At a pre-race press conference in Austin, 40-year-old Colin Edwards (Yamaha) stated this will be his last year racing motorcycles professionally. Edwards has had mixed results in the MotoGP championship since 2003, with three pole positions and 12 podiums earlier on, followed by several years of mediocre performances.
This writer will remember Edwards more for his achievements in WSB. With two World titles, his epic battle for the championship in 2002 remains one of the greatest clutch performances in motorcycle racing history, in my opinion. That year, Edwards took the title after winning several races near the end of the year from a determined Troy Bayliss (the defending champ at the time), including the amazing final round at Imola.
Edwards also won the Suzuka 8 Hours three times with famous teammates, including Noriyuki Haga, Valentino Rossi and the late Daijiro Kato. Frankly, 2002 was a highlight for me as a fan of roadracing thanks to Edward’s efforts. Thanks for the memories, Colin, and best of luck in your retirement. 
Blessing to Colin, and best wishes to a glowing, successful post-racing career, whatever it is.
What a great guy. I went to the TTBC and he is a genuine down to earth guy. Hi buddies are the same guys for years. He and his family were gracious hosts. I recommend the TTBC experience to anyone who loves to ride and learn about being a better rider – it doesnt hurt that he is there coaching you!
I named my son Colin after Mr. Edwards. You could say I am a fan.
My son is named Colin as well. 🙂 My daughter’s middle name is Rossi. 🙂 I’ve raced with Colin before and he’s one of the nicest and fastest guys I know. Good luck #5.
Since nobody has pointed it out already, Colin already has a riding school.
http://texastornadobootcamp.com/
I saw Colin take his first ever AMA Superbike podium, way back in the early 90’s. It was at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Doug Polin was the man back then, but Colin put on an incredible show on the old Vance and Hines Yamaha. I remember walking back to the pits with him and one of his crew. He was a skinny little teenager. Nothing but elbows and knees. On the walk back I remember Colin saying “That wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be”. What a career!
At COTA right now…. Just saw him!!
I saw him close out the 2000 WSB season with a win at Brands, probably my favorite race/moment/venue. Even though it’s a shadow of his Castrol bike, I have an RC51 SP2 in the collection as a reminder.
I was eating dinner at a restaurant in Monterey, CA in 1998 and Colin was at the table with his wife next to me. We had a brief conversation about racing and I wished him well. He was very gracious and thanked me. I will never forget that. His WSB championship in 2002 should go down as the greatest ever. I remember standing in front of the TV yelling for him. That is racing (all forms of racing)at it’s finest and I hope we see it again some day.
I met Colin way back in 2000ish after a fun weekend at Laguna Seca at the airport. I was heading home and he was heading over to Japan via SFO. He was sitting with Haga in the little food court. I just went up and started talking to him. He was super cool and approachable. In interviews since, he is the same guy. Good dude! I wish he had more success in the GP’s!!
Great guy on and off the paddock. Very glad I saw him last year at Laguna to get a few last autographs.
Hopefully will get to the boot camp one of these years.
Otherwise, retiring at 40 years old? Not bad says this 44 year old with another 16 years to go…
Even in retirement, he is faster than 99.9% of us! I miseed out on his earlier battles, but always admired his tenacity in riding whatever bike he was on. And when he got toward the front you knew the fire was still there!
Now, more time for family. Someone mentioned color commentary for racing (that would be cool!). And of course the “how to be a better rider/racer” school… Sign me up for that!
Best of luck, Colin!!
the texas light breeze
Weak.
I like Colin (Nicky too) but honestly they must keep racing just because they love racing motorcycles (and I can understand that)because neither one has been competitive for nearly a decade.
best of luck to Colin in the future with his riding school and whatever else he chooses to persue.
Define “competitive”.
Both guys consistently finish as high in the standings as their machines have been capable of delivering, often beating their more famous team mates in the process. I consider that to be more than competitive.
Sure,ok. Competitive to me means fighting for a podium or at least running with the front runners for awhile. Nicky has fared better than Colin in that respect, but if they are not on first rate machinery it’s because the factories don’t consider them deserving of their best equipment.
