For little ol' Ducati to dominate and ultimately win the MotoGP title in the Japanese manufacturers' backyard at Motegi is a day that will begin to change the sport's axis.
Honda and Yamaha have invested millions in their riders, and yet the 21-year-old kid who was back of the queue this time last year goes out and smokes them right from the get-go.
"They are the only team who have listened to me," is what Casey said in Qatar, and yet people only picked up on that this weekend, when he repeated it while wearing the champion's T shirt. They adore him in that team. Who can blame them?
![]() Casey Stoner on the LCR Honda in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello © DPPI |
He can come into the garage in a right huff after swearing at other riders out on the track who 'dared' to be out there at the same time, but Stoner does get on with the job like no other.