Colin Edwards Biography

Full Name: Colin Edwards
Date of Birth: 27th February 1974
Place of Birth: Houston, USA
First Race: 1990
World Superbike Debut: 1995
Grand Prix Debut: 2003

Colin Edwards was born on the 27th February 1974 in Houston, Texas and now lives in Conroe, Texas with his wife, Alyssia and their four-year-old daughter, Gracie Kayte, and a one-year-old son, Hayes, who was born in December 2005. He has two World Superbike titles to his credit and currently competes in MotoGP. His nickname is the 'Texas Tornado'.

Colin was introduced to minibikes at the age of three by his Australian father, Colin Edwards Snr, who was an amateur motorcycle racer himself. He entered his first motocross race at the age of four. Over the next ten years he became one of the top ranked junior motocross competitors in America. He raced in the 50cc and 80cc categories winning dozens of races in local, regional and national events.

At the age of fourteen Colin ceased motocross racing as he got heavily involved in the usual teenage demands. In 1990 his father took him to see a road race event in northern Texas, which rekindled his love for bikes and racing.

By 1991 Colin was competing in amateur road racing. This was on a local level but he soon progressed to racing at national events. Winning every amateur event he entered he was offered a sponsored ride with South West Motorsports and turned professional just before the 1992 season.

In 1992, his first season as a professional, Colin raced in the AMA 250cc National Series riding a Yamaha TZ250 for SoutWest Motorsports. He won five of the nine races thus securing the title infront of Kenny Roberts Jr.

For 1993 and 1994, Colin rode for Vance and Hines Yamaha in the AMA Superbike series. He finished in 6th and 5th place respectively for the two seasons.

Colin rode in his first World Superbike season in 1995 which proved not to be an easy one for him. He struggled to come to grips with competing in a global competion. Unfortunately, when his team mate, Yasutomo Nagai was killed in an accident at Assen the team withdrew from the last two races in the competition. Colin finished in 11th place overall with 141 points. Colin also finished in 4th place in the Daytona 200, and 5th place in the Suzuka 8 hour.

The following season saw Colin's racing greatly improved with an achievment of 6th place overall in the World Superbikes. Teaming up with Noriyuki Haga, Colin won his first victory in the Suzuka 8 hours endurance race repeating this victory twice more, in 2001 with Valentino Rossi and in 2002 with Daijiro Kata.

1997 proved a bad season for Colin. After eight races he had scored 79 points and was in 5th place. Following this quite good start he was then involved in a crash that was to keep out of racing for the rest of the year. Despite a good start to the season he finished in 12th place overall. He was replaced in the Yamaha World Superbike Team and failed to negotiate for a place in the 500cc Grand Prix Competition. Fortunately for the 1998 season he was able to fill a gap left by John Kocinski in the Castrol Honda WSB team. Racing on a RC45 he had a double victory in Italy and a third victory at Brands Hatch Ten more top six results left him in 5th place overall with 279 1/2 points. Colin also finished in 3rd place in the Susuka 8 hours with Tadayuki Okada and 4th place in the Japanese Superbike race at Sugo.

1999 saw Colin becoming a regular visitor to the rostrum. Riding the new SP-1, which replaced the RC45, Colin had a total of twenty top six finishes. Carl Fogarty took his fourth title this season but Colin and Troy Corser tied for 2nd place with 361 points overall. With Aaron Slight he also finished in 2nd place at the Suzuka 8 hours.

In 2000 Carl Fogarty was unable to ride through injury so Colin and Noriyuki Haga both fought hard for the title. Colin achieved six pole positions, six fastest laps, eight wins and a further ten top six finishes gaining 400 points and was 65 points clear of Noriyuki and the World Superbike Championship. Colin and Valentino Rossi also qualified in 6th place at the Suzuka 8 hours.

Defending his title in 2001, Colin's new rival was Ducati's Troy Bayliss. He finished the season with 333 points but had to be satisfied with 2nd place against Troy's 369 points. Colin, with Valentino Rossi and Manabu Kamada, won the Suzuka 8 hours.

Now riding for Honda for the fifth year, Colin found that Troy had won fourteen of the first seventeen races. He kept up the pressure on Troy managing nine consecutive race wins and, when Troy had problems at Assen, Colin managed to clinch his second World Superbike Championship. With Daijiro Kato he also won the Suzuka 8 hours again.

In 2003 Honda pulled out of the World Superbikes Championships and because they couldn't find him a position in the Grand Prix, Colin opted for Aprilia's four-stroke GP machine. The only change he insisted upon was his favourite Michelin tyres. Colin improved on their 2002 best (which was 8th place) by finishing in 6th place overall, as well as achieving a couple of second row qualifications. Continuing his steady results, Colin switched to Honda for 2004 which gave him the chance to take on the leaders. Regularly in the top seven, Colin scored 157 points and finished in 5th place overall.

Colin joined Valentino Rossi in the Yamaha MotoGP team for the 2005 season and contined to show steady form. The final result was 179 points making him in 4th place overall.

2006 found Colin once again with the Camel Yamaha factory team contending the MotoGP championship. Edwards came cloest to his debut MotoGP win at Assen. He took the lead at the start, and led until Nicky Hayden overtook him on the penultimate lap. He caught back up to his countryman on the last lap, and managed to pass him a few corners from the end. When Hayden attempted to pass him again in the final chicane, Edwards ran across the gravel and lost control of his bike, which briefly continued on without him. He remounted to finish 13th. Hayden, who ran across the gravel on the final chicane himself, managed to keep control of his bike and won the race. Colin finished the season in 7th place overall for the Championship.

For 2007 Colin remained with the Yamaha team, and Valentino Rossi, as the series moved to 800cc bikes under the new rule changes. Edwards was in need of a strong season in order to retain his ride but did not get it. His best result was a second place at Donington Park, but he was twelve seconds behind Casey Stoner. The only other time he climbed onto the podium was in third position at Jerez.

His final position of ninth place ultimately cost him his ride for 2008 as he was replaced by 250cc Champion, Lorenzo. Yamaha did reward his loyalty by moving him into the satellite Tech 3 team, alongside James Toseland.

Edwards once again proved to be a reliable team rider during 2008. MotoGP newcomer and team mate, James Toseland, cited the American's advice as a big help during the early part of the season. Consistent results for Edwards, including podiums at Assen and Le Mans, saw him finish the season in seventh position. Many will remember his season simply for the stunning lowside which he saved during qualifying at Jerez - picking the bike up on his leg and lapping up the cheers from the Spanish fans.

In 2009 he remains in an unchanged Tech 3 Yamaha team.

Career Highlights
2008: 7th - MotoGP Championship (Yamaha)
2007: 9th - MotoGP Championship (Yamaha)
2006: 7th - MotoGP Championship (Yamaha)
2005: 4th - MotoGP Championship (Yamaha)
2004: 5th - MotoGP Championship (Honda)
2003: 13th - MotoGP Championship (Aprilia)
2002: 1st - World Superbike Championship (Honda)
2001: 2nd - World Superbike Championship (Honda)
2000: 1st - World Superbike Championship (Honda)
1999: 2nd - World Superbike Championship (Honda)
1998: 5th - World Superbike Championship (Honda)
1997: 12th - World Superbike Championship (Yamaha)
1996: 5th - World Superbike Championship (Yamaha)
1995: 11th - World Superbike Championship (Yamaha)
1994: 6th - AMA Superbike Championship (Yamaha)
1993: 6th - AMA Superbike Championship (Yamaha)
1992: 1st - National 250cc Championship (Yamaha)
1991: Amateur racing in 600cc, 750cc and 250cc classes