Chad Reed: “Honestly, I’m retiring because I don’t like modern Supercross”

TDeath21
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3/10/2020 6:57pm Edited Date/Time 3/10/2020 6:57pm
RACERX:

You’re trying to get better. You’re getting better. Round two, round three, did you ever consider, this is a really long road, man. Maybe I just come out in opening ceremonies, do some Nac-Nacs, wave… Did you consider this freaking grind you had to do the last two months to get here?

REED:

Yes and no. I don’t have it in me to just… I committed to not only the fans but personal people that are helping me a lot. You got cbdMD, you got Mountain Motorsports. A lot of people putting their name on the line, and also financial support as well. So, I didn’t have it in me to just quit. But definitely there was a part of me where I thought, this is not fun. This is really not fun. But since Dallas, I have had fun. Today was the most fun I had, kind of mid-race. I love Daytona. There’s just something that’s gnarly about it, something that’s fun. Honestly, I’m retiring because I don’t enjoy modern supercross. The love of it, what I once upon a time loved, it’s kind of gone for me. So, to come out here and the bike starts moving around in the sand and you have to be using more technique than just kind of balls to the wall. It was fun. I actually really enjoyed it. Hopefully we can continue with this going up. It looks like we got rain again this week at home. Hopefully it does what it did last week, and it doesn’t threaten us as much. This was the first week that I rode two days.

Link to full interview
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slowgti
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3/10/2020 7:09pm
Sounds like Hannah
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RyanD797
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3/10/2020 7:12pm
Four strokes evened the playing field.
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davistld01
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3/10/2020 7:23pm
I don’t blame him a bit. He’s done it all.
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The Shop

AZRider
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3/10/2020 7:35pm
hes completely right, techniques have evolved dramatically because of the change in bikes. Put the tracks of the mid 2000s back in play and things would be quite different.. Same could be said of the mid 80s. Nothing right or wrong about it, just evolution of the sport.

That being said, I prefer the mid 2000s but time stands still for no one.
ledger
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3/10/2020 7:37pm
We need more Daytona's.
H4L
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3/10/2020 7:42pm
ledger wrote:
We need more Daytona's.
+1 It's been my favorite track going back to the 80's..
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toroP
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3/10/2020 7:43pm
RyanD797 wrote:
Four strokes evened the playing field.
Maybe.
2009 A3, James(p1) and Chad had over a minute on 3rd place. And lapped Windham and everyone but p3,4,5.
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deanwhite51
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3/10/2020 7:56pm
Love him or hate him.. hes battled them all. hes won it all and made some of the biggest calls in MX history.
at one point.. he was the guy to beat. take it back to the 2 stroke days and he rode them bikes effortless.
For any one to disagree, needs to listen to some interviews with RC4.
you knew he would always speak with no filter and got said what other riders wouldn't.
Excited to see where the next chapter of his life takes him, hopefully we see him at Bathurts racing V8's!

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KDXGarage
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3/10/2020 10:14pm
slowgti wrote:
Sounds like Hannah
I still remember him being interviewed at the '86 LA Supercross. He basically said he was not doing the 90 ft. quad jump.

Later, he wrecked in the whoops. I didn't understand much of what or why he was saying, but I do now.
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Johnny Depp
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3/11/2020 12:22am
It's a huge risk every time he straps on his boots.

Let's count how many Superstars have quit long before him:

Dungey
Villopoto
Stewart
Carmichal

Nothing but respect for what he has accomplished. Legend.
22Ryann
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3/11/2020 12:57am
Sx is completely lame nowadays, not because of the riders. But because of Ama and Feld.
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CPR
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3/11/2020 1:18am
RyanD797 wrote:
Four strokes evened the playing field.
I don't think you're wrong, there's a few other factors at play, but the modern bike being an easier bike to compete on is certainly at the core of it.

Anyone doubting that modern bikes and tracks lack characteristics that separate skill levels, think about this:
Why is it that when there are technical tracks and/ or tough whoops, we regularly see older riders like Reed and Brayton step up a notch in competitiveness?
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ATKpilot99
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3/11/2020 3:08am
slowgti wrote:
Sounds like Hannah
KDXGarage wrote:
I still remember him being interviewed at the '86 LA Supercross. He basically said he was not doing the 90 ft. quad jump. Later, he wrecked...
I still remember him being interviewed at the '86 LA Supercross. He basically said he was not doing the 90 ft. quad jump.

