycle survival challenge requires a racer who is willing to struggle to the finish line in pursuit of the $10,000 prize purse.

The race was a dream realized for Dirt Rider Magazine's Jimmy Lewis. A few years ago, Lewis experienced his first King of Hammers--one of the premier off-road 4x4 events in the country. It was at that point that he decided to add a motorcycle element to the event.

Lucerne Valley, California was the site of the inaugural King of the Motos. The race used an open format with no restrictions on the bikes-- though riders were not permitted to receive support from a pit crew. The goal was to reach the finish using using only GPS and the rider's own navigational skills.

Of the 21 racers who lined up at the start, only 6 were able to finish. In the end, European off-road legend Graham Jarvis won the event by a slim margin after a 3-hour battle with Kyle Redmond.

After watching the race footage, clearly it's not about how fast you are, but how well you handle the various elements thrown at you along the way.

Lewis breaks down the highlights from the race:





Check out photos of the race from Motocross.com's Scott Hoffman.

Round 6 of the AMA Supercross happened right in San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium and a packed stadium saw some great racing--probably some of the best yet this year. Last week in Anaheim, the track was criticized for having small whoops, so what did the track builders do?

They stacked up some dirt and built the toughest set we've seen so far this season. Not only were they monsters, the whoops were spaced pretty far apart making it difficult for the Lites riders to carry momentum all the way through. On San Diego's track, it was the section that separated the men from the boys.

Observations by Scott Hoffman
They stacked up some dirt and built the toughest set we've seen so far this season. Not only were they monsters, the whoops were spaced pretty far apart making it difficult for the Lites riders to carry momentum all the way through. On San Diego's track, it was the section that separated the men from the boys.

-The whoops were a game changer in San Diego and this one race may contribute to the series Championship outcome in the Lites West as well as the Supercross/450 class.
-James Stewart was on the gas, again fastest qualifier and fastest rider through the cupped-out whoops. Yet the whoops also shut down his charge in the main and JS once again hit the ground, finishing a dismal 15th.
-Crashing has become a much too familiar event for Stewart in 2012, and we are not sure why. Could be the rider, the bike, the tough competition, the style of tracks, or his tires.
-Eli Tomac lost his nice cushy point lead when he too went down pretty hard in the whoops trying to take second during the main.

-Bummer for rookie rider privateer Michael Leib. He went down and rung his bell pretty hard during practice/qualifying and was unable to race the night show.
-Another popular rider, Andrew Short, had a bad day in SD during a crash in the heat race going into the first turn. It looks like he injured his shoulder but it is unknown how bad it is and if he will miss the next race or not.
-Factory Honda's Justin Brayton also had a pretty scary crash during qualifying and had to be carted off in the Asterisk med unit. He did return later that night and looked healthy in the heat and the main, finishing 6th.
-All of the West Coast Lites riders will be going on break as the Lites East series kicks off next weekend in Texas.
-It is still unknown when or whom Factory Honda will put on Trey Canard's ride, yet they said it will not remain empty.
-We are just past the one-third mark in the series and the attrition rate has been heavy and we have lost a number of top main-event riders. We hope that rate slows down or stops--but then again, we are talking about dirt bikes.
-Ivan Tedesco is still recovering from his broken finger as is Josh Grant his shoulder. Jeff Ward Racing still has Cody Mackie riding Grant's bike while Tedesco's Hart & Huntington ride sits vacant.
-Trey Canard was at San Diego signing autographs in the Honda pits and his outcome for a full recovery are very high, yet it's still unknown how long it will take.
-Jake Weimer had to run the LCQ to transfer to the main and had a poor showing there.
-Kevin Windham was having a strong ride in SD before he too got bit by the whoops and went down. Play by Play by Chris Green

Supercross Lites / 250 Class:
Heat 1: Dean Wilson grabbed the holeshot and had the #38 KTM of Marvin Musquin right behind him in second. After a few laps Dean began to prove himself and flat out ran away with the race, leaving Musquin and Moss to battle it out for second. A few riders went down in the whoops, although it was no surprise. All throughout practice each and every rider had a few rough runs through the big holes, hinting they were big and very difficult.

Heat 2: Cole Seely jumped off the gate like a rocket and took the holeshot with teammate Travis Baker following close behind. Seely walked away with it leaving Baker in second, and even he had a huge lead over Vince Friese in third. Tomac worked his way up from nearly dead last, crashing just after the first turn. He got up in 16th and worked his way to 8th for a solid qualifying position.

Main: Wilson claimed it early on with a strong start, although he didn't get the holeshot, he quickly passed Friese for the lead before a single lap was counted. Dean began his march by putting time on the rest of the field and slowly put a gap on Matt Moss and Cole Seely. Eli Tomac moved into third, and around the halfway point crashed hard in the whoops. He laid there for quite a bit and eventually jumped up and tried starting his bike but mechanical issues kept him from finishing. Tomac is now two points behind Dean Wilson in the standings. Luckily, Eli has been killing it with three wins leading into San Diego, and is still in the hunt for the title standing.

Supercross / 450 Class:
Heat 1: Ryan Villopoto shot off the gate and claimed the holeshot but lost the lead to Davi Millsaps on the first pass through the whoops. Villopoto quickly passed Davi who held RV's pace for about two laps but couldn't hang after that. Villo kicked it into gear and checked out taking the win by a mile. Jeff Alessi ran third for a while but made one bobble in the whoops that allowed Metcalfe and Partridge to get around.

Heat 2: James Stewart crossed the white line in first taking the holeshot with Mike Alessi close behind. Alessi got around James on the first lap a corner before the finish line and led for four more laps. Unfortunately for Alessi, the heat was red flagged for Alex Ray.
Restart: Alessi almost claimed the holeshot but Reedy had him by a hair. Ryan Dungey and James followed closely and Dungey quickly got by Alessi in the whoops. James picked off the number 800 soon after and began pressuring RD right away. James made his way around Dungey who had a slight mishap in the whoops and gapped him by about four bike lengths. Reed threw a textbook nac-nac over the finish as he took the heat win.

Main: Brett Metcalfe was off to a great start with the holeshot but he had Weimer and Dungey trailing closely behind him. Dungey dropped back to about fifth after a bad run through the whoops and getting pinched off in the next corner. Villopoto took second right away and chased down Metcalfe for the lead. Once RV had the lead he took off, but didn't completely lose the #22. Reed maintained Villopoto's pace but wasn't catching or losing him, but towards the end of the race, Reed put in a charge and passed Villopoto. RV wasn't happy and grabbed it back a few laps before the finish. Reed showed a bunch of speed in the whoops but couldn't mount another attack on Villopoto with a few laps left, resulting in a hard fought win for the defending champ, RV. Dungey was running 4th behind Stewart and inherited a podium position when James took a good hit in the whoops. James couldn't get the bike off of him and ended up getting back up and going two laps later, finishing back in 15th.

Story by Chris Green
Photos by Scott Hoffman