Reed - first Aussie to win a World Supercross title
Photos [Left]: 2003 THQ World Supercross GP Champion Chad Reed celebrates his win in the final combined AMA series round in Las Vegas on 3 May over American legend Ricky Carmichael, who won his third AMA SX title in a row; [Top right] Reed celebrating his Anaheim 1 win (By courtesy ADB).
Reed crowned THQ World Supercross champion and finishes second in AMA series
The brand new 2002/03 THQ World Supercross Championship kicked off in Geneva, Switzerland on 7 December 2002 at the Palexpo Stadium – an event which, traditionally, was one of the biggest stadium races in Europe.
The new FIM sanctioned World Supercross Championship was run by Clear Channel after their bitter dispute with the AMA left them with no choice but to find a new sanctioning body for their series. It was a historic step towards making supercross a global championship.
The new structure allowed for both a world championship (THQ World Supercross GP) and a domestic US championship (AMA Supercross Series) to run concurrently, with the 2002/03 FIM World SX Championship including the first two rounds in Geneva, then Arnhem, Holland the following week on 14 December 2002 at the Gelredome.
In addition to these international rounds, the championship included 15 rounds held in the United States, which were part of the AMA Supercross Series, with the Daytona round on 8 March 2003 not part of the FIM THQ World Supercross Championship.
Both the World and AMA Champions were declared at the final in Las Vegas on 3 May 2003 with Australian Chad Reed winning the 250cc World title on a Yamaha and finishing a close second to American Legend Ricky Carmichael in the AMA series on a Honda.
Reed won the final combined round of the World Supercross GP Series / AMA 250 SX Championship in Las Vegas. It was his sixth race win in a row and eighth for the season, as a rookie in only his second year in the United States, having won the AMA 125cc East Coast Supercross Championship in 2002.
Heading into this final round at the Sam Boyd Stadium, Reed had already clinched the 17 round THQ World Supercross GP Series, but he was 10 points down on series leader AMA Legend Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael, the 8-times AMA National SX and MX Champion, was going for his ninth title and third AMA SX title in a row.
Reed wins the big finale in Las Vegas
Chad Reed (22) versus AMA legend Ricky Carmichael (4) in Texas. The Rookie’s dominance in the latter part of the season showed that he would be a force and he went onto win multiple World SX Championships and AMA SX and MX National titles.
Reed won the holeshot on his Yamaha in the Main 20 lap final and was never headed. But Carmichael rode a steady race on his Honda behind Reed to gain enough points to secure his ninth National US title.
Another Honda rider Ernesto Fonseca (Costa Rica) was third ahead of Timmy Ferry (Yamaha) and Larry Ward (Honda) in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Reed finished the 15-round 2003 AMA SX Series with 8 wins (at Anaheim1, San Diego, St Louis, Houston, Pontiac, Irving, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, winning the last 6 rounds in a row), just 7 points behind Ricky Carmichael who finished with 7 wins.
Reed may have fallen just short of the AMA title, but he was a clear winner in the World title on 401 points ahead of American Tim Ferry (232) and Frenchman David Vuillemin (216), who was racing with an American license.
As Team Honda’s Carmichael did not take out an FIM license and compete in the opening European rounds, he was not part of the World SX series.
The opening THQ rounds in Europe late in 2002
Geneva, Switzerland (Round 1)
In true international fashion, French Yamaha rider David Vuillemin won the first round of the THQ World Supercross Championship at the Palexpo Stadium in Geneva on 7 December 2002. His teammate Tim Ferry was second and KTM’s Grant Langston of South Africa third. Suzuki’s Sebastien Tortelli was fourth, Australia’s Chad Reed (Vuillemin’s Yamaha teammate) fifth, with new KTM rider Jeremy McGrath finishing in sixth.
Arnhem, Holland (Round 2)
Chad Reed took victory at the second round of the THQ 250cc World Supercross GP, held in Arnhem, Holland on 14 December 2002. He won ahead of his Yamaha teammate David Vuillemin, with Honda’s Mike LaRocco finishing third. Reed took the lead on lap one, passing Frenchman Sebastien Tortelli, and was never headed. Grant Langston inherited third place over Tortelli, behind Reed and Vuillemin, after the Frenchman crashed out on lap nine. But on lap 13, Larocco passed the South African leaving Reed to take the win from a relieved and under-the-weather Vuillemin. Tortelli finished fifth behind Langston.
After two rounds Vuillemin lead the World Championship after his first round win, but Reed had now closed the gap to just six points with Team Yamaha holding first, second and fourth positions in the championship.
Fifteen gruelling rounds in the USA in 2003
A win to Chad Reed at Anaheim I on 4 January 2003 over Carmichael saw the Australian take the lead in both the World and AMA SX Championships.
With Kawasaki rider Ezra Lusk winning round 2 in Phoenix, Reed continued to lead both series. But between rounds 5 to 11, Carmichael won six to Reed one – to take the lead in the AMA with Reed way out in front in the World title.
But Reed won round 12 in St Louis and would storm home to win the final six rounds to convincingly win the 2002-03 THQ World 250cc Supercross GP Series and finish second within 6 points to Carmichael in the AMA SX title.
- Round 3: Anaheim I (4 January 2003) – Winner Chad Reed
- Round 4: Phoenix (11 January 2003) – Winner Ezra Lusk
- Round 5: Anaheim II (18 January) – Winner Ricky Carmichael
- Round 6: San Fransisco (25 January) – Winner Ricky Carmichael
- Round 7: Anaheim III (1 February) – Winner Ricky Carmichael
- Round 8: San Diego (8 February) – Winner Chad Reed
- Round 9: Atlanta (22 February) – Winner Ricky Carmichael
- Round 10: Minneapolis (1 March) – Winner Ricky Carmichael
- Round 11: Daytona (8 March) – Winner Ricky Carmichael *
- Round 12: St Louis (22 March) – Winner Chad Reed
- Round 13: Houston (29 March) – Winner Chad Reed
- Round 14: Pontiac (5 April) – Winner Chad Reed
- Round 15: Irving (12 April) – Winner Chad Reed
- Round 16: Salt Lake City (26 April) – Winner Chad Reed
- Round 17: Las Vegas (3 May) – Winner Chad Reed
Daytona* – This round was not part of the THQ World Supercross series
THQ World Supercross GP / AMA series
Final round Las Vegas
3 May 2003
Final Las Vegas Round Results
1. Chad Reed (AUS, Yamaha)
2. Ricky Carmichael (US, Honda)
3. Ernesto Fonseca (US, Honda)
4. Timmy Ferry (US, Yamaha)
5. Larry Ward (US, Honda)
Final RTG World SX GP Series Points
1. Chad Reed (401pts / 9 wins)
2. Heath Vox (261)
3. Timmy Ferry (258)
4. Keith Johnson (251)
5. David Vuillemin (238 / 1 win)
Final AMA SX Series Points
1. Ricky Carmichael (367pts / 7 wins)
2. Chad Reed (360pts / 8 wins)
3. Ernesto Fonseca (225)
4. Nick Way (203)
5. Timmy Ferry (195)
Chad Reed - Video gallery
2003 – Supercross Rewind Chad Reed & Ricky Carmichael, Texas Round in April – Monster Energy Supercross
2003 – Final Round of THQ World Supercross GP / AMA series in Las Vegas – MathewV21688
