The win was a huge confidence booster for Reed.

“It’s just like old times,” said Reed from the podium that night. “I chased Ricky (Carmichael) early and once I passed him, it sure was nice to be chased up front. You have to be on your game out here because there is another night of racing. I’m going to be ready for tomorrow.”

Not one to back down, Carmichael not only wanted a win, he needed one.

With qualifying out of the way, the stage was set for one of the most anticipated races in years. Reed came out of turn one in fourth place and moved into second behind Carmichael before crashing at the end of lap one. Upon remounting, Reed worked his way back to second and Carmichael slid out in lap 17. This mistake allowed Reed to secure the lead. Furthermore, Carmichael suffered a mechanical failure on with two laps to go and couldn’t finish the race. Reed rode off to victory while Honda rider Nick Wey, of Dewitt, Mich., finished second and Suzuki’s Sebastien Tortelli, of Lake Elsinore, Calif., finished third.

Wey finished second overall on the weekend and LaRocco, of South Bend, Ind., finished third.

“This track was difficult tonight,” said Reed. “I crashed early on, and then I started catching Ricky (Carmichael). When he crashed it gave me an opportunity to race him head-to-head, but he crashed again, so I was given a break.”

In 2004, Reed’s tenacity helped make a lot of those breaks.