Casey Stoner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Casey Stoner AM
Stoner at the 2011 Australian Grand Prix
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1985-10-16) 16 October 1985 (age 39) Southport, Queensland, Australia
Website	caseystoner.com.au
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2006–2012 Manufacturers Honda (2006, 2011–2012) Ducati (2007–2010) Championships 2 (2007, 2011) 2012 championship position 3rd (254 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 115 38 69 39 29 1815 250cc World Championship Active years 2002, 2005 Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 0 2005 championship position 2nd (254 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 31 5 10 2 1 322 125cc World Championship Active years 2001, 2003–2004 Manufacturers Honda (2001) Aprilia (2003) KTM (2004) Championships 0 2004 championship position 5th (145 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 30 2 10 2 3 274

Casey Joel Stoner (born October 16, 1985) is an Australian former professional motorcycle racer. He is famous for winning the MotoGP World Championship twice. He won his titles in 2007 and 2011.

During his time in MotoGP, Stoner rode for the main teams of Ducati and Honda. He managed to win a championship with each team. Casey Stoner was born in Southport, Queensland, Australia. He started racing at a very young age. To follow his dream, he moved to the United Kingdom to race professionally.

After starting his international career in 2002, Stoner became a MotoGP World Champion in 2007 with Ducati. He was known for his amazing skill to push any motorcycle to its limits. Even when Ducati's bikes were not the best, he still won races. His 2007 title was Ducati's only championship win until 2022.

In 2008 and 2009, Stoner continued to be a top rider, winning many races. However, he faced tough competition from Valentino Rossi and Yamaha. In 2009, he had to miss three races because of an illness that made him very tired. In 2010, Ducati struggled, but Stoner finished the season strong with three wins.

After leaving Ducati for Honda in 2010, Stoner won his second world championship in 2011 with Repsol Honda. He won this title in a very strong way, with ten Grand Prix wins. He secured the championship by winning his home race with two races still left. Before the 2012 French Grand Prix, Stoner announced he would retire from racing at the end of the 2012 season. He also won his home race, the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix, six times in a row from 2007 to 2012.

Due to an injury from a crash at Indianapolis, Stoner missed some races in his final season. This affected his chance to win another championship. He ended his MotoGP career with an amazing sixth straight win at his home Grand Prix at Phillip Island. He also finished on the podium in his very last race.

On March 27, 2015, HRC announced that Stoner would race again in a special event, the 2015 Suzuka 8 Hours. However, he crashed out of the race because of a problem with his bike's throttle. Honda later apologized for the technical issue that caused his ankle and shoulder injuries. From 2016 to 2018, Stoner worked as a test rider for his former team, Ducati.

Casey Stoner's Racing Journey

Starting His Career

From 2000 to 2002, Casey Stoner competed in 125cc GP championships in Britain and Spain. He won the English 125cc Aprilia Championship in 2000. Then, in 2002, he moved to the 250cc GP World Championships full-time. His first season in 250cc was tough, and he didn't get any podium finishes.

Racing in the 250cc Class

In 2005, Stoner returned to the 250cc world championship. He raced for Lucio Cecchinello's team again on an Aprilia bike. Towards the end of the season, he became a serious challenger to the championship leader, Dani Pedrosa. However, a crash at his home Grand Prix in Phillip Island ended his chances. Pedrosa then had too many points to be caught. Stoner still finished a strong second overall in the championship. He achieved an impressive five race victories that season.

MotoGP World Championship Years

2006: His First Year in MotoGP

In October 2005, Stoner agreed to move to the MotoGP class for the 2006 season. He would race with Lucio Cecchinello's team and get support from Yamaha. Later, he got an offer from the Honda Pons team and tested their bike. But in December 2005, he decided to stay with Cecchinello's team. They then made a deal with LCR Honda for Stoner to race their RC211V bike in 2006.

As a new rider, Stoner got the pole position in only his second MotoGP race. But he crashed several times during the season. He finished 8th in the championship. His best result was a second place at the Turkish Grand Prix. He was leading that race until Marco Melandri passed him on the very last corner.

2007: Becoming a Champion with Ducati

Stoner during a MotoGP test in Malaysia in January 2007.

Stoner joined the Factory Ducati Team for the 2007 season. He raced alongside Loris Capirossi on the new 800cc Ducati Desmosedici GP7. Stoner started his Ducati journey with a big win in the first race in Qatar. He had a close battle with Valentino Rossi there.

Stoner won ten races and got six pole positions that year. He won three of the first four races. This led him to his first GP title by a huge 125 points over Dani Pedrosa. He built this lead in the second half of the season. His lowest finish was 6th place at Motegi. This was still enough for him to win the title that day. It was the first time an Italian or non-Japanese bike maker won the top class title since 1974. Stoner was named Young Australian of the Year for his amazing performance in 2007.

2008: Six Wins and Second Place

In 2008, Stoner put the #1 on his bike as the champion. He started the 2008 season with a win in Qatar. Then he had two races without a podium finish. He got back on the podium with a second place at Mugello. After that, he got seven pole positions in a row. He turned three of these into wins. He led every lap at Donington and Assen. He also won in the rain at Sachsenring after a big crash earlier in the weekend. This brought him close to the championship lead.

