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Rumor: Colin Edwards to Ride a CRT with NGM Forward?

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The CRT rumors continue to swell around Colin Edwards, as the American rider is now being linked to the Italian NGM Forward Racing team for the 2012 MotoGP racing season. Slated to make an announcement at Misano about his future, Edwards has made no secret to the fact that he’s intrigued with the CRT’s possibilities. “I think there’ll be tracks where it’s going to surprise some people,” said Edwards to Asphalt & Rubber while talking about the CRT formula’s potential.

While Edwards also went on to say that “there will be tracks I think where a CRT bike will get its doors blown off,” the two-time World Superbike Champion concluded his thoughts on the subject saying that an R1 motor in a custom chassis would be a lethal combo. “For me, the weapon of choice if you were going to go CRT would be that. 100%.”

Such a Yamaha-derived solution would have likely come from Edwards’ current team: Monster Yamaha Tech 3, which has had a healthy relationship with Yamaha over the years, and also has a strong history of being the top satellite effort in MotoGP. Talking to Guy Coulon, Edwards’s crew chief at Tech 3, A&R has learned that at the very least Tech 3 has explored the idea of a CRT bike with an R1 motor at one point. Coulon briefly outlined to us that he had all the necessary schematics and specifications, based in-part from his Moto2 chassis design, to build a prototype frame for the production motor, but just needed word from on-high to undertake such a project.

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Colin Edwards: “I’m Not Ready to Retire”

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Also joining Nicky Hayden at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway teleconference was the venerable Colin Edwards, who took some time off from scoping and loading his new 338 Edge rifle to talk to Asphalt & Rubber and a select group of other journalists about the MotoGP season and the upcoming Indianapolis round. By his own admission, Edwards is not having as good of a season this year in MotoGP as he would like, with many in the paddock wondering if 2011 is the Texas Tornado’s last year in MotoGP. Saying that he wasn’t ready to retire, Edwards hinted that some announcements were coming down the line, though probably not in time for the Indianapolis GP.

“Will we make any kind of announcement at Indy? Probably not. Misano, maybe, I don’t know,” mused Edwards. “We’ve got a few pieces of the puzzle laying around. We’ve just got to put those pieces together. Probably the worst thing is that I’m not ready to retire. That would make it easy for everybody. But at the moment, I’m still enjoying it. I’m still having a good time, and I’m still motivated. Until that goes away, I’m going to ride motorcycles.” Read the rest of the teleconference transcript after the jump.

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Rumors

Rumor: Colin Edwards to World Superbike?

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Make no mistake about the fact that we are well into the 2011 Silly Season, a festive time where paddock gossip is rife with the movings and rumors of where riders and teams will land for the following season. With MotoGP set this weekend to make its second American appearance for the year, we are kicking off the rumormill reports properly with talk of where Colin Edwards will race in 2012. Rumored to be in World Superbike for 2012, the Texan Tornado has been linked to both a factory Ducati ride in WSBK and a factory seat at BMW Motorrad.

Speaking to Asphalt & Rubber and other journalists at a conference call hosted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway yesterday (a transcript of that is in the works), Edwards alluded to the fact that we wouldn’t hear about his future plans at Indy, and likely not at the San Marino GP as well. The Texan did clue the assembled press into the fact that he wasn’t ready to retire his racing spurs yet, and would likely be racing in some form or another for the 2012 season.

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Racing

Is That Fabio? Yamaha Produces More MotoGP Video Gold

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Yamaha had several generations of of GP legends on-hand yesterday to celebrate the company’s 50th Anniversary of Grand Prix racing. Current Yamaha team riders Jorge Lorenzo, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards, and Cal Crutchlow rubbed shoulders with Kenny Roberts Sr., Eddie Lawson, and Wayne Rainey.

Listening to the group trade stories, comparing past with present, along with giving insights on where the sport was headed was quite an experience. Yamaha had more up its sleeve though, and true to its Laguna Seca tradition, released another bit of video gold in time for the Red Bull US GP at the Californian track. Double bonus points for a Fabio cameo, watch the bar on GP comedy get raised after the jump.

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Banter

What Does Shooting a .50 cal Have to do with Riding?

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Yamaha must be picking up on the idea that any video with Colin Edwards is motorcycling gold, even when it’s hocking the Yamaha Extended Service warranty plan (well…sort of). While definitely not the company’s finest, and bleeping out Colin Edwards sort of defeats the purpose of why you’d put the plucky MotoGP rider in a video in the first place, as far as commercials for warranty plans go…this one has to be our favorite.

Though the writing could use some work, and editing things down a bit might have helped as well, we still like a number of the gags in this video, which is set at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp. A Shake Weight gag, reserved room for Dani Pedrosa, and the answer to what shooting a .50 cal has to do with riding await you after the jump.

