Parramatta SuperX
Chad Reed is hoping to shake the effects of a mystery illness for the Parramatta Super X event.
World Supercross Champion Chad Reed is hoping to shake the effects of a mystery illness which has seen him bedridden for much of the week, in readiness for the Parramatta Super X event this weekend. The illness has cut short his training routine and he is now focusing on conserving energy to simply make it to the start line.
Reed has won all three of the Super X events this season and heads into the event with a perfect 75 points next to his name. He remained optimistic about his championship prospects going into the event, saying he would do what was required to score points.
“This is a huge blow going into one of the biggest events of the Super X calendar in Parramatta,” said Reed. “I’m doing everything I can to recover, which will likely mean no more training or preparation until we hit the track on Saturday.” “It’s a small hurdle – I’m confident that I can overcome it. We’ve had a really good run to date and the RMZ-450 has been flawless, helping me to a hat-trick of wins.”
He is no stranger to setbacks, riding through the pain of a badly broken shoulder in the latter half of the 2008 AMA Supercross season to take his second title. Approaching the half-way mark of the series, the 26-year-old said the competitive nature of the local rider lineup was providing him with valuable racetrack experience with less than two months until the start of the 2009 AMA season.
“It certainly hasn’t been a case of runaway wins, as the season continues the local riders are stepping it up more and more, it’s a good chance for me to get in practice under real race conditions.”
The event will also mark the world-wide debut of the Survival format. The Survival format will be harsh, hard-hitting and extremely exciting for fans with the 20 rider final field to be slashed to 15, 10 and finally five through a series of four, five lap races. With only a two minute break between each race riders will have little time to recover, bringing core fitness and endurance to the fore.
The track has been designed specifically for the stadium, and features a range of challenging obstacles for riders to overcome, including two punishing whoops sections. On average, tracks in the 2008 championship are 3-4 times the size of any previous local championship.
Where: Parramatta Stadium, Parramatta
When: Saturday 8th November GATES OPEN – 3:00pm HEATS – 6:00pm
