It will be as the 2009 American motocross champion that Australian Chad Reed arrives to race in New Zealand in November.

Reed endured damp conditions to take his fifth overall victory of the US motocross season on Saturday, as well as capture his first AMA pro motocross championship with two rounds remaining.

Kawasaki’s Jake Weimer, of Rupert, Idaho, grabbed the 250 class win for his third victory of the season but he remains out of touch with 250cc series points leader, Frenchman Christophe Pourcel (Kawasaki), who finished the day runner-up at the Maryland track.

Meanwhile, Reed’s return to the outdoor nationals has been one of the most successful seasons of his career.

Prior to 2009, the two-time AMA supercross champion had never won an AMA Pro motocross event — although he did finish runner-up in the 250cc motocross world championships (on a Kawaski) in 2001 — but Reed broke through in the American outdoors in dominating fashion this season. New Zealanders will get the chance to see Reed race when he arrives to contest the Australasian Supercross Championship round in Waikato Stadium on November 21.

Saturday’s racing in the US was cut a dried for Reed.

After taking the runner-up spot in moto one, Reed continued to push, passing Honda Red Bull Racing’s Ivan Tedesco, of Tallahassee, Florida, for the lead early in the second moto and cruising to the championship. Additionally, Reed took home a $5000 bonus as the winner of the three-race Monster Energy Triple Crown of Motocross.

“I feel like (my career) is complete,” said Reed. “I also feel like I got a lot more fight in me, but it’s a step in the right direction. This is what hard work is all about. I want to thank everyone at Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki for putting this together. It was a last minute deal and just like in all racing, we had our ups and downs but came out on top in the end.”

First moto winner Davi Millsaps, of Murrieta, California, finished second overall (1-6) giving Honda Red Bull Racing two of the three podium positions with Tedesco (5-3) rounding things out in third.

New Zealand’s Cody Cooper (Yamaha) finished 16th and 11th in the two 450cc class races on Saturday and he moves up one spot, back up to eighth overall in the series standings.

As the 250 Class title fight winds down, every moto counts for France’s Pourcel and Suzuki’s Ryan Dungey, of Belle Plaine, Minn., and with such difficult conditions, Saturday’s outcome took on extra importance.

While Pourcel took the win in the first moto, his team-mate Weimer overcame some of the most difficult conditions the series has ever seen to win the final moto as well as the overall.

“I’ve had glorious moments in the mud like today and I’ve had the worst days of my life,” said Weimer. “You just never know how it’s going to go. I got a good start and kept my goggles on so it worked out.”

Pourcel rode conservatively in the second moto, finishing third, which led to second overall in addition to gaining valuable points over Dungey in the championship battle. He also took home $5000 as the Monster Energy Triple Crown of Motocross winner. Dungey (3-4) completed the podium in third and currently sits 13 points behind Pourcel with two rounds remaining.

Next weekend, the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship travels to Southwick, Mass. for the penultimate round on Saturday, August 29 from MX-338 for the Motocross 338 Motocross National.

Results from round 10 of 12:

450 class (moto finish):

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki (2-1)

2. Davi Millsaps, Murrieta, Calif., Honda (1-6)

3. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda (5-3)

4. Kyle Regal, Kemp, Texas, Yamaha (4-4)

5. Tommy Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki (12-2)

6. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki (6-5)

7. Timmy Ferry, Largo, Fla., Kawasaki (9-8)

8. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda (7-10)

9. Matt Goerke, Lake Helen, Fla., Yamaha (3-27)

10. Jimmy Albertson, Ozark, Mo., Yamaha (11-12)

450 class championship standings:

1. Chad Reed, Australia, Suzuki, 434

2. Andrew Short, Smithville, Texas, Honda, 330

3. Ivan Tedesco, Tallahassee, Fla., Honda, 322

4. Josh Grant, Riverside, Calif., Yamaha, 280

5. Michael Byrne, Australia, Suzuki, 276

6. Thomas Hahn, Decatur, Texas, Kawasaki, 229

7. Justin Brayton, Murrieta, Calif., KTM, 201

8. Cody Cooper, New Zealand, Yamaha, 176

9. Nick Wey, Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha, 176

10. Jimmy Albertson, Ozark, Mo., Yamaha, 150

250 class (moto finish):

1. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki (2-1)

2. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki (1-3)

3. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki (3-4)

4. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda (4-7)

5. Austin Stroupe, Lincolnton, N.C., Kawasaki (8-6)

6. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda (18-2)

7. Matt Lemoine, Collinsville, Texas, Yamaha (14-5)

8. Ryan Sipes, Vine Grove, Ky., KTM (11-9)

9. PJ Larsen, Stanley, N.C., Kawasaki (10-10)

10. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki (6-15)

250 class championship standings:

1. Christophe Pourcel, France, Kawasaki, 432

2. Ryan Dungey, Belle Plaine, Minn., Suzuki, 419

3. Brett Metcalfe, Australia, Honda, 312

4. Jake Weimer, Rupert, Idaho, Kawasaki, 302

5. Tommy Searle, Great Britain, KTM, 282

6. Justin Barcia, Cairo, Ga., Honda, 267

7. Broc Tickle, Holly, Mich., Yamaha, 242

8. Blake Wharton, Pilot Point, Texas, Honda, 214

9. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, Kawasaki, 196

10. Kyle Cunningham, Ft. Worth, Texas, Kawasaki, 174

Photos by Big Joe, www.BikesportNZ.com

Photo below courtesy VitalMX (Cooper No.21 takes an inside line).