Casey Stoner

Casey Stoner announces retirement from MotoGp

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 23:02:37 +0000

Moto GP NewsBy: Aaryn MinerdsReigning MotoGP World Champion and 2012 points leader Casey Stoner stunned the MotoGP paddock Le Mans during a press conference where he announced his retirement.The 26-year-old will stop racing motorcycles at the end of this season with the Repsol Honda rider citing personal reasons for his decision, as well as suggesting that MotoGP’s new direction – with the introduction of lower-cost and lower-performance CRT machines for some riders – also played a part.“This has come after a long time of thinking and talking with my family and my wife,” said Stoner. “It’s been coming for a couple of years now.”At the end of this season I will finish my career in MotoGP and follow different things in my life. After so many years of doing the sport I love, for which myself and my family have made so many sacrifices, this sport has changed a lot and it’s changed to the point where I’m not enjoying it.”I don’t have the passion for it, so it’s better if I retire now. It’d be nice if I could say I’ll stay one more year but then when does it stop, so we decided to finish.” the Australia explained. Stoners announcement will not have any impact on his plans for this season and he is still focused on winning the 2012 world championship.“My decision isn’t going to change anything this season. We still want to win races and we’ll still put in 110 per cent of effort and maybe even more.” Stoner stated.A loss of passion is the main reason for the mulit time world champion coming to the decision to end his MotoGp racing career though it is not the only reason behind the decision.“I’ve been watching this championship for a long time and it’s easy to see what works and what doesn’t.“There are many, many different reasons but basically it’s me losing my passion for the racing and my enjoyment for the sport. Sure, I’m going to enjoy this year but I’m sure if I continue it would be a mistake.”Stoner who started racing as a four year old at dirt track races in Australia feels that if he continues to race that he will lose his passion for bikes, which is something he does not what to happen.“There’s many things I’d like to do with my life. I don’t want to keep racing bikes to the…

Source:

MotoGP: Casey Stoner announces Retirement at end of 2012 season

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:20:22 +0000

Reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Casey Stoner confirmed on Thursday that he would retire from the sport at the end of the 2012 season.The Repsol Honda rider addressed the media at the start of the official pre-event press conference for the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France, making a short statement in which he outlined the reasons behind his decision.“After a long time thinking, a lot of time talking with my family and my wife, this has been coming for a couple of years now but at the end of this 2012 season I will be not racing in the 2013 Championship. I will be finishing my career at the end of this season in MotoGP, and go forward in different things in my life,” Stoner told the assembled press.“After so many years of doing this sport which I love, and which myself and my family made so many sacrifices for, after so many years of trying to get to where we have gotten to at this point, this sport has changed a lot and it has changed to the point where I am not enjoying it. I don’t have the passion for it and so at this time it’s better if I retire now.“There are a lot of things that have disappointed me, and also a lot of things I have loved about this sport, but unfortunately the balance has gone in the wrong direction. And so, basically, we won’t be continuing any more. It would be nice if I could say I would stay one more year, but then where does it stop? So we decided to finish everything as we are now.”Stoner, who won the 2007 MotoGP™ with Ducati and the 2011 crown with Honda, currently leads the 2012 standings by a single point ahead of Jorge Lorenzo heading into this weekend’s fourth round.

Source: Casey Stoner News

Stoner focused on fixing chatter issue

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:59:28 +0000

France … Casey Stoner is aiming for back to back wins at Le Mans. Source: AAP Reigning world champion Casey Stoner is focused on fixing the chatter issues plaguing his Honda ahead of the French MotoGP. Torrential rain scuppered the Repsol Honda camp’s plans to test in Estoril after the Aussie’s maiden MotoGP victory at the circuit, and Stoner is keen to get to work on the problem. “It was disappointing that the weather in Estoril on Monday prevented us from testing,” he said. “We need to work on the chatter issue we have on the bike so let’s hope we have some dry sessions from day one in Le Mans so we can get out on track and work on it.” After crashing out in 2010 Stoner claimed his first Le Mans victory in 2011 but is wary of the challenge from Yamaha in 2012. “The past two tracks have not historically been my best but I’ve managed wins at both of them so I’m hoping we can go to Le Mans and be competitive again,” Stoner said. “I’ve had some mixed results there in the past, the track layout is unique, it’s a little stop-start with a lot of braking and I think this year both the Hondas and Yamahas will be competitive there.” Stoner, on 66 points, leads the MotoGP championship from Jorge Lorenzo by just one point. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Source:

