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Edwards ready for final American race in MotoGP

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Colin Edwards is the old man of MotoGP racing.

The 40-year-old Texan is still as beloved as any motorcycle rider in America.

This weekend, Edwards and his NGM Forward Racing team will host a farewell celebration as Edwards’ prepares for the final race in his home country, the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

“I’ve been racing, I don’t know, 23 years, and I’ve not had a lot of races in the U.S., so this being the last one is special,” Edwards said after a Friday practice session. “The farewell part of it, everyone’s gotten behind, so it’s a good feeling.”

Edwards has seen a lot during his years — an American win a world championship, other competitors suffer serious or fatal injuries, even a rider nearly half his age dominate the series for two straight seasons. But after 11 years and 12 podium finishes in MotoGP, it looks like Edwards will retire at the end of the season without ever winning a race, a streak that is not likely to end this weekend.

Qualifications are schedule for Saturday. The race is set for Sunday.

Edwards returns to Indy sitting 18th in points, with a season-best finish of ninth in the season opener and having missed the top 10 in eight straight races. On Friday, his fastest practice lap of 1 minute, 34.994 seconds was 16th.

But being a longshot Sunday hasn’t dissuaded Edwards from pursuing his own American dream, winning a race at one of the world’s most prestigious venues, the Brickyard, in what will presumably be his seventh and final U.S. start.

“It would be great to win any U.S. GP because it’s a home race, it’s in front of your country folk,” the Yamaha rider said. “They’ll cheer you on, and it would be awesome.”

Here are five more things to watch this weekend at Indianapolis:

MARC’S MARCH: Spain’s Marc Marquez is chasing history again. A year after becoming the youngest MotoGP rider to win a world title, Marquez’s encore has been nothing short of sensational. He’s started in the top three of all nine races, won seven poles and, incredibly, all nine races. On Friday, he also posted the fastest practice lap, 1:32.882, making him the favorite to win a second straight Indy pole. If the 21-year-old Repsol Honda rider wins again this weekend, he would be the first back-to-back winner at Indy in MotoGP, too.

THE CHALLENGER: Who is the most likely challenger to Marquez? Perhaps Dani Pedrosa, the only two-time Indy winner and Marquez’s teammate. Pedrosa was fantastic on the old race course, claiming two poles, winning the race in 2010 and 2012 and finishing as the runner-up in 2011 and 2013. The only two-time winner of this race also was fifth on the speed chart Friday with a fast lap of 1:33.493.

DIFFERENT TRACK: For the first six years of this event, riders routinely complained about the racing surface. Now that the course has been repaved and reconfigured, those complaints have vanished. Spain’s Pol Esparago, who is sixth in the points with Monster Yamaha Tech 3, noted that the surface is smoother and it’s easier to go through the corners. Edwards called the new surface “perfection.” And despite some brief rain Friday, Esparago said the track dried faster, too.

RECORD DAY, TWICE: Spain’s Alvaro Bautista broke two records Friday. In the morning practice session, he shattered Pedrosa’s previous best in the speed trap (209.2 mph) with a speed of 211.8 mph. In the afternoon, he did it again, going 212.8 mph through the trap. He still finished 14th on the speed chart at 1:34.054.

THE UNDERCARD: Two teenagers headline this weekend’s undercard. Seventeen-year-old Ana Carrasco of Spain will attempt to qualify for Sunday’s MotoGP3 race, and 17-year-old Indiana resident Hayden Schultz is scheduled to compete in the Harley-Davidson Series. Carrasco and Shelina Moreda, of California, are the only women competing this weekend. Moreda is Shcultz’s teammate with Chili Pepper Racing.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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