Jeff Ward is a motocross legend. His titles, race wins, MXdN wins, records and longevity put him in rare air when discussing the sport’s best. But Wardy is more than that; winning Indycar races, SuperMoto titles, X Games gold and more, has put Wardy into a category all by himself. Best racer ever? You decide.
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49 Comments
When I was a kid my friend showed me a magazine, I think it was called Minicycle? Anyway, a young Jeff Ward was in it, one of my idles to this day.
Did Wardy get the vaccine? Just wondering because he has heart problems. I was forced to get vaxxed back in January of 2022. I suffered a heart attack and I got vaccine-induced myocarditis. I now have an ICD implant and I also had an angioplasty.
Lets gooooooo !!!
That is a lot of paper 😂
i seen him in Nijmegen Holland supercross .he crashed then jeff leisk won
Uni-Trak – 1980; KIPS – 1984. Probably the works bikes had them the years before.
Besides Goat Breker, Tommy Benolkin was Wardy's teammate in '81 and '82.
Ping- here's a suggestion, please make a parody documentary like spinal tap with a Forrest Gump type character of a racer that is a compilation of all the greats with cameos galore of spanning the history of this lifestyle/sport- I've got some ideas
I’ve been waiting on Wardy since you guys first started! He’s 100 percent class and always was on the podium win or lose!!!!! Thanks for the great content ping!
Ping, great interview! Wardy is great, a living legend. In SoCal he was everywhere: Indian Dunes, Saddleback, OCIR. I remember when I was a little kid my friend and I were out at Glen Helen on a scorching hot, smoggy weekday. No one was there except Wardy practicing on a KX125. There was this double that he was coming up short. He flicked his bike sideways and cleared the jump. When you're a kid and you see a national pro do that it's awesome.
48:30 Pine-Top race. hahaha That was in Rhode Island. That track I think was only open a couple of years for New England local orgs. (NESC & NEMA) And they did actually have a National there as well
Escoheag, RI
PINE TOP MOTORCYCLE PARK
Wardy! Been waiting for this one, as he was always my favorite rider. Thank you for putting this together, Ping.
I remember going to the 125-500 nationals at Carlsbad in the very early 80s and watching Jeff going down the freeway at hyper speed and only touching the ground in 3 places. It was mind blowing. Also remember that same day in the 500 race Jeffs teammate in the 500 class having his factory bike snap its swinngarm in half on the freeway too. So Cal moto junkie since the early 70s.
Ward had raw speed.
Elsinore 250 came out in 73. 125 in 74
One of my hero’s! My parents owned a Kawasaki dealership in the 80’s (Mr. Bike, Warrenton Oregon) and they got to meet Jeff Ward one time. My mother thought he was such a gentleman and was very impressed with him. He was such a smooth, fast rider, slightly physics defying given his stature. From MX to car racing and PRO super moto, universal success, even at an age most riders/racers had long hung it up.
Jeff Ward is a true to life super-hero, the real thing.
Pine Top was in Rhode Island 🏁 only had one race there I think,Saw Jeff for the first time at Southwick National couldn't even put both feet on the ground because of his size 😎
MXA mag has a racing mini mag dated 1979 with all the pro's racing minis
Worked with Alan Katz Paul's brother PK XR 75 racing 😊
My Wardy story is from De Anza cycle park, the Friday before the 1986 USGP at Carlsbad. Wardy and several Euros were at De Anza practicing on the main track, and I'd get a look at Jeff for a turn or two every time he lapped me over and over. In the hairpin before the big uphill sweeper, I came in too hot and highsided, and managed to pin myself under my own bike, and couldn't get a hold of it to lift it off. The next lap Wardy came around, he saw me and did a quick brake slide to square up and not run me over, then he looked back. Stopped and leaned his bike on some dirt, and came over and lifted my KTM 250 off of me. It was embarrassing, but totally awesome.
A-Fib is no joke. I first had it 12 years ago so bad I was about to pass out; weak clamy, sweaty, dizzy, went to Hospital and my heart auto converted to normal sinus rhythm. Then 3 years ago it became constant and I couldn't walk 20 yards without stopping to rest. Finally was able to get an ablation and so far so good! It blows me away that a physical specimen like Wardy would fall prey to it.
Jeff Sir, you are a man of steel could not believe what you told about broken bones and keep racing wow
Holy shit!! I did not wait on my SVT to go away. I had paramedics at my home ASAP, but I had some chest pain and dizziness to go along with it. I started with them in January of 21, I actually got shocked in my home that time, had an ablation in August of 23. That one was a train wreck. I had 3 episodes 2 weeks apart in December and January and just had another ablation yesterday. I just read the report before I put the show on. I wish JW had got that heart rate stopped as soon as it started. We aren't built to run at that heart rate for too long. Something has to give.
