Copyright 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Former AMA Supercross, motocross and Supermoto Champion Jeff Ward, 43, will test an Erion-Racing-prepared Honda CBR600RR Formula Xtreme bike Wednesday at the AMA team test at Daytona International Speedway. He is working on a deal to race a Honda in the 2005 Daytona 200 by Arai, which he hopes will improve his pavement skills for Supermoto racing.

“It’s just going to help me out with the Supermoto stuff, because a lot of these Europeans are coming over. Boris Chambon is the brother of a road racer. Those guys have more experience (on the pavement). So hopefully this will help give me a little more insight into tire wear and bike set-up. And it will be good publicity for the (Troy Lee Designs) team,” Ward told Roadracingworld.com Tuesday at Daytona. “I’m just looking to have a good time. I don’t want any pressure. I’m coming in here, and on the Internet it’s already saying can I win Daytona? ‘Ward’s won everything else, can he win Daytona?’ I’m just going to have fun and stay out of the way.”

Ward, who won an Indy Racing League car race in 2002 and finished in the top-four of the Indianapolis 500 four times during his 10-year auto racing career, said he has absolutely no experience with a road race bike on a road race track but plans to attend a Freddie Spencer “Pro school” and train on an ex-Miguel Duhamel CBR600RR prior to the Daytona 200 in March.

Ward said he has also raced in the Rolex 24-hour car endurance race on the infield road course at Daytona, before quickly pointing out that he knew the motorcycles will run a different course.