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World Superbike
MOTOGP: Down Under… And Out?
Casey Stoner's retirement will almost certainly mark the end of an unbroken, quarter-century run of Australian excellence in motorcycle roadracing's premier categories.
Two-time MotoGP World Champion, Australian Casey Stoner (Photo: Dorna Communications)
PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Grand Prix of Valencia will air LIVE on SPEED on Sunday, November 11 at 7:00am ET. MotoGP QP will air LIVE on SPEED2 all season long. #MotoGPonSPEED
This weekend's 2012 MotoGP World Championship doesn't just represent the early end of a stunning career as Casey Stoner prepares to walk away from the sport a 27-year-old, two-time MotoGP champion.
It also seems destined to mark the end of an era that has spanned virtually Stoner's entire existence. For the past 27 seasons Australia has made its presence felt at the very upper echelons of two-wheeled motorsport, the nation well represented by front-running superstars in 500GP/MotoGP and World Superbike.
Wayne Gardner played the role of Australian Kenny Roberts when he kicked it all off in 1986, the year he first stood atop a 500GP podium. Every year since (bar one), an Aussie has won at least one race in 500GP/MotoGP and/or World Superbike. The only year that didn't happen -- 2003 -- wasn't exactly a disappointment either, as Troy Bayliss was a hotshot GP rookie that season who impressed mightily by scoring three podiums for the upstart Ducati effort.
That's a truly remarkable run for a nation with a population base smaller than that of Southern California that also happens to be removed from the nurturing European cradle of racing by an ocean.
The all-star collection of champions and race winners includes some of the greatest riders to ever throw a leg over a motorcycle. And while an eclectic grouping in terms of personality -- from the good-natured Bayliss to the more stoic Mick Doohan and even dourer Stoner, the entire lot represented the hard, no-nonsense reputation of their home country quite well.
But when Stoner signs off this weekend, there appears to be no one ready to step forward and take up the reigns in either championship.
The last 'next wave' of Aussies has seen their careers mostly lose traction and level off. It's hard to imagine any of them ever truly breaking through at the elite level.
Broc Parkes was a distant fifth in World Supersport this past season, and in multiple World Superbike campaigns, was never able to finish on the box or the championship top ten.
Anthony West was 14th in Moto2 in 2012 and has even bigger worries at the moment.
Josh Brookes was the British Superbike runner-up, but has no podiums to show for his 35 career attempts in World Superbike and is already committed to another BSB season in 2013.
And all three of these former up-and-comers are either in their 30s or will be next season.
Beyond them you have two-time Australian Superbike champ Josh Waters, who has worked hard to break into World Superbike full-time the past couple years with little luck.
Arthur Sissis and Bryan Staring are promising talents, but only just starting to come good on the junior undercards in the Grand Prix and Superbike paddocks respectively, which is still a long, long way from winning premier class races.
This weekend's 2012 MotoGP World Championship doesn't just represent the early end of a stunning career as Casey Stoner prepares to walk away from the sport a 27-year-old, two-time MotoGP champion.
It also seems destined to mark the end of an era that has spanned virtually Stoner's entire existence. For the past 27 seasons Australia has made its presence felt at the very upper echelons of two-wheeled motorsport, the nation well represented by front-running superstars in 500GP/MotoGP and World Superbike.
Wayne Gardner played the role of Australian Kenny Roberts when he kicked it all off in 1986, the year he first stood atop a 500GP podium. Every year since (bar one), an Aussie has won at least one race in 500GP/MotoGP and/or World Superbike. The only year that didn't happen -- 2003 -- wasn't exactly a disappointment either, as Troy Bayliss was a hotshot GP rookie that season who impressed mightily by scoring three podiums for the upstart Ducati effort.
That's a truly remarkable run for a nation with a population base smaller than that of Southern California that also happens to be removed from the nurturing European cradle of racing by an ocean.
The all-star collection of champions and race winners includes some of the greatest riders to ever throw a leg over a motorcycle. And while an eclectic grouping in terms of personality -- from the good-natured Bayliss to the more stoic Mick Doohan and even dourer Stoner, the entire lot represented the hard, no-nonsense reputation of their home country quite well.
But when Stoner signs off this weekend, there appears to be no one ready to step forward and take up the reigns in either championship.
The last 'next wave' of Aussies has seen their careers mostly lose traction and level off. It's hard to imagine any of them ever truly breaking through at the elite level.
Broc Parkes was a distant fifth in World Supersport this past season, and in multiple World Superbike campaigns, was never able to finish on the box or the championship top ten.
Anthony West was 14th in Moto2 in 2012 and has even bigger worries at the moment.
Josh Brookes was the British Superbike runner-up, but has no podiums to show for his 35 career attempts in World Superbike and is already committed to another BSB season in 2013.
And all three of these former up-and-comers are either in their 30s or will be next season.
Beyond them you have two-time Australian Superbike champ Josh Waters, who has worked hard to break into World Superbike full-time the past couple years with little luck.
Arthur Sissis and Bryan Staring are promising talents, but only just starting to come good on the junior undercards in the Grand Prix and Superbike paddocks respectively, which is still a long, long way from winning premier class races.
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