Aussie Stoner completes meteoric rise

MOTEGI, Japan: If not as instantly recognisable as a Tiger Woods or a Steffi Graf, Australia's Casey Stoner was every bit the child genius as those champions were from the moment he could walk.

But where Woods used to wield tiny golf clubs or Graf a sawn-off tennis racket while barely out of their prams, Stoner had bigger, far noisier plans.

Stoner competed in his first motorbike race at just four years of age. On Sunday, the 21-year-old sensationally wrapped up the MotoGP world title with three races of the season left.

He became his country's first world champion since Mick Doohan won the last of his five 500cc crowns in 1998 and also the second youngest premier-class champion in the sport's history.

Stoner's sixth-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix completed a meteoric rise to stardom for the baby-faced rider.

Even at 18 months old, when most infants are tottering on their feet, Stoner was getting blisters from riding a motorbike on the family farm at Niangala in New South Wales.

"I was sitting on the back directing him," said Stoner's father Colin. "He was controlling the bike by himself by 18 or 20 months and got his first throttle blister at 18 months.

"It was just something he wanted to do and he's never, ever dropped that desire."

The kid from Kurri-Kurri has come a long way since then and now blasts around circuits at 300kph on a 800cc Ducati - and has just beaten the great Valentino Rossi to the coveted world title.

By the time he was 14, however, Stoner had already won 41 national titles but Australian law prevented him from entering Australian road races until he was 16.

Bike-mad family

That proved no obstacle for his bike-mad family, who packed their bags and took their son to Britain, where the legal age of road racing is 14.

Stoner won the English 125cc Aprilia Championship in 2000 before recording his first grand prix victory in the 125cc class in Valencia three years later.

His incredible potential was there for all to see in 2005 when he won five races in the 250cc world championship and pushed Spain's Dani Pedrosa all the way to the title.

Stoner underlined his reputation for being quick in his first season in MotoGP last year - but the paddock whisperers also joked that he was quick to fall.

His marriage in January to Adriana Tuchyna, a fan he met at Phillip Island four years ago when she asked him to autograph her stomach, had a calming effect on Stoner.

Marital bliss

Eight wins out of 15 after Sunday's race in Motegi speaks volumes as Stoner has outfoxed Rossi in the championship hunt.

"Being married has helped my racing," smiled Stoner.

"She keeps me calm."

Stoner was warned for sticking his middle finger up at a rival during Friday's practice, suggesting his transition to a Zen-like state of calm is not yet fully complete.

But his fellow riders are still in awe of his ability to leave five-times premier-class champion Rossi trailing in his wake.

"He can stand toe-to-toe with Valentino and beat him," Rossi's Yamaha team mate Colin Edwards said.

"He's been doing awesomely.

"Everybody knew he was fast but he's impressed everybody by staying on -- that's the biggest improvement."

If you visit Stoner's personal Web site and click on "Career", the page is mysteriously blank, with a brief message saying "Coming very soon." Blink and you may miss him.

Agencies

(China Daily 09/25/2007 page23)