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Racing

The Sh*t Alyssia Edwards Has to Put-up With

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If we told you that Colin Edwards was known for his colorful language and straight-shooting assessment on life, it would probably be the understatement of the year. As it is, the Texan Tornado has carved out a lively on-stage/track persona for himself that resonates with the lowest common denominator that resides in all motorcycle fans. Likable, truthful, and unabashed, Edwards is a fan favorite in the MotoGP paddock, one of our favorite riders to talk to in the premier series.

One of the highest ranking privateer riders, Edwards unfortunately saw his 141 MotoGP race start streak come to an end in Barcelona with the Catalan GP, but the American rider was back in the saddle the very next race at Silverstone (finishing on the podium we might add). Admitting to taking pain-killers during the Friday sessions, a groggy Edwards elected to forgo meds on Saturday, and in-between sessions he was back to his usual tricks, entertaining British race fans at an event for the venerable motorcycle charity Riders for Health.

Seven minutes in length, a sober Colin Edwards said plenty to get himself in hot water around the paddock, but you’ll have to wait until the end to see what got him in trouble with his wife Alyssia. Asked about the incident later, Edwards retold what he said to his loving wife, “Honey, I’m a comedian. I was just looking for a laugh, if you know what I’m saying. I had no aspirations to do anything I was saying. It was just cracking a joke.” He continued saying, “she knows I’m a ding-dong sometimes and say stupid shit.”

We hope Colin won’t have to spend too much time on the couch when he gets back to the US, check the video out, and for bonus fun, a response video after the jump.

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Photo of the Week: Unbreakable

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The ups and downs of racing are sometimes quite amazing. After breaking his collarbone at Catalunya, Colin Edwards had his flights booked to return home and skip the British GP. But he felt well enough after his operation to pin the break that he stayed. Seeing his teammate, Cal Crutchlow, break his collarbone in qualifying, Colin then went on to claim a podium for the beleaguered Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team.

Boss Herve Poncharal told me when I congratulated him in the paddock that yesterday he’d been ready to commit suicide (not literally of course), and a day later he has two riders on the box, as Bradley Smith snagged second place in the Moto 2 race. Congratulations to all the Tech 3 folks!

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MotoGP: Rain-Soaked British GP Shakes-up Championship

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The nice British weather could only hold-out for so long at Silverstone this race weekend, as MotoGP came to the English track for the British GP. Accordingly, Sunday’s MotoGP race was soaked to the bone with rain, as Casey Stoner took his pole position for the day’s start.

Followed by Marco Simoncelli and Jorge Lorenzo respectively on the front row, the weather showed the potential to make it anyone’s race…that is of course as long as “anyone” doesn’t include Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow, both of whom could not compete because of broken collarbones.

Speaking of broken collarbones, Colin Edwards was set to race, just a week after breaking his at Catalunya, though his teammate was gutted about being unable to race in front of his home crowd after crashing in practice.

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Hopper Turns Down Tech3 and Repsol Ride Offers

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With two riders out of MotoGP right now because of shoulder injuries (Dani Pedrosa & Colin Edwards), the number of riders in the premier class has dropped down to just 15 expected to compete at the British GP. With that news comes pressure from Dorna for the teams to find replacements, and with a limited talent pool, the usual suspects are being bandied about. One of the people on the short list is former-GP rider John Hopkins, who raced for Rizla Suzuki at the Spanish GP in Jerez after Álvaro Bautista broke his femur at Qatar and was unable to compete.

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Catalunya Ends Colin Edwards’ 141 MotoGP Starting Streak

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If there’s a Cal Ripken Jr. of MotoGP, it would have to be the Texan Tornado himself, Colin Edwards III. For the past 141 MotoGP races, the American has been on the starting line come Sunday morning (and Saturday morning if it’s for the Dutch TT).

This weekend’s race at Catalunya would have been Edwards’ 142nd GP start, but medical officials were not too keen on Colin’s idea of gridding-up with the MotoGP field, and doing a single lap to maintain his streak (CEIII broke his collarbone on Friday). Thus, Edwards’ record for consecutive GP starts will have to stand at 141 races.

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Colin Edwards Breaks Collarbone at Catalan GP

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There’s something about collarbones in MotoGP right now, as American Colin Edwards broke his right collarbone today, under changing conditions at the Catalan track. With rain coming on early in the day, MotoGP riders got a break on weather, and were able to run slicks in the last part of the Free Practice session. Taking a lap on the slick tires, Edwards came in to change bikes, and on his out-lap, was caught-out on cold rubber, and landed heavily on his shoulder in Turn 5. Unfortunately for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider, his collarbone has been confirmed as broken, and he will have to sit out the Catalan GP and very likely the British GP next week.

After the crash, Edwards was taken to the Dexeus Institute Hospital in Barcelona, where he will undergo surgery performed by Dr. Xavier Mir, who has previously treated Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. With the Silverstone round only a week away, it seems almost certain that Edwards won’t return to MotoGP racing until Assen at the earliest for the Dutch TT, though a later appearance could be possible. No word yet on replacement riders, though it will be tough to find one with World Superbike racing at Misano next weekend as well.

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