Reed and Windham Heat It Up

Supercross fans who recall the great individual rivalries of the past -- Rick Johnson vs. Jeff Ward, Jeremy McGrath vs. Jeff Emig, Jeff Stanton vs. Jean-Michel Bayle -- may have a new one this year.

Chad Reed, who won the last six races last year and has won three of the first four this year, is facing a challenge from Kevin Windham, a Honda rider from Mississippi who is coming back after two years away from the sport.

The Australian Reed will be favored tonight when the fifth AMA THQ supercross is held at Angel Stadium. A near sellout crowd is expected for the 7 p.m. opening ceremony.

After Reed, 20, won the Anaheim opener, Windham won at Phoenix, and then Reed won at Anaheim again and last week at San Diego. In both of the last two races, the two swapped the lead numerous times.

“The more we race together so closely, the more we respect each other,” said Windham. “When we put on a show like we did last week, with six lead changes, it really gets the crowd going.”

Reed leads the series standings with 97 points, followed by David Vuillemin of France, 76; old-timer Mike LaRocco, 72; and Windham, 71.

Windham has a 10-point penalty for rough riding under appeal, however.

Vuillemin and LaRocco were Anaheim winners in 2002.

Windham, 25, has not won at Anaheim in the 250cc class, but in 1996 he won a western regional 125cc support race. That same year he won the national outdoor 125cc race at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino.

In tonight’s 125cc race, Kawasaki’s Ivan Tedesco will be going for his fifth consecutive victory.

-- Shav Glick