Texas Tornado: Colin Edwards and MotoGP
ONE NAME THAT needs no introduction — well, there are quite a few on the grid already — is Colin Edwards, Michelin’s official MotoGP tyre tester, who has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. Choosing Colin was not a very difficult decision for Michelin — as we found out during our chat with their Technical Director Nicolas Goubert — because he was the ideal candidate, what with his vast experience in World Superbike (WSBK) and MotoGP, having ridden alongside more than a few of the current riders.
Having been racing since 1992, when he began with the AMA 250-cc, he went on to race in WSBK from 1995 to 2002 before moving on to MotoGP in 2003, with which he stayed on till the middle of the 2014 season. Colin’s years of racing experience on two wheels, would add up to more than the age of the average Moto3 rider. His success in WSBK was far more than in MotoGP, with 31 wins and two world championships; the first in 2000, but in 2002, he took the victory in style, taking the championship down to the wire, reclaiming his title from Troy Bayliss.
When not hard at work, Colin passes on his experiences at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp. Spread over 20 acres of land near Lake Conroe in Texas, it offers world-class motorcycle rider training for enthusiasts and professionals alike.
We caught up with Colin just before the MotoGP race in Barcelona.
BikeIndia ( BI): How important are the tyres and how do you get the whole crew to work together?
Colin Edwards (CE): The tyres are probably one of the most important things. It’s the thing that’s touching the ground. It’s your first spring, it’s your traction; it’s everything. The guys adapting from that brand to this brand is very interesting. We’ve had some people adapt very well and some who were struggling. If difficult for some, but some of the guys have picked it up just like that.
BI: At this stage of the MotoGP race weekend, what are the top riders doing and thinking now?
CE: Right now, they’re thinking about getting an early lunch, some food in their bellies, some carbs and just relax and be sure that everyone is watching the Moto3 race in their motorhomes. Just relax and get ready.
BI: What do you reckon will be the outcome of this race?
CE: Looks like a potential Rossi against a flying Spaniard. After this morning, I’m going to have to go with Valentino; he looked good on hard tyres. Marquez has been looking good all weekend, Lorenzo’s gonna be there.