Stoner expects evenly-matched Le Mans

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:08:33 +0000

“I think this year both the Honda’s and Yamaha’s will be competitive there” – Casey Stoner.Often thought of as a Yamaha circuit, Honda riders claimed a one-two at Le Mans last season and defending winning Casey Stoner expects an even content between the leading MotoGP brands this weekend.Without the Marco Simoncelli/Dani Pedrosa collision, Honda riders could have filled the top four places a track where Yamaha was unbeaten from 2008-2010.But the new 1000cc era has seen the M1 close the gap on the factory RCVs, which continue to be troubled by a stubborn chatter problem.Stoner, who took the title lead from Lorenzo by a single point with his second victory in three 2012 starts, intends to work further on finding a fix for the vibration this weekend.“The past two tracks have not historically been my best but I’ve managed wins at both of them so I’m hoping we can go to Le Mans and be competitive again,” began Stoner.“I’ve had some mixed results there in the past, the track layout is unique, it’s a little stop-start with a lot of braking and I think this year both the Honda’s and Yamaha’s will be competitive there.“It was disappointing that the weather in Estoril on Monday prevented us from testing, we need to work on the chatter issue we have on the bike, so let’s hope we have some dry sessions from day one in Le Mans so we can get out on track and work on it”.Stoner believes the arm-pump he has suffered this year is related to the chatter.This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Read Article @

Stoner: Honda still needs chatter fix

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:06:00 +0000

Tue, 15 May 12:06:00 2012 Casey Stoner says Honda still needs to smooth out the chatter issues that threatened to upset his bid for victory in MotoGP’s previous race at Estoril. The Australian’s apparent ease at the front of the field belied severe chattering problem, which Stoner said forced him to ease off and allowed Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo to close in. With the planned post-race test at Estoril cancelled due to rain, Stoner says the team needs to hope for dry weather at Le Mans in order to work on the problem before Sunday’s French Grand Prix. “It was disappointing that the weather in Estoril on Monday prevented us from testing,” Stoner said. “We need to work on the chatter issue we have on the bike so let’s hope we have some dry sessions from day one in Le Mans so we can get out on track and work on it.” The phenomenon of chatter aside, Stoner said he was confident heading into Le Mans, particularly after winning at Jerez and Estoril – circuits he has not traditionally thrived at. “The past two tracks have not historically been my best but I’ve managed wins at both of them so I’m hoping we can go to Le Mans and be competitive again,” Stoner said. “I’ve had some mixed results there in the past, the track layout is unique, it’s a little stop-start with a lot of braking and I think this year both the Hondas and Yamahas will be competitive there.” Honda stable-mate Dani Pedrosa said he needed to improve his pace in the opening phase of the grand prix, having fallen away from both Stoner and Lorenzo in the opening laps at Estoril. “In the past I felt comfortable riding [at] Le Mans, [and] had good results in 125cc and 250cc but not really in MotoGP, so I have something small inside me I want to achieve,” the Spaniard explained. “We’ve had three good races so far, I’m riding well, but I missed something in all of them, especially on the first laps, where I’ve been stronger in the past. I need to put everything together and if we get better starts, we will start wining races.” AutoSportThis entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate…

