Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Former Superbike World Champion and current World Superbike points leader Colin Edwards is seriously disappointed with Honda.

After years of being told by Honda officials that he can’t move to MotoGP with Honda because he’s an American and marketing reasons preclude putting an American on a works Honda MotoGP team, Edwards has just seen fellow American Nicky Hayden get the MotoGP ride of his dreams.

It’s left Edwards seriously disenchanted.

He’d already agreed to leave Honda and join Ducati for 2003 with a shot at the Italian company’s MotoGP team, but that ride will go to Troy Bayliss, so Edwards has lost out on a shot at a 2003 MotoGP ride twice.

This is what Edwards told Roadracing World GP Editor Mat Oxley about the news that newly crowned AMA Superbike Champion Hayden will ride a works Honda RC211V in MotoGP next year: “I’m looking forward to Imola, but after that, with all this shit that’s goin’ on with Honda, I just need to go home and relax. It feels like someone’s ripped their foot out of my ass real fast!”

Edwards confirmed that Hayden will ride in the Repsol Honda team.