The Best Racer 2011 - Casey Stoner, Australian professional motorcycle racer

 

Casey Stoner (born 16 October 1985) is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career. After first competing internationally in 2002, Stoner became MotoGP World Champion in 2007 for Ducati Corse and won a second world championship title in 2011 for Repsol Honda.

In 2008, Stoner was named Young Australian of the Year.

Stoner has showed signs of feeling underappreciated by the general public. He was angered by consistent suggestions that the bike and tyres had a bigger role in his success than he did, and unhappy at being booed at Donington in both 2007 and 2008.
In August 2008 he was criticised for his team's association with tobacco company Philip Morris.

Stoner has stated that he would prefer to shun the limelight and would prefer to let his riding style do the talking. In a recent interview with Australian Motorcycle News, he was quoted as saying that he would prefer a return to purer form of racing from the 500cc days, stating that "Back in those days, it was just racing – Doohan, Rainey, Schwantz, Gardner, Lawson – not half as much bullshit as now. That was the life." compared to the racing that he participates in.

Stoner met Adriana Tuchyna from Adelaide when she approached him at Phillip Island in 2003 and asked him to sign her stomach. A relationship began in 2005 when she turned 16, and they were married in Adelaide on 6 January 2007.

Following his experience of tiredness and sickness during 2009, Stoner was ultimately diagnosed as lactose intolerant.

At the Czech Republic Grand Prix in August 2011, Stoner announced that his wife was pregnant with their first child.