Read Article @

Stoner eases to victory at Estoril

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:11:34 +0000

Updated: Wednesday, 09 May 2012 15:09 Casey Stoner recorded a second consecutive win of the season in Portugal Casey Stoner took another commanding victory at the Portuguese Grand Prix to move to the head of the MotoGP riders’ standings after three rounds. After his triumph in Spain last time out, Stoner made it two wins in a week aboard the factory Honda as he led all the way from pole position at Estoril. The Australian came home just 1.4 seconds clear of Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, while Stoner’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa was third. Despite appearing in control of the race, Stoner admitted he had struggled for a number of laps and was relieved to see the chequered flag. “I was under pressure throughout the race. I felt good on the first few laps but then we had severe chattering with the bike,” Stoner told BBC Sport. “In the middle laps I didn’t feel confident and I couldn’t push. “I just tried to keep Jorge behind me, we were lucky to hold on for the win in the end.” Lorenzo remained upbeat despite playing second fiddle to Stoner for the second time in seven days, and the Spaniard admits improvements need to be made ahead of the next round at Le Mans in two weeks’ time. “I’m happy with this second position because I was expecting to fight for third or fourth and not the victory,” said Lorenzo, who won the season opener in Qatar and trails Stoner by a point in the standings. “The bike improved a lot from practice so it was possible. “We are just one point behind Casey, hopefully we can improve something on the bike tomorrow and be in front again.” Fourth and fifth went to the Tech 3 Yamaha team, with Andrea Dovizioso finishing ahead of Britain’s Cal Crutchlow. Alvaro Bautista (Gresini Honda) and Valentino Rossi (Ducati) took sixth and seventh, with Lorenzo’s team-mate Ben Spies a disappointing eighth. Leading final positions:1 Casey Stoner (Aus) Honda 45mins 37.513secs, 2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 45:38.934, 3 Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Honda 45:41.134, 4 Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Honda 45:51.359, 5 Cal Crutchlow (Gbr) Yamaha 45:54.203, 6 Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Honda 45:59.397, 7 Valentino Rossi (Ita) Ducati 46:04.310, 8 Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha 46:10.775, 9 Stefan Bradl (Ger) Honda 46:13.380, 10 Hector Barbera (Spa) Ducati 46:30.876, 11 Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati 46:40.143, 12 Aleix Espargaro (Spa) ART 46:58.249, 13…

Read Article @

MotoGP: Casey Stoner takes the Championship lead at Estoril GP

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:11:50 +0000

The Estoril GP in Portugal was destined for bad weather come raceday. Well mother nature gave us a pass on Sunday and also a dry racetrack. When the lights went out on Sunday it was clear, blue skys, and a dry track.The Honda’s of Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa instantly shot to the front of the pack going into the first corner with Jorge Lorenzo right between them to ensure no Honda 1 – 2 is going to happen on his watch. Cal Crutchlow also got a great start with his teammate Andrea Doviziso fighting like dogs. Surprise visitor we have not seen in awhile the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) Valentino Rossi was in touch for half the race to the front pack.After the first few laps unfolded the grid basically stayed static for the remainder of the race. At one point Jorge Lorenzo looked to be gaining on Stoner and was actually lapping faster but Stoner answered this attack by running off and hiding from Lorenzo. Jorge admitted during the press conference after the race that he smoked the clutch during the start and it would not disengage all the way until 2 laps into the race. That could explain why Stoner pulled such a big gap right away.Stoner rode a great race and some of the fast corners you could visibly see the chatter rattling the hell out that Honda. As most of us know Stoner is a perfectionist and does not like this at all. He rode around the problems brilliantly and even fought off his arm pump issues to take the win.Was it the most exciting race to watch? Not by a long shot. However the race did provide some great motivation to Rossi and more confidence with the bike. We can see Rossi fighting for a top 5 in the near future.2012 Estoril MotoGP ResultsRace 1 - 28 LapsPos.RiderManu.Nat.Total Time1Casey StonerHondaAUS45’37.5132Jorge LorenzoYamahaESP0’01.4213Daniel PedrosaHondaESP0’03.6214Andrea DoviziosoYamahaITA0’13.8465Cal CrutchlowYamahaGBR0’16.6906Alvaro BautistaHondaESP0’21.8847Valentino RossiDucatiITA0’26.7978Ben SpiesYamahaUSA0’33.2629Stefan BradlHondaGER0’35.86710Hector BarberaDucatiESP0’53.36311Nicky HaydenDucatiUSA1’02.63012Aleix EspargaroARTESP1’20.73613Randy De PunietARTFRA1’23.48314Michele PirroFTRITA1’37.90515Danilo PetrucciIodaITA-1 Laps