However, he crashed while fighting for the lead at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Brno, and Misano. This meant he could not defend his title. Stoner finished the 2008 season with six wins and was second to Rossi. He scored 280 points, which was the most points ever for a rider who didn't win the title at that time.

2009: Health Challenges and Ducati Struggles

Stoner's bike in Brno

Stoner stayed with Ducati for the 2009 season. His new teammate was Nicky Hayden. He started the season well and was battling with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. But then he got sick with an illness that made him very tired during races. This left him behind in the championship after the US Grand Prix.

Doctors first thought he had anemia. Later, it was found that he was lactose intolerant. On August 10, 2009, Stoner announced he would miss three races to recover. Mika Kallio took his place. Stoner returned to racing later in 2009. He finished second in Portugal and won strongly in Australia, leading the whole race. He said he no longer felt the tiredness that had bothered him. He then won another race in the rain in Malaysia. At the last race in Valencia, Stoner was fastest in all practice and qualifying sessions. He got pole position but crashed on the warm-up lap and missed the race. Stoner ended the season with four wins and eight podiums, finishing fourth in the championship.

2010: His Last Season with Ducati

After the Valencia race, Stoner was fastest again while testing the new 2010 Ducati bike. He got pole position for the first race in Qatar. He was leading the race but crashed out, admitting it was his own mistake. He also crashed out of race 3 at Le Mans. His first podium of the year was at Assen, even though he had arm pump issues.

Stoner got his first victory of the season at the thirteenth race, the first-ever Aragon Grand Prix. This win started a streak of three wins in four races. He also won the delayed Japanese Grand Prix. He won for the fourth year in a row at Phillip Island. He finished fourth in the championship again. For 2011, Stoner joined Honda Racing Corporation after four years with Ducati Corse. Valentino Rossi took his place at Ducati.

2011: Back to Honda and Second Championship

Stoner at the 2011 Czech Grand Prix

Stoner raced with the Repsol Honda Racing Team in 2011. His teammates were Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso. In testing, Stoner was the fastest in all sessions. Stoner won the first race in Qatar from pole position. He had been fastest in all practice sessions too. Stoner got pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix. He was running second in wet conditions when Valentino Rossi tried to pass him and crashed, taking Stoner down too.

Stoner won three of the first five races, with victories in Le Mans and Catalunya. He also won at Silverstone in damp conditions and Laguna Seca. This gave him a 20-point lead over Jorge Lorenzo with eight races left.

Stoner won the World Championship for the second time at his home track, Phillip Island, Australia. On his 26th birthday, Stoner won his ninth race of the season from his eleventh pole. His only rival, Jorge Lorenzo, was out of the race due to a hand injury. Stoner finished the weekend with a huge lead that couldn't be beaten. His win in the Australian MotoGP was his fifth in a row at his home race since 2007. This made him the only rider to win at Phillip Island during the 800cc era of MotoGP.

2012: His Final Season Before Retiring

Stoner started the season with wins at Jerez and Estoril. He had never won a MotoGP race at these tracks before. His win in Estoril put him in the lead of the championship. By finishing fourth at the Catalan Grand Prix, Stoner was off the podium for the first time in over a year. He won the Dutch TT at Assen, which put him tied on points with Lorenzo. Lorenzo was taken out by Álvaro Bautista on the first lap.

Stoner then retired on the last lap at the Sachsenring while battling his teammate Dani Pedrosa. He finished only eighth at the Italian Grand Prix after going off the track. He said he was "not comfortable" on the bike. But he followed that with a fourth win of the season at Laguna Seca.

At the next race, Stoner crashed hard during qualifying for the Indianapolis Grand Prix. He tore ligaments in his ankle but was still able to race. He finished fourth in the race. Stoner then decided to have surgery on his ankle. This meant he missed three races, which took him out of the championship fight. Stoner wanted to be fully recovered for his home race in Australia. He returned at the Japanese Grand Prix in October. After returning, he finished fifth in Japan and third in Malaysia. Then he won his home race for the sixth time in a row at Phillip Island. This win meant he had never lost at that track on Bridgestone tires.

Retiring from Racing

On May 17, 2012, Stoner announced he would retire from MotoGP at the end of the 2012 season. He said he no longer enjoyed competing in the series. He also wanted to get away from the stress of MotoGP and spend more time with his family. In a 2014 interview, Stoner said he was happy with his life away from the sport and had no regrets about retiring. He also said he had no plans to come back.

His Personality and Legacy

The podium after the 2010 Australian Grand Prix, with Stoner next to Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi

Casey Stoner preferred to let his riding do the talking. He once said he would like racing to be more like it was in the 500cc days. He felt it was "just racing" back then, with legends like Doohan and Rossi.

Before the 2012 Australian Grand Prix, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit named its third corner "Stoner Corner" in his honor.

