Colin Edwards
Place of birth: Houston, Texas
Date of birth: 27/Feb/1974
Weight: 66Kg.
Height: 179cm.
Colin Edwards started out as a promising motocrosser, winning the 80cc US National Championship before switching to road racing at the age of 16. The youngster won every event he contested in his first year on a 600 Honda, RC30 Honda and a TZ250 Yamaha and remained unbeaten in his amateur career, winning a record thirteen national titles in the AMA/CCS Race of Champions at Daytona and the WERA/GNF meeting at Road Atlanta.
Colin Edwards
In 1992 he turned pro, winning the AMA 250cc title ahead of Kenny Roberts Jr., and spent two further years in AMA Superbike before clinching a factory Yamaha WSB ride. A move to Grand Prix racing collapsed in 1997, and he returned to the superbike scene with Honda, going on to clinch the crown twice - in 2000 and 2002.
In 2003 the `Texas Tornado´ finally realised his MotoGP dream with Aprilia, but failed to shine on the notorious RS Cube. Edwards rejoined the Honda ranks in 2004 and enjoyed a consistent, if unspectacular, season as he clinched fifth place overall. The following year he began a three-year stay as official Yamaha rider alongside reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi, finishing in fourth place overall in his maiden season alongside the Italian.
The American’s best result to date came in that first year with the factory Yamaha team, second position in his home Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. However, Edwards came closest to breaking his MotoGP duck in Assen one year later, crashing whilst undertaking a breathtaking move on Nicky Hayden for the lead at the final corner.
Colin Edwards
Teaming up with James Toseland in a sideways switch to Tech 3 Yamaha, Edwards put any plans for retirement on the backburner with a resurgent start to 2008. Front row starts and podiums in France and Assen - reaping revenge on Hayden for the latter - showed that Edwards could still cut it in the premier class, and convinced Hervé Poncharal to keep his experienced charge in the satellite setup for another season.
The faith paid off and in 2009 Edwards finished in fifth place overall, his best result of the year a second place at Donington in the wet, and in 2010 the Texan is joined in the Tech 3 team by Ben Spies as part of an exciting all-American line-up.
