Talk-It-Up Tuesday with Larry "Big Bird" Ward

  

Welcome to LiveRC's weekly column, "Talk-It-Up Tuesday!" Here we spend a little time talking with industry icons including racers, manufacturers, team managers, developers, promoters, and everyone in between! Sit back, relax, and go behind the scenes as we interview them all! 

  

As a kid growing up, did you ever have heroes that you wanted to be like someday? While the other kids dreamed of being an all-star baseball player, or quarterback in the SuperBowl, I was busy dreaming of being a professional supercross racer.

 

While sitting in my office the other day, the phone rings, and I answer it. On the other end a voice says, "Mike! This is Larry Ward, how are you?" I started to answer the question, while still processing who I was talking to, when all of the sudden it hit me. No words could come out of my mouth, as I realized I was on the phone with Larry Ward...not just any Larry Ward...THE Larry Ward. The supercross racer that I chased down in the pits as a kid for his autograph, the guy who's factory Suzuki looked so cool I begged Santa for a mini bike graphics kit and rims just to look like him, the guy who's nickname "Big Bird" became my nickname after I was the only 13 year old so tall I was stuck riding a 450 in the 8th grade, and the guy who was MY childhood hero! 

 

As it turns out the former supercross and outdoor motocross star has made quite a name for himself in R/C racing, and I was fortunate enough to chat with him for this week's edition of "Talk-It-Up Tuesday!"
 

 

LiveRC: Welcome to "Talk-It-Up Tuesday" Larry! First and foremost there are some new kids on the block who may not be aware of who Larry "Big Bird" Ward really is, so let's talk about your professional motocross career. When did you start racing motocross?

Larry: I actually started riding when I was 3 years old and started racing when I was 6 years old. When I was 3 my dad would hold the bike up for me to take off and catch me when I wanted to stop, because I could not touch the ground. My parents tell me I could ride a motorcycle before I could ride a bicycle, however, I think they are just being funny.

LiveRC: At what point did you realize that you had the ability to be a top rider, and really start pursuing it as a career?

Larry: Well you never really know, but by 7 or 8 years old I was winning a lot of local races and was a consistent top five at the big amateur nationals. When I was around 10 or 11 years old I started winning some National Championships and started getting free bikes and this is when we realized that I at least would have a chance to become a pro and make a career out of racing a motorcycle.
 
 
LiveRC: What are some of your biggest accomplishments in the motocross scene?

Larry: Well I was lucky enough to win 3 Supercrosses and a bunch of Outdoor Nationals. I never won a major Championship, but I believe I finished in just about every other position in the top ten between 1990 and 2003. The highest I ever finished was second in 1995 to Jeremy McGrath in the supercross championship. I was also lucky enough to race in the late 1980's against guys like Johnny O’Mara and Jeff Ward and Ricky Johnson. , and then against guys like Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Stanton, Mike Larocco all through the 1990's and then in the late 1990's and early 2000's. I got to race with the likes of Travis Pastrana, Ricky Carmicheal and James Stewert. In 2002, at Washougal Wa. Outdoor National, I was able to win the first moto against Bubba. Later, on the podium he said "The old man got me!", Bubba was 16 and I was 32 years old! He smoked me in the second moto! LOL!

  

LiveRC: There are a lot of current and past professional motocross racers that are involved in R/C racing, but not all of them are as involved as you are. How did you get started in R/C?

Larry: I have always been interested in RC. I had a Grasshopper and a Wild Willy and a Super Champ when I was young. Then in the early 90's I got to meet Gil Losi, Jr. and he gave me some great tips and cool stuff. However, I never raced or even drove on a real track. Then about five years ago after going crazy and trying all kinds of hobbies to replace racing my motorcycle, I found a local track by my house called The Badlands in Myrtle Beach S.C.. I took my 1992 electric Losi LXT to the track and needless to say I was a little outdated! A friend let me drive his Truggy the next weekend and I have been addicted ever since.
 
LiveRC: We know that you are now an AKA driver, when did you first become a sponsored R/C racer? Who are some of your other sponsors?

