Casey Stoner rides to a world first

Australian rider Casey Stoner and sponsor Ducati both scored world firsts at Japan's Motegi racing circuit on September 23. For the 21-year-old Stoner, the race secured his first world championship MotoGP title. It was also a first-time title for Italian manufacturer Ducati and the first time in 33 years a non-Japanese motorbike has taken out the honours. At Motegi, with three races then remaining on the 2007 MotoGP calendar, Stoner had to finish ahead of Italian superstar Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) to secure the championship. He did so by placing sixth while Loris Capirossi took the checkered flag. Stoner's overall score at the end of the day was 297 points, 83 ahead of Rossi, and his win makes him the second-youngest champion at the premier-class level.