Casey Stoner made it all look so easy last night. He pushed where he had to (watching the bike squirm around was exquisite) and he cruised where he could. Plainly the move to Honda has been an inspired one for him, his record this year so far reading 1st, DNF (courtesy of Rossi at Jerez) 3rd, 1st, 1st. If it were not for the crash at Jerez he would be comfortably leading the world championship by 18 points. As it is he is now only 7 points behind Lorenzo with the Yamahas seeming to have no answer to the Honda steamroller.
With his win last night, Casey leapfrogs Kevin Schwantz on the all-time 500cc/MotoGp winners list, jumping into 5th place behind Rossi, 79 wins, Ago, 68 wins, Hailwood 37 wins, and Lawson, 30 wins. This achieved since 2006, pretty amazing. Casey now has 26 wins and should, if all goes according to plan, make it into 4th place by the end of the year, passing Lawson. And sometime next year, he should pass Hailwood to become the 3rd placed rider of all time in terms of MotoGp/500cc wins, an extraordinary achievement.
Lots of controversy last night. I was fully in agreement with the penalty to Zarco. He moved left deliberately and carted Terol onto the grass from where an horrific accident could have resulted. If I’d have been Race Direction, I’d have disqualified him. And don’t give me “home town decision” either. Superglue’s torpedoing of Julian Simon was a very amateurish move for such an experienced rider, and, as usual, the aggrieved party comes off worse, Simon confirmed with a double break to the leg.
I picked up a good score on one of the forums I inhabit last night. A bike workshop stand. Should be just perfect for when I start re-assembling the Shadowfax Kawasaki.
Right place at the right time.