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Fuel problems blamed for Chad Reed’s Main Event departure | News

Chad Reed has explained to fans that despite feeling comfortable on his new KTM, he was forced to retire from the AMA SX Round 11 due to fuel problems.

Reed qualified 18th and went on to finish eighth in his Heat Race. In the main event, Reed started strong and was running mid-pack but pulled off the track with six minutes remaining in the 20-minute main event. He later confirmed that fuel problems made it unsafe for him to continue.

Later, Reed took to Instagram to explain the situation to his fans;

“It felt good to be back racing yesterday. There is no comparison to racing in front of fans and the silence was weird. I felt like I had a decent day overall. Nice to get back on a race track.

“I really love riding this new bike and checked off the box to race SX on all brands. That wasn’t intentional or planned just happened to be the bikes of choice over the years. My starts feel better and more natural so now I just need to remember how to use them.

“I made a bad call on fuel choice yesterday. I had taken altitude into consideration but not heat. We boiled fuel pretty early in the main. So I chose the safe route. I pulled off because it wasn’t worth the risk. I was disappointed initially because I felt good on the bike but there is more racing to come. Our team has worked hard to be here. I have 1 mechanic @sheetmetal220 who handled a complete change in bike manufacturer and being ready in May instead of sept/ oct like originally predicted. He has learned to get it done no matter what I throw at him and mostly on his own.

“We have a small team but I’m really proud and happy to be finishing this ride with my friends and the sponsors we have. Thanks to the fans supporting from home! And we’ll be better and ready for the next one.”

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It felt good to be back racing yesterday. There is no comparison to racing in front of fans and the silence was weird. I felt like I had a decent day overall. Nice to get back on a race track. I really love riding this new bike and checked off the box to race SX on all brands. That wasn’t intentional or planned just happened to be the bikes of choice over the years. My starts feel better and more natural so now I just need to remember how to use them. I made a bad call on fuel choice yesterday. I had taken altitude into consideration but not heat. We boiled fuel pretty early in the main. So I chose the safe route. I pulled off because it wasn’t worth the risk. I was disappointed initially because I felt good on the bike but there is more racing to come. Our team has worked hard to be here. I have 1 mechanic @sheetmetal220 who handled a complete change in bike manufacturer and being ready in May instead of sept/ oct like originally predicted. He has learned to get it done no matter what I throw at him and mostly on his own. We have a small team but I’m really proud and happy to be finishing this ride with my friends and the sponsors we have. Thanks to the fans supporting from home! And we’ll be better and ready for the next one ✊🏼 @mountainmotorsports_ @cbdmd.usa @foxmoto @knobby @armasport @boostaus @oakleymotorsports @factoryeffex

A post shared by Chad Reed (@crtwotwo) on