Jeff Ward

yzvet426
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3/5/2013 7:05am Edited Date/Time 3/7/2013 2:45am
I was just thinking. When your talking about animals of the sport how many raced at such a high level for as long as Ward. It seems like every time I look at old footage he's in there somewhere and not a mid packer.
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FastEddy
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3/5/2013 7:11am Edited Date/Time 3/5/2013 8:48am
Remember when Ward jumped over top of stanton using a breaking bump sorta deal before the straight?
Dallas or Houston SX 1990/91 maybe?
That was a good battle.

Wardy could also ride the heck out of a 500 and throw that thing around a bit!
Dude was badazz!
TannerMxer
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3/5/2013 7:46am
He was a championship contender until he retired in his early 30's.
newmann
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3/5/2013 7:55am
And his dad built the trickest minis on the planet.....my weakness.Smile





mgifracing
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3/5/2013 8:21am
He's a beast at supermoto too, He passed me at copper mountain and put his rear wheel right on my shifter and off I went. It shifted me to fifth in a 2nd gear turn, Sweetest pass i'd ever received.

The Shop

3/5/2013 8:36am
FastEddy wrote:
Remember when Ward jumped over top of stanton using a breaking bump sorta deal before the straight? Dallas or Houston SX 1990/91 maybe? That was a...
Remember when Ward jumped over top of stanton using a breaking bump sorta deal before the straight?
Dallas or Houston SX 1990/91 maybe?
That was a good battle.

Wardy could also ride the heck out of a 500 and throw that thing around a bit!
Dude was badazz!
That was Dallas 1989 - Epic race and battle between those two. The 125 class also had some great battles with Bradshaw and Gaddis as well.
fader418
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3/5/2013 8:45am
Wardy was in awesome shape. WITHOUT PED's!
FastEddy
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3/5/2013 8:48am Edited Date/Time 3/5/2013 8:55am
That was Dallas 1989 - Epic race and battle between those two. The 125 class also had some great battles with Bradshaw and Gaddis as well.
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was.
Thanks a bunch,much appreciated.

Found the video.
Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56 in the video.
https://youtu.be/5yB8kZ3CDZo
3/5/2013 9:38am
That was Dallas 1989 - Epic race and battle between those two. The 125 class also had some great battles with Bradshaw and Gaddis as well.
FastEddy wrote:
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was. Thanks a bunch,much appreciated. Found the video. Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56...
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was.
Thanks a bunch,much appreciated.

Found the video.
Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56 in the video.
https://youtu.be/5yB8kZ3CDZo
You are welcome, FastEddy. Glad to help. That is definitely one of the all-time great last lap battles in SX. Some frame paint scraping, a complete jump over then a loop-out throwaway. Nice race!!!!
chuckie108
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3/5/2013 10:49am
That was Dallas 1989 - Epic race and battle between those two. The 125 class also had some great battles with Bradshaw and Gaddis as well.
FastEddy wrote:
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was. Thanks a bunch,much appreciated. Found the video. Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56...
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was.
Thanks a bunch,much appreciated.

Found the video.
Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56 in the video.
https://youtu.be/5yB8kZ3CDZo
Awesome vid!

A couple observations:

1) JW = bad mothaf'er
1) 6x = bad mothaf'er
3) Really cool to see legends 19 laps in, but still just pinning it, OJ'ing everything and just simply going for it.
4) today's SX tracks look lame against that. The whoops are deep, the track is wide, and many of the obstacles are well above head height. The riders actually look challenged by the course. I'd love to see our sport get back to that.

It's too bad there isn't a photo of Wardy and 6x side by side in that last rythem lane when Wardy was slightly out of shape but there is no way he's backing down. That would be an epic shot.
3/5/2013 11:35am
In my top 5 favorite riders of all time! Wardy was the man!!!
FastEddy
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3/5/2013 11:49am
Epic Wardy.

