Jorge Prado has spoken on his new working relationship with Chad Reed, thanks to meeting the Aussie legend via Club MX where Prado has been testing and Reed has moved his family to help Tate and also provide assistance in the huge and very impressive facility. That assistance now includes Jorge Prado, who couldn’t have a better mentor given Reed’s career.
Like Prado, Reed has come from MXGP and while he had supercross experience unlike Prado, Reed can identify with Prado’s move across the pond from a living and lifestyle perspective. Added to that, both riders are very technical and precise riders who you their intelligence on track aligned with determination to win.
Reed also has experience at factory Kawasaki when it did not go well for him in 2010. Another aspect of commonality and understanding is with Oscar Wirdeman, the crew chief at Kawasaki. Oscar worked for Chad in 250 GPs for Kawasaki and then worked with Chad during his AMA career, it means Reed is the perfect conduit between rider and team for a super-talent moving teams, bikes and countries while trying to make the bike suit his very smooth and specific riding style all at the same time.
Since Reed has been involved, Prado has had his best rides with only crashes preventing a podium at Southwick and finally leading laps at Red Bud. Jorge told Lewis Phillips:
“He is helping me a lot, mostly to communicate with the team. So, whatever I feel I think he understands it a lot, we saw this week we made a lot of progress and part of it was also thanks to Chad, working together with him I think we make a good team and Oscar came over to club and we were really working, us three and it clicked. We created a kind of base set-up i feel like to work from here will be easier.”
Prado added: “I am new for the team and they are new to me. As I rider and a team, we need to build, so they need to understand what I am saying and exactly what I want and that is not easy. We are not even a year together, so it is normal, it needs time. As i have said, it just a matter of time to get everything in the right place to be back on the top.”