So, you are saying America has riders that are competitive in MotoGP? I think not…and we haven’t for a long, long time.
Define a “long, long time”…
It’s a global sport and road racing is a very minor Motorsport in the US.
By your measure, there are 3 competitive riders in MotoGP. If they were my measure of it, I wouldn’t watch. Many no longer do.
You are right, currently there are 4 that are competitive in MotoGP, Marquez, Lorenzo, Pedrosa, and Rossi and a few more, maybe 4 or 5 that are becoming competitive but aren’t quite there yet Espargaro, Dovisioso, Crutchlow, Bautista and Smith. When you look at the points accumulations and podium placings you can clearly see who is competitive and who isn’t. The most competitive riders get the best machines. It has always and will always be that way. If a rider isn’t competitive he gets less than the best machinery, again, always been and always will be that way.
Hayden was last competitive in 2006. Spies showed momentary flashes of competitiveness and then quit, so to me he doesn’t count. The last year America had a competitive rider in MotoGP as far as I am concerned was 2006. So it’s been 8 years.
Far as I know, we have no one on the horizon either. It may very well be a very long time, if ever, that America has a competitive MotoGP rider because of the reason YOU mentioned. Roadracing is far more important to Spaniards, and Italians than it is to Americans.
It is difficult to know who is competitive with so much disparity in equipment. Marquez is more dominant in MotoGP than he was in Moto2 because there is almost nobody who can compete with his bike in MotoGP.
One day Pedrosas and Rossis rides will open up., and at that point the two riders who have shown that they have been the most competitive on lesser machinery will move up. That’s how Crutchlow and Dovisioso got factory Ducati rides. How Spies got his Yamaha ride. Once there, they are expected to perform to an even higher level, because now they are riding the best equipment. It has been like that in all sports since time began. Certainly in motorcycle racing.
Btw I forgot to add Bradl to the list of up and comers.
I hope he stays in the racing business, in some capacity.
Great personality….he will be missed.
One of few riders that actually has some personality, definitely no prima donna. That final race of ’02 against Bayliss was one of the best ever. I don’t thing Colin even had to win the race to get the title back, but he wasn’t about to back it down. If you haven’t seen it, it’s probably on youtube somewhere. Was there ever a better looking bike than that Castrol Honda RC51?
A second on the last race of ’02. That was one for the ages.
Colin will be missed.
Goose
It was a bit busy, but Colin’s stars & stripes RC51 was my favourite of his bikes.
Congrats and all the best to a true racer. We will miss his candid ways for sure. His epic battle and win over Troy Balis, whom many consider the MAN was epic and puts his life into perspective.
Go enjoy the other part of your life Colin … It’s well deserved!!
Oh and he always spoke his mind. That will certainly be missed.
re: “he always spoke his mind”
the broadcast booth awaits. time for some color commentary.
Never heard a MotoGP broadcast bleeped before…If anyone can cause it Edwards can. This will be great.
once again….
You are correct
Ahh it’s too bad but honestly not much of a surprise. Out with the old guard, in with the new. New riders, new riding styles, heck even new machines. It’s life.
That being said, Colin is a total stand up guy. I met him a few times in the GP paddock (he gave me Hus autographed boots in Qatar!) and he was always friendly and positive. He clearly puts his family first, always seemed to give all he had at his sport, and has some great achievements to be proud of. It was fun to watch him and be a fan. He’ll be missed. Cheers Colin.
re: “This writer will remember Edwards more for his achievements in WSB. With two World titles, his epic battle for the championship in 2002…”
…and the epic battles both physical and mental astride the RC45 with his arch nemesis Carl Fogarty.
game over man… GAME OVER…!!! (Pfc. Hudson voice)
LOL –
Great quote and movie………
Colin seems to have hardly ever gotten hurt in all his years of road racing, that in itself is a miracle. He came so close to winning a Moto GP race @ Assen 1 year but on the last lap went into a corner too hot and lost it and that let Nicky Hayden(Honda) get 1 of his few GP wins instead. I suspect Colin has used his RR winnings wisely. He’s already had a hell of a life!