Later, he wrecked in the whoops. I didn't understand much of what or why he was saying, but I do now.
Yeah he didn't qualify for the main that night. After that I think he just did select SX events. He was pretty close to semi retirement anyway .
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RDX
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3/11/2020 3:48am
Didn't Dungey mentioned something similar after he retired?
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#434
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3/11/2020 4:23am
I wonder if he would have said something like that in 2014 when he was winning on the TwoTwo Kawi? Or has Supercross changed in the last 5 years?
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davistld01
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3/11/2020 4:51am
It's a huge risk every time he straps on his boots. Let's count how many Superstars have quit long before him: Dungey Villopoto Stewart Carmichal Nothing...
It's a huge risk every time he straps on his boots.

Let's count how many Superstars have quit long before him:

Dungey
Villopoto
Stewart
Carmichal

Nothing but respect for what he has accomplished. Legend.
Bingo. I posted, when Reed announced he’d be retiring after this season that I hoped his pride didn’t get him hurt...and the Reed fanboys crucified me. That list of guys did it the right way. They left their best on the track, and their rewards in the bank...and waved goodbye without an injury forcing them to quit. They left on their own damn terms without anything to prove, and not going on until they were only good for a top-20 finish.

I wish Chad had done it in 2019...but since that’s not the case, I hope he can finish out 2020 and walk away as the crowd applauds for him...
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AH387
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3/11/2020 5:04am
I see his point, but what about Nationals then? The racing there is and has always been better than SX. A lot of those tracks are as great as they always have been and are more similar to Daytona. Just kind of weird to hear a guy say that, when he is also the same guy that chose not to race MX many different times in his career. Not downing Chad, I have always been a huge fan, but sometimes his interviews/quotes are a bit of an eye roll.
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murray88
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3/11/2020 5:16am
#434 wrote:
I wonder if he would have said something like that in 2014 when he was winning on the TwoTwo Kawi? Or has Supercross changed in the...
I wonder if he would have said something like that in 2014 when he was winning on the TwoTwo Kawi? Or has Supercross changed in the last 5 years?
Hell no he wouldn’t have. Even with his big mouth.
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rallendude
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3/11/2020 5:28am
I didn't take it as Supercross has turned into something it never was. It read a little more like he's just tired of it and doesn't enjoy it anymore to me.
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T-Fish
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3/11/2020 6:39am
He’s like Brett Favre and just won’t go away.
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TXDirt
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3/11/2020 6:43am
Has nothing to do with having to qualify mostly out of the LCQ this season...
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early
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3/11/2020 6:52am
“Honestly, I’m retiring because I don’t train all year like everyone that's beating me in modern Supercross”
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tingo
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3/11/2020 6:52am Edited Date/Time 3/11/2020 7:37am
rallendude wrote:
I didn't take it as Supercross has turned into something it never was. It read a little more like he's just tired of it and doesn't...
I didn't take it as Supercross has turned into something it never was. It read a little more like he's just tired of it and doesn't enjoy it anymore to me.
I think you're making it what you want it read, because that is pretty much exactly what he didn't say. Chad isn't usually one to mince words. He said he doesn't like "modern" supercross. That doesn't imply that he grew tired of supercross (which would be totally understandable); it implies that some changes happened to the version of supercross he used to enjoy.

I think Chad has a tough time accepting that the sport hasn't changed all that much...he has. Age happens. I strongly suspect he'd enjoy "modern" supercross if he was still a top 5 guy.
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3/11/2020 7:06am
#434 wrote:
I wonder if he would have said something like that in 2014 when he was winning on the TwoTwo Kawi? Or has Supercross changed in the...
I wonder if he would have said something like that in 2014 when he was winning on the TwoTwo Kawi? Or has Supercross changed in the last 5 years?
I think it has, I think the riders are much more focused and serious (robots) than they use to be. It is a necessity to excell at SX, but for me it does lack some personality, and seems to be heading that way even moreso. Not to mention the track designs to try and slow down the high power 4 strokes that can bust every triple out there with little to no finess.
lumpy790
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3/11/2020 7:09am
Thank you Chad for your never ending Moto heart and determination.

Thank you for approaching us and having Moto Hose part of your 2020 season!
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