- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
MotoGP
MOTOGP: Edwards Holds Court
Two-time World Champion Colin Edwards on Indy, MotoGP, CRT, spec ECU, World Superbike, and more...
NGM Mobile Forward Racing's Colin Edwards (Photo: Dorna Communications)
MODERATOR: You have made no secret about the package that you have for the CRT bike that you have this year. You guys have struggled with the electronics and other various elements of the bike, and you guys keep chipping away and chipping away. But you did test some other bikes after the race at Mugello last month. Any news on the equipment from at Indy for you guys?
COLIN EDWARDS: Damn, how do you know about all this? All this is supposed to be a secret? (Laughter) No, right now I don't know. Obviously we have what we have, make due with what we got, and there might be something at Brno. Honestly, I haven't had any contact with the guys, and I don't know if we are 100 percent this way or that way. So for the moment, we are with a BMW-Suter, and we are going to go racing.
MODERATOR: Indy is a unique circuit in that it has the long straightaway and which clearly favors the prototype and their extra horsepower. But it is pretty tight in the infield, which could probably give you CRT guys, which are using the production-based engines, maybe a chance to stay in the front. How do you see Indy on a CRT bike? It is a great unknown, because they haven't run there yet. Do you see that as a circuit that maybe the CRT bikes could run closer to the prototypes?
EDWARDS: I have yet to be at a track where the CRT bikes work better anywhere than the prototypes. You know, to answer your question, I don't know. At Laguna, honestly, the bike felt pretty good. The lap times were slow; all the CRT bikes were slow. All the lap times were slow, and when you have a short lifetime like that, I mean, it is the first time in my career that I got lapped. From 4 years old, obviously, I am not in the same spec of bikes as the leader, but that was kind of heartbreaking, to be honest with you. Indy, on the other hand, I don't know. We are just going to have to go and see how far off we are, do the math, ride our ass off and see what happens.
Q: I just wanted to find out if you have figured out what your plans are for next season? Are you going to be back on a prototype bike next year or if you will remain in MotoGP? I just wanted to see what the plans are?
EDWARDS: Yeah, at the moment, I can't answer that. You can imagine that I got everything from a two-year deal with these guys. If we can or if it is possible to get a prototype under us or a CRT route, you know, I have even thrown out the idea of let's go Superbike racing. At the moment, I am with these guys, and we will see what it comes to.
Q: Someone, maybe me, suggested to you that it would be great to see you in World Superbike next year. I didn't get to hear the response was, why don't you tell everybody.
EDWARDS: I don't know if I heard what my response was. Did I have a beer before I said that? I get this question about World Superbike. But you know how long I was there, been there and done it. And it is definitely a possibility: That is all I can say. I don't know, I don't know. I like the team where I am at, and I love the team that I am working with, and the team is one of the best teams that I have ever worked for. We will just have to try and make it work, somehow, some way.
Q: How important is winning now in your career?
EDWARDS: Yeah, it would be nice to win again. I am not going to lie to you. You know, it would be nice to know that you line up on the grid and that you have every chance possible to win as the next guy. That is the way my DNA is programmed.
Q: I have a few different things for you, but the first one is something a Speedway official told me about. It seems to be a badge of honor with you guys, and it is this arm-pump situation. It seems you haven't been initiated as a motorcycle racer until you have had arm-pump surgery. Can you tell me about it?
EDWARDS: The arm-pump surgery, yes. On your forearm you kind of have a sheath, let's say that kind of encapsulates everything, and when your muscle expands, it pretty much cuts the blood circulation off and it gets pumped up and it gets too thick for the blood to flow. I blew mine out a long time ago; I mean, you can do it naturally by working too hard or lifting something or whatever it does. I went to the doctor to go have the surgery when I was climbing a lot, and I thought I was getting arm pump, which I was. But come to find out I didn't need it. I found out I was just working my arms too much, and I went to the doctor, and he said, 'You don't need it.' You have already blown it out. So the doctor said to stop climbing and you will be fine, which I was.
Q: Everybody seems to have to get this at some point?
EDWARDS: Yeah, obviously the bigger the bikes, the heavier the bikes are and the harder you are going to work. It is a good thing, I have seen guys do it, and they have had the surgery and now they just don't have arm pump at all. So it works and it leaves nasty scars if you have the wrong doctor, but, you know, chicks kind of dig scars. It is what it is, I guess.
Q: I know from talking to you over the years that this is a dangerous sport and you guys get beat up all the time, anyway.
EDWARDS: Yeah, exactly. You have scars all over your body when you are done here.
COLIN EDWARDS: Damn, how do you know about all this? All this is supposed to be a secret? (Laughter) No, right now I don't know. Obviously we have what we have, make due with what we got, and there might be something at Brno. Honestly, I haven't had any contact with the guys, and I don't know if we are 100 percent this way or that way. So for the moment, we are with a BMW-Suter, and we are going to go racing.
