Book excerpt: The Immortals of Australian Motorcycle Racing: the World Champs celebrates the nation's greatest-ever riders, from the white-knuckle 500cc and MotoGP eras to the hard-core challenge of the Dakar Rally and the rough and tumble worlds of supercross and speedway. Author Darryl Flack selects his top 12 riders then delves into the careers of Australia's true greats, including Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Casey Stoner, Chad Reed, Toby Price, Troy Bayliss and Gregg Hansford. The book tells the remarkable stories behind each rider's rise and the extraordinary adversity they fought against in their ascension to Immortal status.