From bike to V8s for Casey Stoner

LIFE after MotoGP for Casey Stoner will involve driving a V8 Supercar. It's just a question of when.

LIFE after MotoGP for Casey Stoner will involve driving a V8 Supercar. It's just a question of when.

Stoner pulled down the shutters on his celebrated bike-racing career with third place in the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix in Spain on Sunday night, finishing third in the world championship following an injury-hit season.

The 27-year-old can now adjourn to his NSW farm or his home in Switzerland to spend the time he craves with wife Adriana and baby daughter Alessandra.

When he returns to the track on four wheels remains unclear.

Stoner looks certain to link with Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes at Triple Eight Racing when he does step into a V8, having tested successfully for the team in the past.

Stoner could make his racing debut - which would be in the second-tier V8 development series - as soon as February on the undercard of Adelaide's Clipsal 500.

But he could also opt to pick and choose his races next year and start a full-time V8 career in 2014. The development series is likely to have seven races in 2013.

Stoner could drive in any or all of those, as well as test himself in the V8 Supercars' top tier as a co-driver in the Sandown and Bathurst endurance races.

Walking away from MotoGP a dual world champion and inducted as the sport's 20th official legend after Sunday's race, Stoner admitted he lacked confidence on his Honda in miserable weather at Valencia.

The Australian is still carrying an ankle injury following surgery after a crash in August.

"I took the easy way out today by starting on wet tyres and to be honest, I was scared of crashing in these conditions," Stoner said. "There were a lot of crashes today and it was difficult.

"I put on slick tyres but my eyes were dinner plates as I didn't want to take my bike off the dry patch. I didn't want to take any risks out there."

But Stoner was happy with the final chapter of a career that ended on a high late last month with his sixth successive Australian MotoGP win.

Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, who started from pole, won in Valencia after world champion Jorge Lorenzo crashed out.

AAP