Thanks Whiskey Throttle and DP for getting Wardy in house for this episode. From seeing him in On Any Sunday on a Z50 to his awesome career in SX, MX, INDY, Supermoto ! What a career! Great person and very Humble. 👍
ping for president
Liles may have been a team mate in 84, 85, 86.
Great interview Ping !!! but man , I hate to say this , I didn't like the mic's ….were a little obstructive 😕 👌
Hey ping, how’s wardy have heart issues, he wasn’t vax’d
Let’s put it into perspective about 1992
Richard Petty retired
Johnny Carson retired
And Jeff Ward retired…
David reminds me of Alex Jones with how he spreads out all of his papers and notes on the table. Ha aha!
👍👍
I'm a way bigger Wardy fan now than when he was racing motocross (I was a big RJ fan – opposite of Ping!). You're doing great with these long-form interviews, and this was no exception. Looking forward to part 2!
Hey Ping, I'm not for sure sure, but I'm thinkin'' for a 62 yr. old. I'm just as if not more fit than you sidekick there, no dissin JW.
Elsinore red stripe production was 75', green was 74'. Just so you don't get them mixed up Ping!
In 75' a new Elsinore 125 was $991.00, that was a Washington D.C. area price.
This was a great interview. I was a Glover, Johnson, Bailey fan in the 1980's. Wardy can't be denied all of his accomplishments. He is definitely one of the greatest from The Golden Age of Motocross.
Please get the O'Show and Dogger on as soon as possible. 🤘
What a great interview. Ping does the best job as host/interviewer. Ward is tough as nails. I remember one year (can't remember what year – maybe 90?) watching him crash during Seattle SX day practice – he rounded a flat 90 degree corner when the rear tire suddenly grabbed traction and he bailed landing hard on his feet. He immediately hobbled off and did not return in the session. We were all thinking that he is done for the night, but sure enough he was in the main and I recall that he was on the podium.
Also, I will never forget Seattle 87, back when track design was still in its infancy. They had the big showcase triple where the landing was very small – more like one whoop where the down slope was very short and not very high, so riders had to be very precise to not over or under jump the takeoff. Wardy came up a bit short landing right on top of the "whoop". I swear that everyone in the Kingdome felt the impact of that one. He carried on as if nothing happened. A legend for sure.
Ping, I'm following from Italy. Those old dogs interviews are so cool!
Thanks a lot 😎👍
Thank you Ping for getting Jeff on the show!! He was my moto hero too growing up and should be mentioned more when it comes to the greatest in the sport! This is one of my favorite shows you have done and Jeff seems to be just a genuine great humble guy with a good head on his shoulders!! His testimony about his training, toughness and competitive drive shows why he had success and longevity in the sport and young racers should take note! I have even more respect for him after this interview and hope he can overcome his recent heart issues and skin cancer. Thank you Jeff for your commitment to our sport and for entertaining us with your remarkable skills over the years!
i cant imagine ANY of today's riders dislocating their ankle and racing the next week.
we all knew that the guys back then had stones, but wow
Met Wardy & Breker at a diner in Niles?Michigan 82’ (Wardy was eating pie, I was shocked) with the Kawasaki guys. They were super cool to this starstruck 15yr. Old. Goats mechanic gave me 2 Goat for it stickers👍
I was at Hangtown in '78 when the 16 year old "Flying Freckle" holeshot both motos. That was the last time a national was held at Plymouth and all future mx nationals have taken place at Rancho Cordova. My dad and I watched near the mud hole and cheered him on, hoping he would hang on to his lead. MX was much more personal back then as only snow fencing separated racers from us fans, meaning you could get within inches of your heroes. He worked his a$$ off but inevitably Glover and other stars of the day caught and passed him. He wore an FMF jersey and red/yellow colors, earning big style points. Thanks for the memories JW!
I got two stories, first was i worked with a guy who’s family owned Spotswood honda in Alabama, Jody Spotswood told me a story about a time they got a call to have a honda wheel ready for some racers on their way to florida, the kid breaking the wheels was WARD..the other story was i was at Pasadena in 85. I sat down next to a group of guys and the guy next to me said “you know Donnie Hansen?” “I know who he is for sure” “well he’s my son” .. i kinda called bullsh!t and rolled my eyes couple minutes later DH was sitting right next to me. I was/am a west Texas hillbilly and didnt know what to say or how to act. He was super cool and talked to me the whole race then took me and my date down to the Honda pits with him.
This is soooo gnarly what he is talking about: never a did a 500 race but showed up on the US GP in 82?!? Des Nations with a concussion, never really examend his knee but continued to do squads, ….
Ward was always a bit of a mystery because he was more on the quiet side. Always was just about racing. Great interview. Was great to get to know him off the track a bit. Thank you!
I’d love to have that T shirt JW has on.
The Burrito 🌯 truck 😂 the good old days. God we are old
Maybe, his drive time was his rest time. The southern California freeways were pretty clear back in the day…