Ward Seeks First Victory at Anaheim

Defending Supercross champion Jeff Ward of Mission Viejo will attempt to win at Anaheim Stadium for the first time tonight in the season opener of stadium motocross. The first heat will begin at 8.

Ward, a factory rider for Kawasaki, won the series championship last year with 229 points, followed by Broc Glover with 227, Ron Lechien with 223 and Rick Johnson with 211.

The winner of this race has gone on to win the Supercross series title three of the last four years--Donnie Hansen in 1982, David Bailey the next season and Johnny O’Mara in 1984.

Last year, Glover won the Anaheim race but lost the title to Ward at the Rose Bowl. Glover recently signed a three-year contract with Yamaha for a reported $1 million, making him the highest-paid motocross rider in the world.

For the first time, all riders will be competing on production bikes similar to those sold at dealerships. The racing format will return to a 20-lap main event after promoters experimented with two 12-lap main events last year.

There will be two courses at Anaheim Stadium, and the program will also include quad and off-road racing.