Sorta the same thing with Ben Bostrom, only he didn't win any races in his championship year. Thomas Stevens also only won 1 race when he won the AMA superbike championship. And he took it to another team as well. Though, I don't recall if he was fired, or he moved on his own accord.
If I recall, Ben's manager screwed the pooch on that one. Honda offered a renewal contract to Ben, specifically stating that it was firm, not subject to negotiation. Ben's manager sniffed at it and then submitted a counterproposal. Honda said no and cut Ben loose.
Is that a bad comparison? Seriously. Is a 250/moto2 championship more prestigious than a national SB title? I mean, how many SB champions have went directly to MotoGP? Lots. And more than a few have had good careers there.
Oh I don’t think it necessarily is a bad comparison. Especially the AMA Superbike race wins and championship against a pretty solid field of riders. Just pointing out that some peeps were including non premier class results for one racer while omitting them for the other.