Colin Edwards

Colin Edwards

PERSONAL DETAILS
NAME: COLIN EDWARDS
TEAM: YAMAHA TECH 3
NATIONALITY: AMERICAN
DATE OF BIRTH: 27/02/1974
MARRIED: MARRIED TO ALYSIA

Colin Edwards may have lost his factory team status for 2008, due to the arrival of double 250cc world champion Jorge Lorenzo, but the Texan remains directly contracted to Yamaha and will ride alongside fellow double WSBK champion James Toseland for the satellite Tech 3 outfit.

Edwards was born in Houston, Texas on February 27th, 1974. He rode his first bike at the age of three, entered his first race a year later and was quickly winning Motocross trophies. His Australian-born father, Colin Edwards Sr, also raced motorcycles and played a big role in Colin's early career. Colin was a top US amateur through his early Motocross career, before making the switch to road racing at the age of 16 and continuing a successful amateur career. Turning pro just before the 1992 season, he raced for South West Motorsports in the National 250cc series, winning five races and beating Kenny Roberts Jr. to the title.

In 1993, aged 19, Colin moved into the AMA National Superbike series and spent two years developing his talents on a Yamaha Superbike, finishing 6th in the championship in his first year and 5th in 1994. Yamaha then moved him into the international field, and in 1995 he contested his first World Superbike Championship with the newly formed Yamaha Factory Team.

Davide Brivio, now a Yamaha Factory Racing team manager, was the World Superbike team director then, and the team was based at the same Italian headquarters that the MotoGP team uses today.

After spending 1995 learning the new tracks, Edwards achieved his first podium position in 1996. In the same year he teamed up with Noriyuki Haga for the Suzuka Eight-Hour, the pair becoming the youngest duo to win the race in its history. He missed most of 1997 sidelined through injury, then joined Honda in 1998, pulling off a double win at Monza and finishing 5th overall in the Championship.

In 1999 he finished second, but 2000 saw him victorious; he won eight races and the World Superbike Championship title. He lost his crown to arch-rival Troy Bayliss in 2001, but recaptured it brilliantly from the Australian the following year, taking 11 race wins before leaving the World Superbike Championship on a high note to join Aprilia's MotoGP outfit for 2003.

His rookie year in the MotoGP World Championship saw him finish 13th overall, but he fared better in 2004, riding a Gresini Honda alongside Sete Gibernau. Achieving his first two MotoGP podium positions, Edwards finished the championship in fifth place then signed on as Valentino Rossi's factory Yamaha team-mate for 2005.

In his debut season on an M1, Colin finished an impressive fourth in the championship - with three podium finishes - and was the only rider to take points at all 17 races, helping Yamaha to take the manufacturers' and teams' titles.

By 2006 Edwards was desperate for his first MotoGP victory, but the new M1 struggled badly with chatter and he concluded the year seventh in the points, with one podium, while Rossi lost his crown to Nicky Hayden at the very final round. Earlier in the year, Hayden had denied Edwards his first race victory after a dramatic final turn showdown at Assen. Hayden ran off track after an unsuccessful attempt to pass Edwards, but Edwards (unaware of Hayden's error) fell moments later while trying to stay in front, handing the Honda rider the win.

Edwards, Rossi and Yamaha all hoped to correct their 2006 misery during the first year of 800cc racing but, despite promising winter tests and high expectations, the new M1 proved desperately underpowered compared with Casey Stoner's Ducati, while Michelin was caught out by changes to the tyre regulations.

Edwards at least took his first two MotoGP pole positions, plus two podiums, but ninth in the championship was well below expectations. Rossi wanted Edwards to remain alongside him in 2008, but Yamaha had one eye on the future and signed double 250cc world champion Jorge Lorenzo to join the Italian.

Nevertheless, Yamaha and Edwards were both mutually keen to continue their partnership and he moved to the Tech 3 team, attracted by its 2008 machinery and switch from Dunlop to Michelin tyres.

