Casey Stoner becomes MotoGP™ Legend Casey Stoner becomes MotoGP™ Legend News: Casey Stoner on being a MotoGP™ Legend Saturday, 19 October 2013 Casey Stoner was inducted as a MotoGP™ Legend at Phillip Island on Saturday. The World Champion of 2007 and 2011 becomes the 20th MotoGP™ Legend, joining riders such as compatriots Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan. Stoner joined the MotoGP™ premier class in 2006, impressing with Lucio Cecchinello’s LCR team before switching to Ducati Team and clinching his maiden riders’ title in 2007. A second crown came in the New South Wales rider’s maiden Repsol Honda Team campaign of 2011, then retiring at the end of the following year. It is very special, Stoner says as a MotoGP™ Legend. It almost seemed a bit unrealistic when I was offered this, but I am not going to turn it down either. I appreciate being put alongside riders like that, even though sometimes I don’t feel like I deserve to be there. I am very proud of the achievements we had during our times in Grands Prix. We didn’t get the success we hoped for in the lower categories, but with MotoGP™ in the later years – except a few championships I think we could have fought for a little hard for – we were always very proud of what we achieved. It is a privilege for me to be added to a list of people like that. Dorna Sports CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta added the importance of making Stoner a MotoGP™ Legend – an idea first put to the Australian at the end of last season. It is a great pleasure to have Casey here with us today and to be able to introduce him to the Hall of Fame of MotoGP™ Legends, Ezpeleta commented. Casey has been an incredible rider for us and is really a Legend all around the world. I really appreciate having him here. We talked last year in Valencia, at the end of the championship; I proposed it to him, he said he would be very happy to do it and we agreed to do it here. Phillip Island is the place to do it and we are very happy and proud to see Casey and his family here. It is very important. Casey is part of our history and must be here. Casey Stoner was born on 16th October 1985, meaning he celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday of this week. During his World Championship career, which began in the 125 class in 2001, Stoner achieved a total of 45 Grand Prix victories, 89 podium finishes, 43 pole positions and 33 fastest laps as well as his pair of world titles.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 09:39:17 +0000
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