The Ducati star, who later said he was 'riding on instinct', needed just 45 minutes to find his bearings around the floodlit Losail circuit - and was holding a lead of over three seconds by the end of the first hour of the two-night test.
"The first impression is like playing on the videogame 'Need for Speed'!" said Casey. "It's definitely a lot different to what we're used to. It's not better or worse, just different. The most interesting thing is that with lower visibility, at least with regard to the imperfections on the track, you have to have more confidence than your instinct tells you to have. It's not a bad start though."
By the three hour mark, Stoner was still holding a lead of over one second, in front of rookie
Andrea Dovizioso, with fellow satellite Honda rider
Randy de Puniet third and Yamaha Tech 3 team-mate
Colin Edwards and
James Toseland completing the top five. Seven times world champion
Valentino Rossi was sixth.
The Qatar night test marks the first time that
MotoGP bikes have ridden on a floodlit circuit and is being used in preparation for the first ever MotoGP night race, on March 9.
