The Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team is heading to Indianapolis this weekend for the 12th round of the 2011 MotoGP season. Colin Edwards will race in his home country for the second time this season this weekend, while his teammate Cal Crutchlow will see the Indy circuit for the first time.
Edwards, who is the leading non-factory rider this season, has scored 6 consecutive top 10 finishes and is currently ninth in the championship standings.
"Racing at home in America for the second time in a few weeks is awesome and I'm really looking forward to this weekend," Edwards said. "The build-up to the Indianapolis race is always pretty special because you've got the mystique and the history of the place and I really like that part of it.
"The people at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have done a fantastic job to make MotoGP a success and hopefully the fans will get to see an exciting show this weekend. The track isn't too technical or demanding but I'm looking forward to riding on the new pavement on the infield.
"We all know it was pretty bumpy in parts but they've taken our feedback on board and done something to improve it, which is brilliant. I'm on a consistent run of results at the moment and hopefully that will continue this weekend.
"I'd like to be a further up the order and pushing inside the top six a little more, but the guys in front of me every week are all on factory bikes, so I think all of us inside the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team are giving the maximum to do the best job we can."
Edwards' teammate Crutchlow will be seeing the brickyard for the first time this weekend. Crutchlow has had a string of rough results, but the Yamaha rider is determined to finish the season strong.
"I am really looking forward to going to Indy because I've heard so much about what a fantastic facility the Motor Speedway is," Crutchlow said. "But without any previous experience of riding there, I'm anticipating another difficult challenge. It is one I am relishing though because I'm determined to end this difficult period in the Championship.
"I haven't scored enough points in the last few races, so I'm looking forward to learning Indy but also getting a good result there too.
"The Yamaha is a good bike, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team is brilliant, and I believe in my own ability, so we've got to put all the ingredients together to deliver the performances we know we are capable of.
"The test after the Brno race was really beneficial because we could work on the bike a lot and I could focus on adapting my style a lot more. We've got some more ideas to help us in the future, so hopefully a good result this weekend will help set me up for a strong finish to the season."
