Serving as a major exclamation point on what has been a resoundingly dominate 2007 World Championship season, Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner won the Australian round of the MotoGP series at Phillip Island. The win was the Australian’s ninth victory of the season.

“You know, I’ve been working very hard for a lot of years trying to win this race as well, even if the rest of the season hasn’t gone so well,” remarked Stoner after climbing from the victory podium. “But this season has just been magical for us. We’ve been able to clinch the championship before this race and we came here with a lot less pressure. I really could enjoy this race. It was definitely my best victory so far. And I have to thank the Australian fans for coming down to see all us Australian riders. And all of us, you know, it’s by far the biggest crowd I’ve seen in Australia.”

Right from the onset, Casey Stoner led the Australian Grand Prix, hounded by 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden of the Repsol Honda outfit. However, Hayden began to experience tire problems and couldn’t keep pace, ultimately giving way to Fiat Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi. The American’s struggles didn’t end there, though, as on unlucky lap number 13, the engine in his Honda went south and his race was run. From there, Stoner motored away to a four second lead over Rossi and Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa. However, the duo would experience the same tire problems that Hayden did, their Michelins defaulting and allowing Loris Capirossi and his Ducati to go flying past them. Capirossi, who won the last Grand Prix in Japan, would hold to place a rock-solid second to his teammate.

“I tried to do by my best, but my start is not really, really good and I’m fighting a lot with Marco (Melandri), because Marco in the beginning is maybe a little bit too aggressive,” Capirossi said. “And when I overtake him I try to take my pace, to keep my pace, and I finish second. And for sure I am really, really happy.”

Rossi, the multifold World Champion, was forced to stand on the third step of the podium. “I try, I try a lot,” he said. “Unfortunately I make a mistake after two or three laps and I lose a little bit of contact with Nicky (Hayden) and Casey (Stoner). My rhythm was not so bad. I stay quite close, but after some laps I start to spin too much on the left and I have to slow down. When Loris (Capirossi) arrive I think is possible arrive to the end with him for a good fight, like in the old days, but I lose a lot of time, more grip, and I have just to slow down for last to the end.”

When all was said and done, Dani Pedrosa rode home to fourth while Pramac d’Antin Ducati’s Alex Barros was fifth. Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet aced Rizla Suzuki’s John Hopkins for sixth.