With Rossi on Bridgestones and Toseland and Lorenzo both rookies, Edwards will be expected to lead Michelin/M1 development in 2008 and continue to contribute heavily towards Yamaha's testing schedule. But he'll also be keeping one eye on that elusive win, should the chance emerge…


2007: 9th MotoGP World Championship
2006: 7th, MotoGP World Championship
2005: 4th, MotoGP World Championship
2004: 5th, MotoGP World Championship
2003: 13th, MotoGP World Championship
2002: World Superbike Champion
2001: 2nd, Superbike World Championship
2000: World Superbike Champion
1999: 2nd, Superbike World Championship
1998: 5th, Superbike World Championship
1997: 12th, Superbike World Championship
1996: 5th, Superbike World Championship
1995: 11th, Superbike World Championship
1994: 6th, AMA Superbike Championship
1993: 6th, AMA Superbike Championship
1992: National 250cc Champion
1991: Amateur racing in 600cc, 750cc and 250cc classes

END OF 2007.
STARTS: N/A
WINS: 0
POLES: 2
FASTEST LAPS: 3 (500CC/MOTOGP)
POINTS: N/A
DEBUT: SUZUKA 2003
DRIVEN FOR: YAMAHA TECH 3 (2008) / FIAT YAMAHA (2007) / CAMEL YAMAHA (2006) / GAULOISES YAMAHA (2005) / TELEFONICA HONDA (2004) / APRILIA (2003)

Edwards puts Sepang time down to setup reversion
Friday, 17 October 2008

Colin Edwards switched back to his early-season setup in order to take the top spot in the combined Friday timesheet.

In Tech 3 Yamaha´s first test for the 2008 season, Colin Edwards scrapped his settings and started afresh at the Sepang circuit. Coming to the close of the year, another big change -a reversion to a previous setup- enabled the `Texas Tornado´ to record the fastest time in practice for the Polini Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Edwards clocked a 2´02.667 lap in the second practice session, although the nature of the improvement left a somewhat bitter taste in his mouth.

`It´s very disappointing in a way, actually,´ said the Yamaha satellite rider as the day drew to its conclusion. `In midseason we put a really large offset on the bike, and I think that we´ve proved the theory about teaching an old dog new tricks.

`I´ve been on a particular offset with the front forks for three-and-a-half years, and we had some good results after changing it. Then we went even bigger and it all went downhill after that; I struggled with the front end and grip.´

The switch back came at Edwards´ behest, as he looks to end his season in a positive manner.

`I thought that I need to go back to what I know, and it felt great straight away; just natural and like I can ride it again.´

Despite his frustration, the breakthrough could be key to the 34 year-old earning a good result in Sepang, and the American won´t be looking back when he attempts to place on the front row on Saturday.

`We did the change, now we´re back, and I´m ready to go,´ Edwards concluded.

Tech 3 Yamaha riders review first Bridgestone test
Wednesday, 26 November 2008

Positive assessments of new rubber from James Toseland and Colin Edwards.



One of the teams with the closest ties to Michelin in the 2008 season, Tech 3 Yamaha were starting afresh in Jerez on Wednesday at the MotoGP Official Test. Riders Colin Edwards and James Toseland undertook their first day of testing with Bridgestone tyres, and any fears of a difficult adaptation were soon allayed with both amongst the top six riders at the Spanish circuit.

`The tyres have been good and consistent, and they give a lot of feedback so I´ve been able to get used to them quite fast,´ says Toseland, who after a year of learning finds himself once again playing the attentive student. `We were doing the same pace and a little bit faster than we were earlier in the year, so it shows that in one day we´ve come on a lot.´

For Edwards, the switch in rubber comes after an entire MotoGP career riding with Michelin tyres, but the American was more eager than nervous about the move.

`Obviously I was excited to get out on the Bridgestones and check it out; it´s not the bike that we´re going to have next year, but at least we could get a feel for it,´ said the `Texas Tornado´.<7p>

And the Edwards verdict after first contact, in which he was fourth quickest on Wednesday?

