Image: Foremost Media.

Supercross legend Chad Reed is in support of the Boost Mobile AUSX Supercross Championship’s ‘big picture’ strategy, with year-on-year expansion plans taking another significant upturn in 2026 to further build the sport on a domestic scale.

Championship organisers AME Group have been deliberate in their development of the series following a forced two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking progressive steps to elevate the product since returning with a four-round campaign in 2022.

It’s this sustainable approach that excites the two-time Monster Energy Supercross premier class champion and AMA hall-of-famer Reed, who praised AME’s commercial prowess in bringing the series to life.

Reed is on location in Townsville this weekend as a special guest and the face of the AUSX Street Party’s new Holeshot Challenge concept – which he is lining up for – that’s taking place in the city tonight.

“From the commercial side of it, I love what they’re doing,” commented the 44-year-old. “They’re going to events that are sustainable… maybe [not] from a team standpoint, because you have to break it up, but for AUSX it’s amazing.

“For teams, it’s probably challenging, but I think the big picture is that they’re trying. I feel like, I would say my frustration with the sport in general – globally – and that’s why I’ve always had Adam [Bailey]’s back, whether it be the AUSX Open or when he was at WSX, you know, for the most part.

“I’ve always signed up for his dreams and I think I align with him on a lot of those. Is it perfect? Maybe not, but I love that they’re swinging for the fences and they’re not scared to try. I always believe that you can’t lose if you continue to try and you take risks.”

Ever a contentious topic around AUSX, Reed did, however, question the level of international presence, signalling his preference for more opportunities to be given to Australian talent to further develop their supercross skill sets and help propel them onto the global stage.

The topic emerges again in 2026, with many of the top-tier teams – including Honda Racing, Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha and Penrite Racing Empire Kawasaki – drafting in international racers alongside their existing domestic contingent.

“On the sport in general, I don’t love sitting in the room and seeing nothing but imports,” he continued. “And I think that, you know, diverting more towards Australia, I would like to see our Australian riders pick up their supercross riding.

“We have some of the best motocross riders, you see them come over and participate in Pro Motocross nationals, and they’re top 10 guys, but they can’t do that in supercross. Then we bring in all the imports to ride [AUSX], and so to me, that’s confusing.

“We have 85s that no one else in the world has. We have SX3 at every round, which no one else in the world has. And so I think our platform is far greater and better than anywhere else in the world, but we’re not producing supercross riders as we should be [locally]. That’s probably the biggest thing I would like to see.”