MOTORSPORT: Supercross star eyes Bathurst 12 Hour

Australia’s most successful supercross export might be hanging up his bike boots this year after 20 seasons at the top of his game, but Chad Reed has no intention of slowing down.

The 37-year-old from Kurri Kurri, who has won the Monster Energy Supercross World Championship twice and notched up more main event starts than anyone else in history, has just started his final season of full-time two-wheeled racing.

But in surprise news, the supercross star has revealed to Greg Rust – in the latest episode of the Rusty’s Garage podcast series – that he was a chance to race a Lamborghini at the Bathurst 12 Hour next weekend (February 1-2).

“100 per cent on the radar… um, it’s actually already in the talks. Lamborghini as a company is very excited about having me driving their cars and in their series [Super Trofeo],” he said.

“Giorgio Sanna, head of Lamborghini Motorsport is a huge moto fan and loves the fact that we are in there and playing ball in his world.”

Rust recorded the chat at the Aus-X Open Supercross event in Melbourne last November, when an emotional Reed announced the start of his farewell tour from professional supercross racing.

He said he agonised over the decision but admitted his first foray into car racing last year – and the potential to race at Bathurst – played a part in it.

Reed’s name isn’t on the star-studded entry list for this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, but he said he wants to start preparing for the race in coming years.

Last year Reed drove the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo at legendary US tracks like Watkins Glen, Virginia International Raceway and Laguna Seca, paving the way for an entry to the LB World Cup Championship races at Jerez in Spain.

Reed scored a win in race one of the world finals and second in race two to claim his first four-wheel title.

He’d never been to Jerez but said he felt familiar with the track after watching so many MotoGP race broadcasts there.

But his visits to the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama over the years has left him in no doubt that he needs to invest time to learn the fearsome layout.

“I wouldn’t throw myself into the 12 Hour yet. I think Bathurst as a track is so gnarly that I would want to go there and spend laps and get up to speed and maybe in 2021 come back and do a 12 Hour appearance.”

Reed also revealed that he nearly came back to Australia test a GRM Commodore Supercar last season but the plan was thwarted by the injury that ended his 2019 supercross season.

Reed returned to racing – behind the wheel of the Lambo – just three months after breaking multiple bones in a horrific supercross crash.

His four-wheeled racing career began earlier last year when he met IMSA racer Ryan Hardwick through mutual friends and then headed to Las Vegas for his first test in the Italian race car for Dream Racing.

Just a week later, Reed made his debut in the IMSA-sanctioned Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series at Watkins Glen in New York and was hooked on Super Trofeo racing.

A winner of 44 premier-class AMA/FIM Supercross main events, placing him fourth overall, Reed is the only international rider to win both the 450SX and 250SX titles, has the most 450SX podium finishes, is the only rider to own his own team and win a main event, and is the oldest full-time competitor in the sport.

You can listen to the two-part Reed podcast in the Rusty’s Garage library here.