Jeff Ward - Scene - Dirt Rider Magazine

Chad Reed isn't the first foreign-born supercross champion; that honor belongs to Scottish-born Jeff Ward, though he grew up in this country and is an American citizen. The first true foreigner to win-to dominate, in fact-was Frenchman Jean-Michel Bayle. As to who is better on the track, we'll never know, but the stunningly fast Bayle never really earned the love of U.S. fans. Of course, language isn't a barrier for Reed, which is perhaps why the United States has always embraced Australian racers.