Two-time AMA 450 Supercross Champion Chad Reed scored his 132nd top-three position at Saturday’s Detroit Supercross aboard his JGRMX/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing RM-Z450.
Reed finished third overall in the Triple Crown Event and moved into eighth place in the series after eight rounds as he continues to deliver strong results at the mid-point of the season. In the first race of the evening, “Speedy” raced with the leaders before finishing third. He used great starts on his Suzuki RM-Z450 and excellent line choices to remain steady throughout the remaining main events in the unique format which rewards speed and consistency.
“Finishing third in the first main was a great step,” said Reed. “I was super excited to get back on the podium, which was my 132nd top-three finish. I’ll take the small wins from the weekend. My top priority is to continue improving in those areas, so I can have a shot at winning one of these things!”
450 team-mate Justin Hill was fast in qualifying, logging a strong top-10 time. Still recovering from a rib injury sustained in San Diego, the 23-year-old showed comfort on the RM-Z450 in Detroit but dealt with tightness during the night program which left him 13th overall.
“Justin said that he felt flat in terms of energy, and he plans to keep working with the team to improve his results,” said Jeremy Albrecht, Team Manager. “I know that he has the speed and if he would ride at the races like he does during the week, then he would be in a great position for a breakout ride. I feel that Chad getting on the podium should help all of us keep working hard to get the results that our team deserves.”
In the 250 East, Alex Martin once again showed his pace by placing third-fastest in combined qualifying. He followed up that impressive ride by earning third place in the second main event. With a sixth place overall finish, Martin remains in the championship point’s chase.
RM-Z250 team-mate Kyle Peters has shown incredible speed during weekly test sessions. He is focused on carrying that intensity over to race weekends. Peters improved in every main event at Detroit but unfortunately finished eighth overall.
Albrecht continued, “It was nice to see Alex on the podium in the second main. He had some speed in the final race, but he didn’t get a good enough start to battle for a podium position. It took Kyle a little longer to get the track dialled, but he kept pushing. His third main was his best of the night. I can’t wait to see all of our guys race each other next week in Atlanta for the 250 East/West Shootout.”
The JGRMX/ Yoshimura/ Suzuki Factory Racing Team will travel to Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, March 2 for the ninth round of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA/ FIM World Supercross Championship. This will also serve as the first of two 250 East/ West Regional Supercross showdowns where riders from both series go head to head.
Chad Reed [450 Class, 3rd Place]: “We had a really successful day of testing last week, which carried into the weekend. My single lap speed wasn’t great, but I felt race ready. I entered the night program feeling quite good, knowing that a good start was what I needed. I almost got a holeshot. Finishing third in the first main was a great step. I was super excited to get back on the podium, which was my 132nd top-three finish. I’ll take the small wins from the weekend. My top priority is to continue improving in those areas, so I can have a shot at winning one of these things!”
Alex Martin [250 Class, 6th Place]: “I was happy with my riding in Detroit. I qualified third fastest in practice, which is something I haven’t done for a few years in Supercross. I had a great jump in the first main, but I got pushed off the track on the start. I was only able to get back to 10th place. I was very happy with my third-place finish in the second main. It was the best I have ridden in a Supercross race in a long time. The third main event I pretty much finished where I started. We’re making good strides toward being on the podium. My consistency on the starts is something we will work on this week.”
Kyle Peters [250 Class, 8th Place]: “It was an off-weekend in Detroit. I wasn’t riding to my potential, but I improved throughout the night. I’m ready to put in work for Atlanta. I’m solid during the week, but I’m having difficulty carrying that over to the races.”
Justin Hill [450 Class, 13th Place]: “Ultimately, I cooked myself last week trying to gain my cardio back. I’ll be cutting my training off by Wednesday, so I can be fresh for next weekend. I’ll be looking to get where I need to finish.”
Team manager Jeremy Albrecht: “Detroit was one of the team’s better weekends. Chad Reed felt good all day, even when he didn’t qualify well. He said that he would be fine during the night program, and he was right. It was cool to see Chad up front and racing so hard. It was a great feeling for our team to help him get on the podium. Justin Hill qualified decently, but he didn’t have the same speed that we saw the weekend prior in Dallas. He said that he felt flat in terms of energy, and he plans to keep working with the team to improve his results. I know that he has the speed. If he would ride at the races like he does during the week, then he would be in a great position for a breakout ride. I feel that Chad Reed getting on the podium should help all of us keep working hard to get the results that our team deserves.
“Alex Martin is riding well. He just got pushed off the track during the start of the opening main. It was nice to see him on the podium in the second main. He had some speed in the final race, but he didn’t get a good enough start to battle for a podium position. He continues to improve. Kyle Peters improved every time out. It took Kyle a little longer to get the track dialed, but he never gave up. His third main event was his best. I can’t wait to see all of our guys race each other next week in Atlanta for the 250 East/West Shootout.”
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