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The 45-year-old Californian overcame a hectic start that left him bottled up behind Kawasaki’s Chris Fillmore while World Supermoto racer Adrien Chareyre scurried away on his Husqvarna.
“I got caught off-guard a little bit on the first lap," Ward said. "I was trying to set up a pass on Chris and [Chareyre] squirted underneath me. He was real aggressive.”
Ward was stuck in third for almost half the race while Chareyre built an impressive lead. Ward showed his that his talent remains undiminished by age when he finally passed Fillmore and quickly caught the leading Frenchman. Husqvarna’s hopes for its first AMA Supermoto win was dashed when Ward roared into first on lap 12 and remained untouched through to the end.
“It was a fast track, and I’m not the best fast-track rider,” said Ward while interviewed on the podium. “It was good to come away from the first race with a win – but, you know, I really miss Doug Henry and I wish he were out here.” Ward’s victory increased his number of AMA Supermoto victories to 21. Doug Henry, second on the all-time win list at 13, was seriously injured while testing his Yamaha in March.
Ward’s Troy Lee Designs teammate Cassidy Anderson finished third after a late-race charge allowed him to pass Yamaha’s Mark Burkhart and Fillmore.
In the Supermoto Unlimited division, 2006 champion Ben Carlson made history by giving Aprilia its first-ever victory in any AMA Supermoto class.
Carlson crushed the competition with a nearly 12-second margin of victory on his fuel-injected V-twin motorcycle.
"This makes me feel great,” said Carlson. “We put a lot of hard work, sweat, and tears into this program the last couple weeks. It all came together and it’s great for Aprilia.”
Husaberg’s Robert Loire finished second while Josh Chisum (KTM) was a surprise third. Chisum’s podium finish was unexpected because his team and motorcycle did not arrive for the race. Chisum planned to fly home, but then learned that Todd Walsdorf’s [father of AMA Supermoto riders Cole and Andrea Walsdorf] ice racing KTM was available for his use. Chisum wisely decided to stick around and race the three-year-old KTM and was rewarded with a third-place finish.
KTM’s John Lewis suffered a scary highside in the race that saw him carted into an ambulance, but later in the evening Lewis was back in the pits with an injured pelvis.
Yamaha’s Brandon Currie topped the Supermoto Lites class after early leader David Pingree (Honda) crashed in the dirt while racing side-by-side with Currie. In an unusual twist-of-fate, Currie suffered a lapse in concentration and fell at the end of the dirt section on the same lap. Currie managed to keep his engine running while Pingree did not, but Currie was on the road some 10 seconds faster.
“I didn’t get the start I wanted, and this is a difficult track to pass on,” said Currie. “I just kept pressuring and pressuring [Pingree]. I really want to thank my family for come out here, and I want to dedicate this win to Doug Henry. I wish he will recover.”
Adam Cini, the 2006 Australian supermoto unlimited champion, finished third on a Husqvarna. Kansan Jamie Sevier (Yamaha) had an excellent race to finish a close fourth.
Results
Supermoto
1. Jeff Ward (Honda)
2. Adrien Chareyre (Husqvarna)
3. Cassidy Anderson (Honda)
4. Mark Burkhart (Yamaha)
5. Chris Fillmore (Kawasaki)
6. Ben Carlson (Aprilia)
7. Micky Dymond (Honda)
8. Steve Drew (Yamaha)
9. Troy Herfoss (KTM)
10. Robbie Horton (Kawasaki)
Supermoto Unlimited
1. Ben Carlson (Aprilia)
2. Robert Loire (Husaberg)
3. Josh Chisum (KTM)
4. Brian Capper (KTM)
5. Daryl Atkins (Aprilia)
6. Travis Marks (KTM)
7. Xavier Bellerophan (Husqvarna)
8. Mike Bergman (Husaberg)
9. Donald Wanat (KTM)
10. Corey Hormes (KTM)
Supermoto Lites
1. Brandon Currie (Yamaha)
2. David Pingree (Honda)
3. Adam Cini (Husqvarna)
4. Jamie Siever (Yamaha)
5. Matt Abbott (Kawasaki)
6. Dalton Dimick (Kawasaki)
7. Matt Pursley (Yamaha)
8. Chad Cose (KTM)
9. Troy Lee (Honda)
10. Andrew Hyder (Yamaha)
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