Chad Reed has all but announced he won’t be riding for Yamaha in 2018 – so where does that land him? There are a few empty seats for the upcoming AMA Supercross Series, some of which fit and some which could be a long shot. Let’s throw some scenarios out there!
RED BULL KTM
Red Bull KTM need a guy. Ryan Dungey has retired, so has Trey Canard. Marvin Musquin has signed until 2019 and Broc Tickle is also linked to the team. Marvin is a lead rider, he could and should be a competitor for the 2018 Championship, both Supercross and Motocross. Chad has also been linked to the third seat, along with Justin Barcia. Chad had success under Roger DeCoster in the past while riding Suzuki – could we see a repeat of this success? It’s a strong contender.
AutoTrader.com/JGR SUZUKI
To us, this seems to be the most probable step for Chad Reed. Weston Peick is back, while it looks like Justin Barcia is off to another team. With the RCH team folding, Justin Bogle also needs a home and is currently on fire outdoors. Suzuki have an all-new bike and they need to be up front on the bike. Chad is proven on Suzuki and the JGR outfit seem to provide an environment which would suit the #22 – plus JGR are the new factory outfit and word is Ricky Carmichael will assist with the riders. We loved seeing Reedy win on Suzuki and would love to see it again!
TwoTwo Motorsports
This one seems very unlikely to us, but some forums are whispering it. Chad’s TwoTwo Motorsports outfit was successful and he rode to some inspirational performances. Do we see Chad spending his own coin to go racing again – no we don’t. However, he will want to go racing on the best bike he possibly can, stranger things have happened.
So who fills Chad’s spot at Yamaha?
Davi Millsaps is linked to Chad’s empty seat at Yamaha, possibly for SX only. Justin Hill is also. How about Dean Ferris? He made a lot of Yamaha’s guys look silly by flying over finishing second in a moto and flying home. Dean has made it clear he’s not keen on Supercross, which could make this spot not possible. However, Millsaps for SX and Ferris for outdoors is a good option in our books!