FastEddy
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3/5/2013 12:00pm Edited Date/Time 3/5/2013 12:08pm
This is another Ward race that stands out to me (Moto 2).
I remember watching him on this day in person....he looked super smooth on that 500.
He even had some shock issues that day.

https://youtu.be/CyB2sAXjW88
yzvet426
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3/5/2013 12:23pm
newmann wrote:
And his dad built the trickest minis on the planet.....my weakness.:) [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2013/03/05/100mini_2_350577.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2013/03/05/100mini_19_719857.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2013/03/05/res_mini_532935.jpg[/img]
And his dad built the trickest minis on the planet.....my weakness.Smile





Joe, I'm thinking you have more than just the one weakness judging from your collection Whistling

BTW that bikes is almost as sexy as your Johnny O Mugen.
3/5/2013 12:35pm
That was some great racing. Makes even Barcia look passive on his best day.
chuckie108
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3/5/2013 1:51pm
This was one of my favorites back in the day. So sick for the time. From the day we saw this pic, my friends and I called this move a "wardy".


Jeff Ward 1987
TannerMxer
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3/5/2013 2:15pm
chuckie108 wrote:
This was one of my favorites back in the day. So sick for the time. From the day we saw this pic, my friends and I...
This was one of my favorites back in the day. So sick for the time. From the day we saw this pic, my friends and I called this move a "wardy".


Jeff Ward 1987
Seriously, that style looks flawless in this picture. It is perfect. Perfect photo as well.
FLmxer
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3/5/2013 2:29pm
When I was a kid all my friends got CR 80's but I got the lone KX in our group because I wanted to be like Wardy. The guy is just a great racer on any vehicle.
exsarg
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3/5/2013 5:37pm
definitley a move that wardy started.couple of points on those vids. love the old sx tracks. they look slow on those old sx tracks. they look awsome on the mx tracks. they didnt rip those outdoor track during prep like they do now
TannerMxer
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3/6/2013 7:01am Edited Date/Time 3/6/2013 7:02am
The more and more I think about my favorite riders, I consistently put Jeff Ward at the top. I've been a superfan of numerous racers: James Stewart, Ryan Villopoto, Justin Brayton, Andrew Short, Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath, Broc Hepler, Mike Larocco, etc.

For some reason... Wardy will always be my favorite. The way his gear and bike looked were amazing. I had the hot pink mx pants when I was little because he wore them. I want to ride a Kawi, still to this day, because Wardy rode a Kawi.





wydopen
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3/6/2013 10:11am
i opened an old moto mag the other day (2007 or 8 maybe?) and on the inside cover was a pic of Jeff Ward throwing down a ridiculous scrub on a honda 450 at glen helen

50 year old man scrubbing like hes 20..

anybody know what pic im talking about?
Paul1PA
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3/6/2013 10:34am
Here's a list of Jeff Ward's accomplishments on two and four wheels. True racer to the core!

AMA Motocross / Supermoto
1984—Won AMA 125cc national motocross title.
1985—Won AMA national 250cc motocross and Supercross titles.
1987—Won second AMA national 250cc Supercross championship.
1988—Captured second AMA national 250cc motocross title.
1989—Won AMA national 500cc motocross championship (first rider in history to win every major AMA national motocross title!)
1990—Won second consecutive AMA national 500cc motocross championship.
2004—Won AMA Supermoto Championship at 43 years of age.
2006—Won X-Games Supermoto Championship at 45 years of age.
2006—Won AMA Supermoto Championship (second title)
2008—Won X-Games Supermoto Championship at 47 years of age (second title).



Indy Racing League
1997—Finished third at Indianapolis 500 in maiden effort, Rookie of the Year.
1998—Earned career-first pole position at Phoenix IRL race, four top five finishes, finished career-best 6th in IRL season point standings.
1999—Finished career-best second at Indianapolis 500, three top five finishes, finished 11th in IRL season point standings.
2000—Finished fourth at Indianapolis 500, two top five finishes, finished 11th in IRL season point standings.
2001—Two top five finishes, finished 11th in IRL season point standings.
2002—Winner of Boomtown 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, finished ninth at Indianapolis 500, two top five finishes, finished 11th in IRL season point standings.



Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series
2009—Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Rookie of the Year
2009—Dirt Sports Rookie of the Year
2009—2nd Place in Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Championship, behind by 1 point

Motoxdoc
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3/6/2013 1:00pm Edited Date/Time 3/6/2013 1:00pm
I pitted next to him and Troy Lee 2 weeks ago for a mammoth qualifier. What an unassuming, nice, talkative and cool dude. He mentioned something about starting up JWRP again. I told him if he makes anything I can use...I'll buy it!
PFitzG38
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3/6/2013 1:39pm
When you look up RACER in the dictionary, Jeff Wards name is at the top!

I saw his last race at the World Mini GP, I saw his first outdoor nat race on the John DeSoto Moto track at Escape Country (I think he holeshot) and I still love watching him tear it up, and I rode a pretty decent JWRP XR replica.

A true moto icon.
3/6/2013 1:44pm
That was Dallas 1989 - Epic race and battle between those two. The 125 class also had some great battles with Bradshaw and Gaddis as well.
FastEddy wrote:
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was. Thanks a bunch,much appreciated. Found the video. Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56...
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was.
Thanks a bunch,much appreciated.

Found the video.
Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56 in the video.
https://youtu.be/5yB8kZ3CDZo
I was on the floor shooting photos that night, the dirt had so much "plastic trash" in it. Great race though.
3/6/2013 1:54pm
newmann wrote:
And his dad built the trickest minis on the planet.....my weakness.:) [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2013/03/05/100mini_2_350577.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2013/03/05/100mini_19_719857.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2013/03/05/res_mini_532935.jpg[/img]
And his dad built the trickest minis on the planet.....my weakness.Smile





I had the pleasure of setting next to his dad on a flight after the MXDN at the Dilla. He had a lot of interesting stories to share on Jeff's career from his time on minis to the big bikes.
fader418
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3/6/2013 1:59pm
I remember seeing Jeff Ward win the Race of Champions race in 1978, on a YZ80 at Escape Country...my brother won the 80 cc 9-11 class beating Mike Healey!
yak651
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3/6/2013 2:11pm
FastEddy wrote:
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was. Thanks a bunch,much appreciated. Found the video. Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56...
Awesome glad you remembered which race it was.
Thanks a bunch,much appreciated.

Found the video.
Think it was on the last lap. Happens at about 4:56 in the video.
https://youtu.be/5yB8kZ3CDZo
And people complain about the dirt at this years SX races, look at that dirt. Rocks, hard pack, etc
Bauer
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3/6/2013 3:34pm
Jeff and I did the Nationals together during our rookie (1978) season, him on an RM125 for FMF and me on an RM250 for DG. My mechanic, Tim Buck and I drove Ward's van and trailer to the races and he and Jack, his dad, flew on Friday night because he was still in high school. We pitted together and I could tell a few Wardy stories, for sure. He was always impressive, although at that time he was struggling quite a bit, having just moved up from minibikes and being so small.



I broke my collarbone at the Omaha National and as fate would have it, my mechanic was already scheduled to fly home so he could work on Monday. I had to drive Ward's rig home with one hand and the thing I remember most was driving through Colorado in the WORST fucking rainstorm I have ever driven in and the driver's side windshield wiper just flew the fuck off! The entire wiper arm had come off. So I had to get out and move the one from the passenger side over, using only one arm in a monsoon and hurting like a mofo!



Another funny thing happened in Texas. Ward's trailer matched his Dodge van and was all painted up with his name on the side, along with a huge FMF logo. Tim came up with the idea of parking it in front of this really foul Texas whorehouse and taking a picture, then sending it to Jody Weisel, just for grins. We did take the picture, but we pussed out on sending it to MXA because we didn't want Jack to go ballistic on us...hahaha! I wish I could find that photo, but I found this one

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