One step closer to the return of Stoner ?

Double world champion Casey Stoner will make a dramatic return to MotoGP action next month when he tests a factory Honda RC213V at the Twin Ring Motegi track in Japan, MCN can reveal.

The outspoken but blindingly fast Australian, who retired from MotoGP immediately after the final race of 2012 in Valencia last November, will take part in a two-day test on August 6-7 at the Honda-owned track.

An official announcement from HRC confirming the testing plan will be released tomorrow (Tuesday).

The forthcoming test session is certainly not just Stoner turning up for a quick play on a 260bhp 1000cc machine.

His former crew chief Cristian Gabbarini, who is now a vital part of Repsol Honda as technical supervisor, is attending and Ohlins is understood to have prepped a set of 2012 spec forks to be shipped to Japan direct from last weekend's Laguna Seca MotoGP race in California.

And the bike he will ride will be set-up identical to how he raced an RC213V to fifth place at Motegi last season

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/s...13/July/jul2213-stoner-to-test-factory-honda/


I think the emergence of Marquez has presented Casey with a new challenge

 

Setting up the possibility that Pedrosa could win the championship only to be fired for Stoner.

 

Are sheep not as loving as he once thought?

 

Naaaa, he bitches about those too.....

 

Fixed!

 

I see it as HRC have one of the fastest riders able to test their '14 bike. Make any changes and be ready for the official shakedown after Valencia. Nothing more. It's a huge advantage to HRC to have someone of his speed able to test the bike.

 

and they are paying him to stay home...so yeah get some use out of their $$

 

I'm not a Stoner fan, but respect the hell out of him as a motorcycle racer. I would LOVE to see him back in the series. I think the battles with him, Marquez, Lorenzo, and to a lesser extent pedrosa and yamaha rossi would be great!

Come on back Casey.

 

Beating Rossi was old hat to Stoner, even before Rossi left Yamaha.

 

It would be cool if Stoner took the Honda down a development direction that resulted in a bike only he could ride...lol

 

It wouldnt be that much of a challange for Casey.

 

Waaaaaa cars touch each other and it scares me, waaaaa

 

I think the reality of staying at home with a high maintenance women has presented Casey with a new challenge.

 

It's probably hard to have any sort of satisfaction going from being one of the top Motorcycle racers on the planet to whatever he does now.

Kind of like Mr. Incredible sitting in a cubicle processing insurance claims.

 

You, sir, are funny.

 

That's it's own type of hell.

 

Winning!

 

After which Rossi and Burgess could offer their services to fix it in one afternoon again.

 

He's probably just getting a test in before he does the Phillip Island round.