Stoner doesn't believe he's ready to drive in The Great Race. Source: Mark Horsburgh / AAP
CASEY Stoner has ruled himself out of a run in The Great Race, with the former MotoGP world champion-turned-V8 driver claiming he is not ready for the Bathurst 1000.
Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.
A two-wheeled demon who has conquered the likes of Catalunya, Sepang and Laguna Seca, Stoner was widely tipped to make the step up to V8 Supercars for the endurance season, beginning with the Sandown 500 on September 13.
But Stoner told The Sunday Telegraph that he is not ready to partner one of the main series drivers in the endurance season, with the V8 newcomer still coming to terms with Supercars racing.
"I don't think I will," Stoner said. "I don't think I have the experience.
"I have one race before the endurance events, and that is not enough experience for me in this championship.
"I wouldn't want to put it on anyone like that."
Stoner's decision to bypass the endurance events, which include the Sandown 500, the Bathurst 1000, and the Gold Coast 600, is a blow for the sport because the diminutive racer is a proven drawcard.
Stoner shocked the racing world last year when he quit MotoGP to become a V8 Supercars driver in the development series.
The 26-year-old has since been linked to a MotoGP return.
"Rumours start everywhere and there is all types of rumours going around at the moment," Stoner said.
"People are telling me I might be going back to MotoGP, but a rumour is a rumour."
The Red Bull Racing Australia driver has not committed to V8 racing again next year, with Stoner enjoying little success in his three races in the Dunlop Series.
"I never really look too far ahead to be honest," Stoner said.
"People are already talking about next year and to be honest I am just focused on this year. I really want to enjoy myself and try to have some time off.
"I have been going from one racetrack to another for years, since I was 14. I have been doing this for a long time and it was time for me to slow down a little bit.
"We are just trying to get the ratio a bit better so I can just go out and enjoy it. There are a lot of good guys that I race against and that's what I enjoy the most. It is hard when the ratio is so much towards PR and events and not racing. That's what makes me struggle a bit."
Following a stellar career on two wheels that saw him become one of Australia's greatest motorcycle riders, Stoner said he is still coming to terms with a V8 Supercar.
"They are a very numb car," Stoner said.
"There is not a lot of feeling to them. You have to drive them more clinically than what you think.
"They are a bit peculiar from whatever I have driven, which isn't a lot.
"I am almost a clean slate here and I just have to get along and manage what we have. In reality, I am driving the car as best as I can, but I am sure if I get as much time as the other guys have had, I will start to push them."
Stoner is aiming to become a consistent top-10 driver.
"The top 10 is certainly something to drive towards," Stoner said.
"Unfortunately I have spent very brief moments inside the top 10 and I have had to battle my way through. Perth was hard with drivers blocking, once, twice and three times. It is impossible to pass them like that and we struggled to move forward in Perth."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Not ready for Bathurst: Stoner
Dengan url
http://olahragasehatiku.blogspot.com/2013/07/not-ready-for-bathurst-stoner.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Not ready for Bathurst: Stoner
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Not ready for Bathurst: Stoner
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar