Australia’s Chad Reed has broken through for his first podium of the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, finishing second behind Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac in Phoenix, Arizona.

Reed rode his Monster Energy/Yamalube/Chaparral/Yamaha Financial Services/Yamaha YZ450F through the field to the runner-up result in a thrilling 20-minute plus one-lap main event at University of Phoenix Stadium.

At the conclusion of the opening lap Reed was in sixth, clawing his way by both defending champion Ryan Dungey (Red Bull KTM) and Cole Seely (Team Honda HRC) on lap 12 of the 21 completed into second. From there he made inroads on Tomac, who eventually won by 11.817s.

“You’re happy, obviously, but a little frustrated [laughs] to be honest with you,” Reed recalled post-race. “The season should have started like this and we just, we missed our calling for Anaheim 1. Finally we’re on the right track and just happy.

“I know that Ellie’s at home cheering, so just happy. You work way too hard… my performance is there, my fitness is there – you’re only as good as what you’ve got to work with. We’re in the window now and I’d like to thank everybody at Monster and Yamaha for helping that.

“I’m a Fox guy now, best dressed every weekend, and you want to be on the podium! So, yeah, just happy, but mad to be honest. [More in the future is] the plan, that’s the plan.”

Reed has been steadily gaining momentum since suffering a DNF at Anaheim 1’s opening round, claiming ninth in San Diego and seventh at Anaheim 2. A podium in Phoenix was the record-setting 131st of his career, now placing him seventh in the standings – 40 points outside of Dungey.