Chad Reed Isn't Racing Houston (We Think) and It's Going to be Strange

IT’S SUPERCROSS WEEK! Is it just Slaw or does it feel like we just wrapped up the Salt Lake City bubblicious like a week ago? This year has been… well, ya know. Or was that last year? Are we in a New Year? Am I drunk already? All possibilities.

There is a metric ton of storylines to cover heading into Houston (no, I’m not making a Anahe… err… Houston joke. Or did I just do that?). Can Eli Tomac repeat? Is Ken fully healthy? Will Webb get his title back? How will the rookies do? What about AC? Osborne? Anderson? The list goes on and on and on.

One story I feel is falling through the cracks and needs some damn Slawness put on it is CHAD REED WILL NOT BE LINING UP THIS WEEKEND!!!! WHAT IN THE ACTUAL ****!

This is so strange. First they take Ralph and now Chad? What world are we living in.

Reed wrapped up his career (we think?) in Salt Lake City with a tenth place finish in 2020. If that’s the last we see of Reed, I don’t like it. Bring the man out for Anaheim 1 2022 WITH A PACKED HOUSE! And send him off with some damn respect.

I didn’t like the way James Stewart quietly went away and I don’t want to see the same happen with Reed. Damn legend deserves better.

Reed leaves (we think? Maybe?) the sport as one of the greatest of all time. Just look at these stats! My goodness. (Credit to sxresearchdept for putting this together. Give him a follow on Instagram.)

Or hell, maybe Chad just shows up like a boss in Houston and rides off into the sunset. Who knows, man.

Premier Class (450/SX/250)

264 Career Starts – 1st All-Time
– First Start: January 5, 2002 at Anaheim 1 (finished 6th)
– First Win: January 4, 2003 at Anaheim 1 (5th start)

44 Wins – 4th All-Time

132 Podiums – 1st All-Time

160 Top 5’s – 1st All-time

210 Top 10’s – 1st All-Time

2004 & 2008 SX Champion (one of only 10 riders to win multiple Premier Class championships)

Wins in 11 different seasons – 1st All-Time

Only rider in Premier Class history to start a main event on six different manufacturers. (Wins by Manufacturer: Yamaha (35), Suzuki (3), Honda (3), Kawasaki (3).)

Finished on the podium for 25 consecutive races (2003 & 2004), which was an all-time record until broken by Ryan Dungey in 2016.

Third oldest rider to win a 450 Main event (2/12/15 in Atlanta, age 32 years 11 months 6 days)

Second longest gap between first and last win. (First win: 1/4/03 in Anaheim; Last win: 2/12/15 in Atlanta – 12 years 1 month 17 days)

73 Career Heat Wins – 2nd most all-time (since 2003)