Source: Casey Stoner News

Motorcycling: Casey Stoner claims Portugal win

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:04:17 +0000

The Australian MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner went back to the top of the standings by a single point yesterday after beating his Spanish rival Jorge Lorenzo to win in Portugal for the first time. The Honda rider dominated the race at Estoril after starting on pole. He leads the standings with 66 points after three races; Yamaha’s Lorenzo is on 65.Stoner said: “Huge pressure from Jorge today and we were lucky to hold on for the win.”His team-mate, Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, finished third for a 100th grand prix podium place – a feat achieved by only six other riders in the past 64 years. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Source:

Casey Stoner wins in Portugal

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 13:29:44 +0000

Casey Stoner has won his second race in a row to go to the top of the MotoGP rankings. Picture: AFP Photo/Patricia de Melo Moreira. Source: AFP WORLD MotoGP champion Casey Stoner has won his second consecutive race of the season at the Portugal Grand Prix. Stoner wins Portugal GP MOT PortugalGP Stoner wins Portugal GP Eds: APNewsNow. AP Photo AB108, XFS104 ESTORIL, Portugal (AP) – That puts him on top of the standings, one point ahead of Jorge Lorenzo. Stoner rode his Honda from pole position around the 4.2-kilometer (2.6-mile) Estoril circuit in 45 minutes, 37.513 seconds for his 35th career victory. After three races, the Australian pilot has 66 points, while Lorenzo trails with 65. Stoner says “it was a fantastic race”. Lorenzo accelerated from fourth place to second with a great start and held on to finish runner-up. Stoner’s teammate Dani Pedrosa, who won here last year, finished in third place to record his 100th career podium. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

Read Article @

Stop changing MotoGP rules – Casey Stoner

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:23:08 +0000

ROBERT GRANT World champion Casey Stoner says constant changes to MotoGP rules could lead to the undoing of the championship. The Australian says tampering by the ruling body DORNA has forced manufacturers to develop costly new machines and priced some brands out of the sport. This season, just three factories were involved in the premier series – Honda, Ducati and Yamaha – while Kawasaki and Suzuki recently withdrew official backing, blaming the global financial crisis. MotoGP has undergone inexplicable changes over the past decade, switching engine capacities from 500cc to 990cc in 2002, going to 800cc in 2007 before again lifting power to 1000cc this year. Stoner, who won the Spanish Grand Prix, has called for more consistency to encourage the category to grow and lure more teams to the grid. “It just needs to be stable,” Stoner told motorcyclenews.com “The fact is they haven’t stopped making changes to the championship. “It’s not the decisions that they’re making now that’s the problem – it’s decisions they made in the past.” Stoner also said the single control tyre meant not everybody could push their bikes hard as it did not suit every rider’s style. “By changing from 500 to 1000, changing from 1000 back to 800, then going with the single tyre rule, you lose all competition,” he said. “So you lose somebody who’s maybe not as fast, but on another brand of tyre that was working better on the day pushing themselves up on the podium spot and getting exposure. “So the smaller teams can get their exposure.” Stoner was also critical of the decision to impose a late weight limit change ahead of 2012. “The weight limit for the new 1000cc class was initially set at 153kg, but four kilos were suddenly added in December after Honda and Yamaha had spent months developing their bikes. “They want to cut costs but then put four kilos on the bikes after everyone’s already developed them. “That’s cost them a lot of money, especially Honda and Yamaha because I know they were on the legal weight requirement.” The Honda rider said the constantly-changing regulations discouraged smaller teams from entering MotoGP. “It’s about the teams that are planning to come into this championship wanting to make a name for themselves and build up a machine that can be competitive,” Stoner said. “But every year or two, they change the regulations, so where is…

Read Article @