This year's event, set for July 5-8, is even more highly anticipated. The weekend of racing combines a full AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship event with two rounds of the Word Superbike Championships.

Laguna Seca is a favourite of many of the World Superbike and AMA Superbike competitors. Anthony Gobert, past winner of both races echoes what many think of the 2.238 mile, 11-turn circuit. "The track's layout really suits me. I'm a little bit biased because I'm from Australia and I love the Phillip Island circuit, but I think the layout at Laguna is the best in the world."

In the Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, Australian Mat Mladin is having another stellar season. The two-time AMA U.S. Superbike champ has won three of the seven rounds on his Yoshimura Suzuki and leads the series by 30 points over factory Kawasaki rider Eric Bostrom.

Honda's Nicky Hayden and Kawasaki veteran Doug Chandler are tied for third in the standings.

The Superbike Classic weekend at Laguna Seca kicks off on Thursday, July 5. The first day of action will feature qualifying for the Chevy Trucks U.S. SuperBikes. Mladin has been perfect in qualifying so far this year winning the pole and setting new track records at the five previous venues.

After a somewhat controversial last round at New Hampshire, Mladin has firmly set his sights on winning his first national at the 3.61km, 11-turn Monterey circuit.

"I'm looking forward to Laguna," said Mladin "I've won on a lot of tracks over here, but I haven't won at Laguna and it is certainly one that I would like to win. When I first came over here it was a track that I struggled to do really good at, but in the last few years I've picked it up and managed to grab a couple of close seconds. In 1999 to Anthony (Gobert) and last year to Nicky (Hayden). I definitely plan to go one better than that this year and I'm just looking forward to the race."

"I think it's going to be a good week but its unfortunate that we have a very limited practice," added Mladin " We only have a couple of 50 minute sessions on Thursday and half an hour Saturday morning, before racing that afternoon. The Yamaha guys and the Kawasaki guys are all doing World SuperBikes. That would give them about an extra hour and a half to stay on it. Suzuki decided not to do the World Superbike races and I can understand that - that's cool. We will just have make our hour and a half practice as solid and as positive as we can and get the bike up to speed."

AMA Racing begins on Friday with the Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport class.  There have been five different winners in five races. Eric Bostrom, who rides a factory Kawasaki ZX6R, holds a narrow lead over Yamaha's Anthony Gobert and Honda's Miguel Duhamel coming into Laguna Seca.

Yamaha riders have won the 600 SuperSport race at Laguna Seca three years in a row and four former winners of the race, Tommy Hayden, Jamie Hacking, Aaron Yates and Miguel Duhamel, will line up for Friday's race.

Saturday is an action-packed day starting with round eight of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championships. Mladin is still shooting for his first victory at Laguna Seca and there will be five former winners in the field. Nicky Hayden, Anthony Gobert, Miguel Duhamel, Doug Chandler and Pascal Picotte have all logged AMA Superbike victories at Laguna Seca with Hayden the defending winner.

The Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme race is up next and yet another Australian, Damon Buckmaster, leads the championship on his Gravesport Yamaha R1.  Hondas have won every previous Formula Xtreme race at Laguna Seca, but that streak is in danger of coming to an end with strong showings by Yamaha and Suzuki in the series this year.