A confidence trick

photo courtesy of the Herald Sun

Like most Australian motorsports fans I have been glued to the set this weekend watching the unfolding drama at Phillip Island. After Casey Stoner’s horror crash at Indianapolis, his operation and slow return to racing, all eyes have been fixed on whether he can win 6 Australian Grands Prix in a row this weekend. He struggled at Motegi, a stop/start circuit, admitting later that the nature of the track and the lack of mobility in his ankle meant that he couldn’t weight transfer like he is used to doing. At Sepang, a more “flowing” track, Casey looked set for a podium and, had not the rain intervened bringing out an early red flag, a possible win. Again, the ankle was troublesome but, like all true “racers” he raced around the pain.

It was always the plan that he be available for Phillip Island and that he try to do what has never been done before. How would his fitness hold out? Well, PI, an even more “flowing” track than Sepang, where weight transfer is not as critical an issue and where long, sweeping corners mean that the rider steers far more with the throttle than with the bars, would seem to have played right into Casey’s hands. Straight out of the box he was fast, nearly a second faster than everyone else, in all three free practice sessions. So demoralised were his opponents that the main topic at the pre-race press conferences were less about the possibility of Lorenzo clinching the title this weekend (which he should) and more about what a freakishly good rider Casey Stoner is, and admissions from his peers (an unheard-of thing) that Casey occupied a different plane of riding than what they do.

Come qualifying, Casey was on a flier again, until a highside on a cold tyre in T4 brought hearts to everyone’s mouth. A quick scooter ride back to the pits saw him out almost immediately on the spare bike where he set about breaking the best time yet again, finishing up a full half a second in front of the rest.

A confidence trick? Of course it is. Despite the fact that the Honda is still suffering from rear-end “chatter” a consequence of the “spec” Bridgestone rubber rather than any design deficiency of the bike, Casey’s stellar performance had everything to do with what was going on between the ears. And, hearing how his opponents praised him on Friday probably only served to boost that confidence coming in to qualifying.

So, can he do it today? By the time some of you read this, the question will have been answered.

Can Lorenzo stitch up his second title today? Probably. He only has to cruise and collect, but that is not the nature of the beast and, in a similar fashion as the points leader in Moto2, both he and Marquez will want to put the title beyond doubt today and both should so so.

As Norm used to say in the “Life – be In It” campaign, “Warm the set and cool the tinnies.” I’m off to camp in front of the telly. Catch you later.