Larry: Well, fortunately for me I had a lot of contacts from being a Supercross racer and I actually was lucky enough to get a spot with TLR and believe me at the time, it had nothing to do with my RC skills! I don't claim to be a great pro now but, thankfully, I feel I get around the track well enough to warrant some of my great sponsorship(s). Adam Drake and TLR have been so good to me! Adam and his brother actually grew up racing motocross so it is a very tight world between MX and RC. Thanks to my old friend, Gil Jr., I received help from AKA in the beginning. I now have a great relationship with Mark Pavidis, even though he will admit he always rooted for Doug Dubach and Damon Bradshaw to beat me at Supercross! I met Randy Pike at the AMS race a few years back and even though I do not race electric often, I do want to acknowledge and thank Tekin. I also have a good relationship with Paul Ciccarello and Novarossi. Paul has made it down to South Carolina for our last two big races at The Badlands and we also raced at the Psycho Nitro Blast last month, and honestly the motors have been so good, that I would run them without sponsorship! I also have to mention two more due to the connection between motocross and RC. Upgrade has been hooking me up with awesome stickers for my cars and Robert Ibon, the owner, actually used to create all the artwork for the graphics on almost all of my race bikes in the late 90's. I also have to mention Jeremy and his dad Gary Kortz. They have made me cool shirts from their company Pro Motion and I actually got to ride a few laps with both of them at Glen Helen a few years ago. It was nice to smoke Jeremy for a change, instead of the opposite in RC cars. However, his dad smoked us both on his 1974 Maico! LOL!
 

LiveRC: How would you compare R/C racing to motocross racing?

Larry: I honesty have to concentrate way harder racing RC. You also have to be way more patient! In motocross you can get angry and push extra hard due to adrenaline, however if you try this in RC you or I usually end up making things worse. I like or compare RC to when I was a young kid racing amateur motocross. I get to hang out and talk and go eat with all my buddies, and it seems like win or lose it still is always fun at an RC car race. When I was a pro motocrosser things were different, it was my job and my whole mood and life revolved around results.

LiveRC: What are some of the aspects and skills you learned racing motocross that you now apply to R/C?

Larry: I definitely think my work ethic. Not only on practicing and testing, but also taking care of my cars during the week and making sure everything is ready and prepared. So on race day, I know my cars are good and all I have to concentrate on is driving. I actually feel that racing RC has changed the way I ride my dirt bike now. I feel I try to be way smoother and take more inside lines now.

LiveRC: There has been a lot of discussion lately about taking R/C racing to the next level, as motocross has done over the past decade, what do you think R/C needs in order to become more mainstream?

Larry: Wow, I would love to see it, but I don't have those answers. I know that worldwide, RC racing is way bigger than I ever realized! I really wish I had had the opportunity to race for a longer time. However, just like motocross, RC cars are the best they have ever been, so I guess I am very lucky to be driving now since the equipment is all so good!

LiveRC: When you aren't riding bikes and racing R/C, what are you most likely out doing?

Larry: Well, my wife and I are extreme outdoors people. We love to hunt and especially big game animals. We spend about three months out of the year chasing deer and elk around with our bows. I also enjoy shooting shotguns. We shoot sporting clays quite a bit, and it's a great activity that we do together, because believe it or not my wife is not that into RC! LOL!
  

LiveRC: What does a day in the life of Larry Ward look like?

Larry: Our two boxers, Duelly and Roxie, wake us up at 7 am and we sit on the front porch drinking a cup of coffee as we watch the dogs run around. Depending on the time of year I am either in a tree stand waiting on monster bucks or in my trailer working on RC stuff! YES, I know I am living the dream!!!

LiveRC: What is something most people do not know about you?

Larry: Some people don't know that I grew up riding horses. I can even trim horses feet and put shoes on them. Wow! Who cares, huh!? LOL! I come from divorced parents and I always hunted and rode horses with my dad and raced motorcycles with my mom and stepfather, Harry.

LiveRC: Do you run Noleen shocks on your 1:8 buggy?

Larry: No, however, as good as my new shocks are on my Losi 3.0 I am trying to make them work on my CRF 450! LOL!
 
LiveRC: Larry, thanks for joining us today, and we look forward to racing with you soon! Is there anything you would like to add?

Larry: I really want to thank Live RC for giving me this chance to thank everyone that is making RC racing so much fun for me! Losi, TLR, AKA, Tekin, Horizon, Novarossi, Upgrade, Nitrotane. I learned from motocross that in order to get good results and have fun, you have to have good equipment. I feel I am surrounded with the best equipment and RC racing is always fun! I also want to thank all my local racers and friends that I have made through RC: Monty, K.B., the Hanna's, the McGintys, the Petitt's, Tim and Tim, Dawg and Diddy, my favorite pit man Kevin D. and Shady Grady. I truly have had a great last four years hanging out and racing with everyone!

 

 

 

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