Casey Stoner's retirement will almost certainly mark the end of an unbroken, quarter-century run of Australian excellence in motorcycle roadracing's premier categories.
The 2012 MotoGP season finale will serve as an extended victory celebration for newly-crowned champion Jorge Lorenzo and the final race for retiring champ Casey Stoner.
Honda's MotoGP boss, Shuhei Nakamoto, is one of the two primary figures in the series' looming 'Cuban Missile Crisis.' He spoke with Dennis Noyes about the future of the sport.