The Serve

Stoner wins Phillip Island

There was no stopping Casey Stoner at his home grand prix, with the newly crowned World Champion easing to a dominant victory at the Australian Moto GP at Phillip Island.

Stoner, who started from 3rd, quickly stormed past Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa to jump to a lead he would never surrender.

The real battle was for second. Reigning world champion Nicky Hayden was especially aggressive early, before exiting the race. Rossi and Pedrosa also held 2nd, however it was Stoner’s Ducati teammate Loris Capirossi who finished behind the Australian.

Stoner opened a seven second lead with eight laps to go, easing down slightly in the final stages.

“This has just topped of my season,” Stoner told Channel Ten.

“To get the championship before this round was just perfect for me. I could really enjoy this race.

“The whole weekend has been pretty good. I’ve had a couple of small spills which have been a bit strange, but this race just worked out perfectly.

“We got a great start. The bike was working beautifully. It was just a matter of bringing it home,” Stoner said.