After Retiring from MotoGP

Racing V8 Supercars

After Stoner announced his retirement from MotoGP, there were rumors he would start racing touring cars in 2013. Specifically, he was rumored to join the Australian V8 Supercars series. This kind of switch is rare but has happened before. For example, fellow Australian motorcycle champion Wayne Gardner also switched to touring cars.

The rumors grew stronger when the V8 Supercars team Triple Eight Race Engineering announced that Red Bull, a long-time sponsor of Stoner, would be their main sponsor. In January 2013, Stoner confirmed he would indeed move to touring car racing. He signed a one-year contract with Triple Eight Race Engineering. Stoner would race in the second-tier Dunlop V8 Supercar Series for the 2013 season.

On February 27, 2013, Stoner showed off his car, which was sponsored by Red Bull and Pirtek. His car was a Holden VE Commodore. His season was not very successful. He usually finished in the middle of the pack. His best finish was 5th place at Queensland Raceway. He ended the season 18th in the standings.

Testing for Honda

In 2013, Stoner signed with Honda to be a test rider. His job was to help develop new bikes until the end of 2014. He renewed his contract in 2015 for another season of testing.

Returning to Motorcycle Racing

Suzuka 8 Hours Race

After three years away from MotoGP, Casey Stoner announced on March 27, 2015, that he would return to motorcycle racing. In July, Stoner competed in the Suzuka 8 Hours race. He rode a Honda CBR1000RR. His teammates were World Superbike rider Michael van der Mark and HRC test rider Takumi Takahashi. Their team qualified in fourth place. While his team was leading the race, Stoner had a bad crash. This was caused by a problem with his throttle, which got stuck. He had to crash his bike into a barrier. The crash ended their race.

Stoner broke his right shoulder blade and fractured his left shin bone in the accident. Stoner said, "I didn't have enough time to use the clutch [when the throttle stuck]. I tried to slow down, but I was heading towards the wall, so I decided to lay it over and hit the barrier." Honda investigated the bike and found that the throttle was indeed stuck open. Honda officially apologized to Stoner for the mechanical failure.

Possible MotoGP Return

After the 2015 Qatar Grand Prix, Dani Pedrosa, a Honda MotoGP rider, needed surgery. This meant Pedrosa would miss the next two races. Stoner offered to fill in for Pedrosa for these two events. However, Honda decided not to use Stoner. They said they didn't have a bike set up for him, and he wasn't familiar with the tracks. Stoner was disappointed. He tweeted, "Sorry to everyone but I am not racing @circuitamericas next weekend it would have been an honour to ride for @26_DaniPedrosa #NotMeantToBe." Instead, Honda chose another test rider to replace Pedrosa.

Back to Ducati

In 2016, Casey Stoner returned to the Ducati Corse Team as a test rider for the 2016 MotoGP season. This ended his five years with Honda. Stoner's main job with Ducati was testing bikes. There were also talks that he might race in some events as a wild card. Stoner took part in the official pre-season tests in Malaysia. He was the fastest Ducati rider there. He finished the last day of testing with the 5th-best time overall.

Later in April, Stoner thought about racing in the Argentine Grand Prix to fill in for an injured rider. But he decided not to. Ducati's manager said that Stoner's physical fitness was not yet ready for racing. He added that Stoner still lacked strength. Stoner did not compete in any races that season.

Awards and Recognition

Stoner was named the 2008 Young Australian of the Year for his great performance in the 2007 MotoGP season. In 2013, he was given the title of Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his important contributions to motorcycle racing.

The FIM (the international motorcycle racing body) called him a "Legend" in October 2013. This happened before the 2013 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix.

In October 2015, he was added to the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

The third turn at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is named "Stoner Corner" after him.

Personal Life

Casey Stoner met Adriana Tuchyna in 2003 at Phillip Island. They started a relationship in 2005 and got married in Adelaide on January 6, 2007. At the Czech Republic Grand Prix in August 2011, Stoner announced his wife was expecting their first child. Their daughter, Alessandra Maria, was born on February 16, 2012. On October 6, 2017, their second daughter, Caleya Maria, was born.

After experiencing tiredness and sickness in 2009, Stoner was diagnosed as lactose intolerant. In 2019, Stoner shared that he was living with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In 2020, he became an ambassador for Emerge Australia, an organization that helps people with CFS. In 2022, Stoner also shared that he had severe anxiety during his MotoGP career. He described feeling very depressed and worried about letting his team down if he didn't win. He also thought there might be a link between his mental health struggles and his chronic fatigue.

Career Statistics

Stoner's most successful race was the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix. He won it six times in a row until he retired. He never lost at this event on a factory bike. His next best races were Qatar with four wins, and then Great Britain and Laguna Seca with three wins each. Stoner won every different Grand Prix that was available during his racing career. He won a total of 21 different Grand Prix events.

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing

By Season

By Class

Races by Year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Suzuka 8 Hours Results

Year	Team	Co-Riders	Bike	Pos
2015	MuSASHi RT HARC-PRO.	Michael van der Mark Takumi Takahashi	Honda CBR1000RR	Ret

See also

In Spanish: Casey Stoner para niños