`It felt pretty good! Straight off the bat I thought that there was definitely something that is quite a bit different. You´ve got to ride the bike a bit differently, and we just plugged away with the two different tyres that we had. I´m happy with it.´

Edwards hails new crew chief as `borderline genius´
Friday, 28 November 2008

Tech 3 Yamaha man delighted with two day test alongside new chief Guy Coulon.


A direct swap in the Tech 3 Yamaha garage sees Guy Coulon by the side of Colin Edwards for 2009, and the two worked together for the first time at this week´s Jerez test. One of the most experienced riders in the class working with one of the most enduring crew chiefs has created a positive atmosphere for Edwards, who was full of praise for his new ally.

`Working with him these past two days been really awesome,´ said the Texan on Thursday. `Guy is fantastic, and we all know that he´s a borderline genius in terms of what he´s done in the past.´

One thing that Edwards will not be looking for is a radical change in setup for 2009. The veteran experimented with a variety of leftfield switches over the course of last season, but found more success when returning to the established foundation.

`I made it clear at the last race that I don´t want to reinvent the wheel, going off in some wild direction. We know what Valentino (Rossi) has done this season, we know what settings he has, so we should just keep in close contact with Nakajima and run around that.´

Edwards´ first encounter with the 2009 Yamaha M1 will come at Sepang in February, but observing factory riders Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo has left him confident of a speedy adaptation.

`It seems like its going pretty good, and I think that the new chassis will suit me even more. I´m feeling good about it,´ concluded the satellite team star.

Jerez test: Colin Edwards boosted by Bridgestone debut
By Matthew Birt

MotoGP

28 November 2008 09:27


Colin Edwards’ impressive Bridgestone debut left the American exuding confidence for 2009 at the end of the final winter test in Jerez.

The Tech 3 Yamaha rider clocked a best time of 1.40.604 that had put him in the top four before he was dropped to eighth in the final hour.

Get the latest news from the Jerez test
His best time was 0.1s faster than his best Spanish GP time on Michelin rubber, and the double World Superbike champion told MCN: “It has been a really good test and honestly it was more than I expected.

Get all the latest MotoGP news
"I seemed to adapt well and pretty quick to the Bridgestone’s and I know leaving here there is so much more potential. And that’s got to come from me in learning how hard you can push the tyres because the front is awesome.

"With tyres its all about translating feeling from your ass to your brain and your brain to your hand and I got a really good feeling. They have got a really nice product and I’m so happy to be getting on with it so good and so soon.”

Edwards said he was most impressed with the performance of the Bridgestone front tyre, which in the past he had hailed as ‘gold.’

“Braking and corner entry is incredible and you really don’t have to worry about the rear. You just basically point the front where you want it go and it turns and keeps on turning. You were always a little bit hesitant with the Michelin front in trying to get it into the corner without the rear coming round on you.

"With Bridgestone you can just hammer it into the corner. You need to throw it in hard to get load on it and the Bridgestone loves that. I can only improve. I think there are four or five tenths out there just in me, because I’m still trying to push to the limit of the tyres, “ added Edwards, who was 1.175s slower than fellow Yamaha rider and fastest man Valentino Rossi.

Paddock Press: Birt on Edwards´ 2008 season
Wednesday, 10 December 2008

The Motorcycle News view on Colin Edwards´ latest MotoGP campaign.




Colin Edwards´ first year onboard the satellite Yamaha M1 comes under scrutiny in today´s Paddock Press, with Motorcycle News journalist Matthew Birt the man picking apart the `Texas Tornado´s 2008.

Although Birt notes the dip in form suffered by the American at the midway point of the year, special praise was in order for his performances in the opening races of the season.

`Colin was in the form of his life; switching from the factory Yamaha team to the satellite Tech3 Yamaha really seemed to galvanize his fortunes,´ says Birt in the accompanying video.

`I think that looking back at the first part of the season, he was riding better than he´d ever done and for sure he still has a big part to play in the future of Yamaha.´