Wild ride continues for Ward

Jeff Ward still remembers the thrill of getting his first motorbike at 4 years old.

His father, Jack, purchased him a small 50cc. Quickly, the two were kicking up dirt in the hills around Orange County.

As they motored through winding trails, neither knew quite how far a bike would take Jeff Ward.

That journey has led to Ward’s induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in a ceremony tonight at the State Theatre in Detroit.

At age 45, the Newport Beach resident recently won a Supermoto gold medal in the X Games, making him the oldest male gold medalist in the event’s 12-year history.

Halfway through the season, Ward is also leading the American Motorcyclists’ Assn. Supermoto Championship, competing against riders half his age.

Ward won his eighth AMA national title in 2004.

“Everything now is for fun,” Ward said. “I’d like to win it again, but it’s getting tougher with more Europeans competing. They kept asking me when I’m going to retire, but I kept going and going. Then, I think about stopping and they ask why would I stop because I’m winning. I just take it year by year. I’ll always ride a motorcycle.”

What makes Ward’s induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame special is there are only 12 motorcyclists who have been enshrined. When he received the phone call two months ago, it came as a shock.

“It’s pretty mind-blowing to be part of that group,” said Ward, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. “I think it happened because my name is still out there and it has been out there a while. If I had quit, maybe it doesn’t happen.”

Ward has never stopped competing. He is in his second go around on the AMA, to which he returned in 2003.

His induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame also has something to do with a successful tenure racing open-wheel cars.

It should have come as no surprise Ward was able to successfully merge into a different sport. His father played professional hockey, professional soccer and, as a professional cyclist, rode in the Tour de France in the 1950s.

Ward did not miss a beat in gripping a steering wheel instead of handle bars. In 1997, he was named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. He won a race in the Indy Racing League and finished sixth in the season standings.

He also posted three top-five finishes at the Indianapolis 500, a race in which he competed seven times.

It became hard to compete for sponsorship against younger drivers groomed by Toyota and Honda, so Ward moved on.

“I was tired of beating doors down,” Ward said. “Once you prove yourself on the top level, you shouldn’t have to take a step back.”

Ward remains a fan of the IRL, and reaching speeds of more than 200 mph while winding through city streets did not make him any more dangerous on the freeway.

“My own car is a place to relax and kind of just follow,” Ward said. “I haven’t had a speeding ticket in 20 years. I’ve talked my way out of a few, though.”

Just as Ward stepped out of the IRL, motocross started to take off and he came back to compete against a new group of riders.

“They’re amazed I’m 45 and I can still beat them,” said Ward, who has an 18-year old teammate. “When I was 19 or 20, I had a teammate who was 27 and I thought that was pretty grand. With me, I don’t even know if they can figure it out.”

Ward added another award to his crowded trophy case with a victory in the Supermoto at the X Games on Aug. 6. It was extra sweet because the two previous times he had entered the event, he crashed early in the race.

“I got taken out in the first turn both times,” Ward said. “This year, I made it through the first turn. [Travis] Pastrana came out like a bat out of hell and almost took me out. Nobody can really stop.”

After the first turn, Ward was confident he would win, and he did so by slightly more than a half-second.

As for his future in the AMA, Ward plans to continue and reach more peaks. And so, his journey continues.