Q: Another good test for you at Qatar. What did you work on? What worked well?
Colin Edwards: Everything works. I don’t think anybody was super-comfortable with the track conditions the whole time except maybe (Casey) Stoner. They seemed to vary from hour to hour. Temperature coming down, sand on the track. It was a little bit tricky conditions. What we mainly worked on was really keeping a good setting but trying to help the tire out. Making it last a little longer. And it seemed that we’re really starting to learn a lot more about these Bridgestones. The craziest thing is that I’m just so used to the old tires, the Mich (Michelin), good for about five or six laps and then just survival after that. These Bridgestones, they get better. Don’t ask me how or why, but they get better the more laps you put on them.
Q: How do you adjust your riding style to cope with that? In the past you had to maximize the narrow window when the tire was good. Now it seems the tire is good all the time.
Colin Edwards: With the Mich, it was always way, way over the limit. For the first five or six laps you try and extract the most out of it because you knew it was going to go downhill. Where with the Bridge (Bridgestone), you don’t have to be so … crazy. You can just go out and get in the groove because you know the tire is still going to be there. It’s not like you’re to miss anything. With the Mich, it was always like if you wasted two or three laps, you were going to miss that couple of good laps the tire was going to be good. Whereas, hell, I think my last lap was (1:) 57.9 in my 22-lap run, and I think my best lap of the whole thing was about my 17th lap, which was a 57.7. It was just crazy. Everything just seems to work.
Q: It sounds like you guys really have your stuff together with one more test remaining, March 28-29 in Jerez. What is your game plan for that test considering you don’t seem to need any major changes?
Colin Edwards: I can’t explain how much I like this new setup. A lot of your time and effort and risk and everything involved in the past was always was just throwing tires at it. Different tires, different tires, different tires, seeing which tires worked, and then building something off that variance for the race. Now it’s awesome. You have two tires. You go out, run what you can. Put the other tire on, go out and run what you can. Give your comment. Bridgestone said it was better, it’s going to last longer, and then you’re done. It’s pretty simple. I really, really enjoy it a lot more. I should say I enjoy riding it a lot more instead of always having to come in and give every little detailed description about … which was probably one of my fortes, being a Michelin guy, was being able to describe every tire to a T. But at the same time, if that setup information isn’t used correctly, then it’s a waste of time.
Q: This has been one of the longest offseasons in a while, with the season opener not until April 12. How are you coping with the wait?
Colin Edwards: Oh, man, it’s awful (sarcastic laughter). It couldn’t have happened at a better time. We’re building a new house. I get to spend a bit of time out there making sure everything is done right. I get to hang out with the kids, run out to the property and play some baseball, some basketball, ride bikes. It’s just been awesome. I’ve enjoyed my offseason. I haven’t really had one like this in, hell, I don’t know how long. But I’m enjoying it. But at the same time, you’ve spent enough time off the bike, you’re always that much more motivated to get back on the bike.
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