Crash.net recently asked for your MotoGP star of 2008, from a shortlist of ten riders provided, and - with voting having now closed - the time has come to reveal the results.
During the next ten weekdays, we will be revealing the voting results in reverse order, with the winner being revealed tomorrow (Wednesday December 3).
More than 54,000 votes were cast for the MotoGP poll. The average score given for each rider was used to produce the final ranking.
MotoGP Star of the Year - second place:Name: Casey Stoner
Team: Ducati Marlboro
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP8
Wins: 6
Podiums: 11
Pole Positions: 9
Fastest laps: 9
Championship points: 280
Championship position: 2nd
Two successive falls from the lead may have ended Casey Stoner's realistic hopes of retaining his MotoGP crown in 2008, but the young Australian's incredible speed - and unique ability to master the Desmosedici GP8 - was recognised with second place in your MotoGP Star of the Year vote.
The 2007 world champion won the first and last races of this season, plus four other victories to finish the year runner-up to Valentino Rossi, whom Stoner notably lost out to during a thrilling US GP battle - then fell whilst leading at the next two rounds.
After winning the first ever MotoGP night race at Qatar, Stoner had taken just one podium from the next four rounds, leaving him 41 points behind Rossi. However, technical changes prompted a seemingly unstoppable fight-back that took Stoner to within 20 points of Rossi heading into the pivotal Laguna Seca race.
After his double disaster at Brno and Misano, Stoner - by now diagnosed with a wrist injury - returned to the podium at round 14 in Japan. Stoner then won in front of his home fans at Phillip Island before handing Ducati second place in the constructors' championship with victory over home hero Dani Pedrosa at Valencia.
Stoner was the only Ducati rider to win a race in 2008 and claimed all but two of the Desmosedici's 2008 podiums. Casey's nine pole positions and nine fastest laps were more than any other rider and he outscored beleaguered team-mate Marco Melandri, himself a former MotoGP World Championship runner-up, by a huge 229 points.
The next best Ducati rider after Stoner was Alice's Toni Elias, who scored 188 points less than the Australian and finished just twelfth in the world championship.
2nd - Casey Stoner3rd - Jorge Lorenzo4th - Andrea Dovizioso5th - Nicky Hayden6th - Dani Pedrosa7th - James Toseland8th - Colin Edwards9th - Toni Elias10th - Alex de AngelisTomorrow: We reach number one in the MotoGP Star of the Year poll.
