Australian Chad Reed has continued his return to racing finishing fifth at the 2010 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, event in St. Louis over the weekend, finishing fifth before labeling the track as dangerous following the race.

Reeds confidence was buoyed with a convincing win in his heat race but that momentum was stalled going into the nights main event. A combination of uncharacteristic clutch issues and certain obstacles on the track becoming potentially dangerous when no track maintenance was undertaken before the main event saw Reed err on the side of caution.

Having already been sidelined for 12 weeks while he recovered from a hand injury Reed opted to ensure both he and his KX450F finish the race without injury or damage.

“The track actually became quite dangerous as there was no maintenance done before the main,” Reed explained. “The approaches to several jumps were rutted out leaving no margin for error. A number of riders including myself did voice our concerns regarding a number of different aspects of the circuit but unfortunately for the riders the much needed track maintenance was not carried out.

“It was a simple case of me riding the race focusing on ensuring no unnecessary risks were taken because although I am not in contention for the Supercross title my main priority is defending my Motocross title.”

By the end of the 20 lap main event, the smart strategy proved to be the smartest option for the Aussie favourite. Reed took the chequered flag in a solid fifth place whilst teammate and championship contender Ryan Villopoto and rival Ivan Tedesco fell victim to the unforgiving and unpredictable track.

The next round of the 2010 Monster Energy AMA Supercross will be held on 24 April at Seattle’s Qwest Field.