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Jeff Ward enters Daytona

Former motocrosser Ward to race in Rolex 24 Indy winner Luyendyk also joins huge field DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 27) -- Seven-time AMA motocross national champion Jeff Ward of Tujunga, Calif., will make his International Motor Sports ...

Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM

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Former motocrosser Ward to race in Rolex 24 Indy winner Luyendyk also joins huge field

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 27) -- Seven-time AMA motocross national champion Jeff Ward of Tujunga, Calif., will make his International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Exxon World SportsCar debut in this weekend's Rolex 24 At Daytona, IMSA's 24-hour season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. Ward, who won two AMA Supercross championships (1985, 1987), two AMA 250cc National Motocross titles (1985, 1988), two AMA 500cc National Motocross titles (1989-90) and one AMA 125cc National Motocross National championship (1984), will drive a Ford Kopf Keiler KII World SportsCar. The car was built over the last 20 months by fellow Californian David Kopf of Tujunga, who owns a company that manufactures neurosurgery equipment. The pair will be joined by Owen Trinkler of Nashville, Tenn., and Mexican Roberto Quintanilla of Laredo, Texas. Ward, who scored 20 AMA Supercross wins in his career, along with 34 victories in the National MX classes, has most recently competed in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, considered a training ground for Indy cars. He made his Indy car debut in the Indy Racing League season-opener at Walt Disney World Speedway, as a stand-in for driver Davy Jones, who was injured in a crash in practice at WDWS last Thursday. Ward qualified eighth and was running fifth in the IRL event when the gearbox on his car broke. Due to Jones' injuries, former Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk was named to replace him in Ed Davies' Porsche 911 Turbo. Luyendyk joins the car owner and Indy car driver Scott Goodyear.

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