After eight years of experience in the World
Superbike Championship winning two world titles
with Honda and one year of training in the
MotoGP, Colin Edwards returns to the marque
of the golden wing with the talent and the
enthusiasm to aim high.
Colin is a determined rider who loves to
win. The Texan was immediately noticed during
the winter test as a candidate for the title:
not only was he very fast on a single lap,
but he also rode consistently and at a high
rhythm in endurance practices. This is Edwards'
presentation card for the 2004 season.
Colin Edwards made his motorcycling debut
in the US in 1991 riding in the 600, 750 and
250 classes and winning every race he finished.
One year later, at Daytona, he won his first
race as a professional on a Yamaha 250 taking
the national title at the end of the season.
Then he rode in the AMA SBK championship with
3 wins in 1994.
He entered the world Superbike championship
in 1995 with the Official Yamaha team. His
debut was not unnoticed: Colin finished 11th
with a fourth place at Daytona and a fifth
place at Suzuka. The following year (1996)
he finished fifth with a total of seven podiums.
Together with the Japanese rider Noriyuki
Haga he won the Suzuka 8 hours, the most important
Japanese race.
His apprenticeship continued even if he lost
most of the season because of an injury (1997).
1998 represented a turning point in Edwards'
career: he rode for the Castrol Honda team
and aboard the RC45 he finished fifth with
three victories and, in the following year
took five wins and came second in the world
championship. They said he had achieved success
but for him it was just the beginning: "I
don't race just to get into the ratings or
to make up numbers, I want to win".
He was true to his word in 2000 when, on
a VTR 1000 (RC51), he won the World SBK title.
The following year "Texas Tornado" defended
his world title finishing second. 2002 he
was again number one winning the championship
with an advantage of only one point at the
last race in Imola in an incredibly hard fought
and spectacular race.
Last year he entered the MotoGP category
with Aprilia. It was a difficult season that
saw the American mainly focused on the development
of the bike. Unfortunately the results didn't
reflect the rider's talent and commitment.
2004: ready for the challenge. Colin Edwards
is back with Honda in the Team Telefonica
MoviStar Honda MotoGP run by Fausto Gresini
on a RC 211 V Honda, the marque with which
he won his Superbike titles. There is no doubt
that the Texas Tornado has placed himself
back into contention for podiums.
