Reed to Daytona

It's still questionable, but there's a chance that Chad Reed may make his AMA Supercross return this weekend at Daytona. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider has missed six consecutive races due to a hand injury.

The injury occurred during Round 2 of Supercross action in Phoenix in January, when Reed crashed into his rival, defending SX champion James Stewart. The accident became known as "the crash heard ‘round the world" across the moto-scene, and caused Reed to miss races, something that never occurred to the number 22 rider.

Reed had surgery on his broken left hand the Monday after the 2010 Phoenix Supercross event, and has been recovering since. But in recent interviews, Reed said he's sick of going to races and not competing.

But if the pain is too much to race at Daytona, Reed also said he plans to practice at the track to get "a feel" for the environment again. And just as he has been doing at other Supercross races that he missed, the 27 year old (who turns 28 on March 15) will be signing autographs for his many devoted fans.

His championship hopes are obviously lost for this year, as Daytona marks the halfway point of the 2010 Monster Energy Supercross season; nine races remain including Daytona. The Australian had two 19th-place finishes during the first two rounds in Anaheim and Phoenix, respectively. While racing for the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team during the '09 season, "Reedy" won three races and finished second in the championship, just four points behind James Stewart.

And Stewart's also having a rough year. The San Manuel Yamaha rider complained of severe pain in his right wrist after Round 3, and subsequently had surgery for a broken scaphoid. "Bubba" has missed the last five races. He recently told SPEED TV that his return will be "really soon."