The penultimate round of the 2012 MotoGP championship will be held this coming weekend at the Australian circuit of Phillip Island. It will be the fair-well Australian MotoGP race for home boy Casey Stoner, as he retires at the end of this year.
Stoner has won at Phillip Island each of the last five years. His home track is his favorite, and the one at which he has been most successful. Two other Australian greats, Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan, have a combined total of five Phillip Island wins, which puts Casey Stoner’s home track achievements in perspective.
Gardner and Doohan have corners of the Phillip Island track named for them, and Stoner will receive a similar honor this Thursday when Turn 3 is renamed Stoner Corner.
Still recovering strength and flexibility from a ankle injury, Stoner’s chances this year are not the best. Dani Pedrosa has been on fire, winning five of the last six races, and Jorge Lorenzo has also had the pace recently to best Stoner. You can bet Stoner will be determined to take his home victory, and keep his streak alive, however. We have heard that ticket sales are double what they were last year, as Australians say goodbye to a national sporting hero.
Good riddance, Stoner. Take your inflated sense of self-worth and talent with you.
Stoner is a good rider, but in no way shape or form the “most talented”, so I must disagree with Lorenzo on this point. Stoner has been nothing but a crybaby and a self-centered jerk ever since he won his first championship. He won that, and thinks he’s the G.O.A.T. He seems to believe he can snipe at Rossi with impunity, not noticing that Rossi has accomplished far greater achievements than Stoner ever will.
Go away already, Stoner. MotoGP won’t miss you. There are other riders who will replace you, and won’t have the same terrible attitude.
Dorna, this is a strong message for your organization, one of the best riders like Stoner is leaving (I still don’t he he will fully retire) motoGP because of your inefficiencies to improve the sport and making the top category a second place, behind world SBK, and not paying attention to what the riders say, I think Rossi is pissed off as well but he loves racing more than anything else that he has been and will cotnnue to wait for change to happen.
Thanks for the memories Casey – You will be missed … I wish you well with your future where ever that takes you… You have given hope to some other young Aussies coming up through the ranks – well done for that.
I just wish that the sport of MotoGP had more manufacturers represented like the days past had … then we might see some close competitive racing – DORNA please LIFT YOUR GAME !!!
Lorenzo was on national ABC breakfast television being interviewed in their studio yesterday morning here in Oz. He stated his dissappointment that Stoner was leaving because he’d forced him, and Pedro in particular to lift their game. He said that Stoner was the most talented rider he’d ever seen. From my perspective on the sidelines for 40 odd years, I’d have to agree.
I came of age in the 70’s, and every small town in the US had a “Stoner Corner” back then!
I wish him all the best, although it’s unusual to see someone walk away at his age, while so competitive…
Good Luck to Casey!
Crutchlow, Rossie or somebody best be running with Lorenzo and Pedrosa next year or GP is going to get really boring. Hate to state the obvious, but at least 3 guys vying for the podium left some mystery to my fantasy racing league!
MotoGP is already boring compared to World Superbike. All the hype with not much to match it as a spectator. If Hayden, Spies can get consistently competitive next year that would help.
“Stoner Corner”? Bet that is going to be a popular place. Think I might have gone with “Casey’s Corner” ha ha. He’s been a tremendous competitor and will be missed in MotoGP.
Even though he undoubtedly has enough money, 27 seems a little young to retire. Surely he has a plan for doing something else with his time besides playing with the baby.
“Surely he has a plan for doing something else with his time besides playing with the baby.”
V8 Supercars
re: “27 seems a little young to retire.”
but the perfect age to start a family.
re: “Surely he has a plan for doing something else with his time besides playing with the baby.”
yup, making sure alessandra grows up with brothers and sisters. gotta do sumptin’…? 🙂
Farewell