Who was better Wardy or RJ???

[rodH]

It was a Loooooong time ago. IIRC, It seemed like Broc and Bailey won a couple championsips, then Rick won one or 2, then Wardy won 2 or 3 (wasn't wardy the only guy to win on the 500, 250 and 125 in the same year?) and then Rick won 1 more, and Ward may have won another one.

Anyone have a good link or good memory??

 

[robwbright]

It's about a draw, but I'd say RJ - until he got injured and except for starts . . . I was just watching the "Supercross Classics" DVD. RJ was definitely faster in SX. The announcer kept complaining in a couple of the races that Ward wasn't jumping the triple and RJ was. Also, RJ would seem to get crappy starts, come from mid pack, and pass Ward. The announcers repeatedly said something like, "Will Ward let him by and then give up?"

I suspect RJ would have won a couple more if he hadn't broken the wrist. However, Jeff was amazing, as well.

RJ - 6 Championships in 5 years.

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=203

Ward - 7 Championships in 7 years.

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=291

 

[dirt bike dave]

http://www.amamotocross.com/article.php?aid=60&UID=tUDXEjvDcIyx7NSUpOwpJ9vcsu0eLP

You can download results and other information from the AMA's history page above.

I am a huge Jeff Ward fan and he is one of my favorites of all time, so I will give him a slight edge for sentitmenal reasons.

I gotta give RJ proper respect. Both were awesome. RJ maybe slightly superior in speed, Wardy always seemed to keep in mind the championship was more important than a race win. The injury really hurt Rick's chances to add to his win and championship totals.

Nodody won all 3 titles in the same season. Jean Michele Bayle came the closest. He was an amazing rider and one of the best riders ever, though not well loved by the American fans.

 

[funktree]

I have the 91 gainsville race on tape still, was after RJ's injury and him and stanton passed each other several times in one of the motos, was one of the few highlights after his injury and is still one of my favorite races to watch. I miss that track

 

[oldguy]

I was thinking you meant our own Wardy I still vote for him tho

 

[brit yz125]

Don't mean to hijack the thread ( maybe you could throw him into the mix though) but what is the general opinion of JMB amongst DRN'ers? I always respected him because of his attitude to come and stick it to you Yanks ;) , regardless how much he was disliked, then to switch to road racing and still compete at a world level? He's one of the true champions, just like Wardy going to cars and still do well. Can't remember what RJ switched to or how he performed, if anyone would like to add....

Any thoughts?

 

[Skuta]

After motorcycles RJ went on to the mickey thompson truck racing, and also car racing, and he does bajas and stuff too. In my opinion RJ is better than ward and would of won more championships had it not been for the injury.

 

[rodH]

I am biased towards Wardy as well. I use to watch him at Saddleback when I was young. My bro eventually became freinds with him, and he (jeff) treated him very well. He took him to a LV race for his B-day, gave him a full set of gear, 2 helmets (one of them was Wards personal helmet painted by Troy Lee), and he use to give my dad running shoes all the time (I think my dad was the only guy he knew that was the same size as he was). He eventually bought a KX from Kawa (with wards connections), etc....

The reason I asked this question is that I was wacthins MXfiles last night and RJ was referring to how people talk about Hanna, and then MC, and "oh ya, that GUY in between them" (referring to RJ). Personally I think it is funny, because everyone in MX knows who RJ was. The problem I have is "who was THE guy between Hannah, and MC"??? frankly I think it is a few people (Ward, RJ, Bailey, Stanton, etc....). Not just 1 guy.

 

[Voxshall]

JMB is my favourite all time rider. He just did things so differently, trying inside lines and his style was so smooth. 1991 was such a kick arse series Bradshaw, Stanton and JMB.