The longest-running rivalry
in supercross and motocross wasn’t between two evenly matched individuals but rather between a single rider and an entire brand.

WORDS: DAVEY COOMBS
PHOTOS: MOTO VERTE,
THOM VEETY, RACER X ARCHIVES

Rivalries have long defined eras of supercross and motocross. Whether it was Bob Hannah taking on Marty Smith in the seventies, Jeff Emig trying to knock off Jeremy McGrath in the nineties, or more recently the epic battles of James Stewart and Chad Reed, rivalries between all-time talents mark the most exciting periods in the history of our sport. But there is one rivalry that is different from all the others, in both its length and scope—one that wasn’t just between two riders for a few seasons but rather between one rider and an entire team of superstars, and it lasted for more than a decade. It was Jeff Ward versus Team Honda.