MODERATOR: Indy is a unique circuit in that it has the long straightaway and which clearly favors the prototype and their extra horsepower. But it is pretty tight in the infield, which could probably give you CRT guys, which are using the production-based engines, maybe a chance to stay in the front. How do you see Indy on a CRT bike? It is a great unknown, because they haven't run there yet. Do you see that as a circuit that maybe the CRT bikes could run closer to the prototypes?
EDWARDS: I have yet to be at a track where the CRT bikes work better anywhere than the prototypes. You know, to answer your question, I don't know. At Laguna, honestly, the bike felt pretty good. The lap times were slow; all the CRT bikes were slow. All the lap times were slow, and when you have a short lifetime like that, I mean, it is the first time in my career that I got lapped. From 4 years old, obviously, I am not in the same spec of bikes as the leader, but that was kind of heartbreaking, to be honest with you. Indy, on the other hand, I don't know. We are just going to have to go and see how far off we are, do the math, ride our ass off and see what happens.
Q: I just wanted to find out if you have figured out what your plans are for next season? Are you going to be back on a prototype bike next year or if you will remain in MotoGP? I just wanted to see what the plans are?
EDWARDS: Yeah, at the moment, I can't answer that. You can imagine that I got everything from a two-year deal with these guys. If we can or if it is possible to get a prototype under us or a CRT route, you know, I have even thrown out the idea of let's go Superbike racing. At the moment, I am with these guys, and we will see what it comes to.
Q: Someone, maybe me, suggested to you that it would be great to see you in World Superbike next year. I didn't get to hear the response was, why don't you tell everybody.
EDWARDS: I don't know if I heard what my response was. Did I have a beer before I said that? I get this question about World Superbike. But you know how long I was there, been there and done it. And it is definitely a possibility: That is all I can say. I don't know, I don't know. I like the team where I am at, and I love the team that I am working with, and the team is one of the best teams that I have ever worked for. We will just have to try and make it work, somehow, some way.
Q: How important is winning now in your career?
EDWARDS: Yeah, it would be nice to win again. I am not going to lie to you. You know, it would be nice to know that you line up on the grid and that you have every chance possible to win as the next guy. That is the way my DNA is programmed.
Q: I have a few different things for you, but the first one is something a Speedway official told me about. It seems to be a badge of honor with you guys, and it is this arm-pump situation. It seems you haven't been initiated as a motorcycle racer until you have had arm-pump surgery. Can you tell me about it?
EDWARDS: The arm-pump surgery, yes. On your forearm you kind of have a sheath, let's say that kind of encapsulates everything, and when your muscle expands, it pretty much cuts the blood circulation off and it gets pumped up and it gets too thick for the blood to flow. I blew mine out a long time ago; I mean, you can do it naturally by working too hard or lifting something or whatever it does. I went to the doctor to go have the surgery when I was climbing a lot, and I thought I was getting arm pump, which I was. But come to find out I didn't need it. I found out I was just working my arms too much, and I went to the doctor, and he said, 'You don't need it.' You have already blown it out. So the doctor said to stop climbing and you will be fine, which I was.
Q: Everybody seems to have to get this at some point?
EDWARDS: Yeah, obviously the bigger the bikes, the heavier the bikes are and the harder you are going to work. It is a good thing, I have seen guys do it, and they have had the surgery and now they just don't have arm pump at all. So it works and it leaves nasty scars if you have the wrong doctor, but, you know, chicks kind of dig scars. It is what it is, I guess.
Q: I know from talking to you over the years that this is a dangerous sport and you guys get beat up all the time, anyway.
EDWARDS: Yeah, exactly. You have scars all over your body when you are done here.
Latest Gallery
LATEST HEADLINES: MOTO-RACING
-
MOTOGP: Rossi Calls Out Bautista
Valentino Rossi has had enough of Alvaro Bautista's ill-advised attempts… -
AMA SBK: Cardenas Leads Superbike Field To BMP
Yoshimura Suzuki's Martin Cardenas returns to the scene of his first-career… -
MOTOGP: Lorenzo Fastest In Post-GP Test
Jorge Lorenzo was quickest at Catalunya where the Suzuki development… -
MOTOGP: Suzuki Lays Out Plan Of Attack
Suzuki MotoGP boss Satoru explained the reason behind the firm's… -
MOTOGP: Suzuki Return Delayed To 2015
Suzuki has put off its much-hyped return to MotoGP until 2015. -
BSB: Bryne Doubles Knockhill
Defending British Superbike champ Shane Byrne took both wins today… -
PHOTOS: MotoGP - Grand Prix of Catalunya
Yamaha Factory Racing's Jorge Lorenzo was victorious in Sunday's… - More News
