After the last round of the Superbike World Championship at Misano in Italy, Troy Corser sat down with the Aprilia team and technicians from Ohlins and Dunlop to try and find out what has gone amiss recently.  Troy is aware that he and Aprilia have to turn around the recent form and get back to winning ways.

Laguna Seca is a demanding 3.610 kilometre circuit and will test Corser and the Aprilia team to the limit. The track features many changes in elevation and one of the most famous corners in motorsport ­ the Corkscrew. But this tricky left-right turn, followed by a fifteen-metre drop, holds no fears for Troy. He has raced at Laguna Seca many times before with many successes to his credit. He won the second race last year and finished third in the first. In fact, Troy is no stranger to the Laguna Seca podium ­ since 1995 he's won three times and taken six other podiums.

Tory Corser - "Life's been a bit hard recently and we've got to get things sorted out and get back to winning again. Some of the problems we've had should not have taken place, but they have and I've suffered as a result. Now it's time to put it all behind me and get on with catching up in the title challenge. Laguna holds no fears for me it's just another racetrack and I've been there enough times to know where it goes."

"I've shown that the RSV 1000 can win there and that's what I'll be going all out for this year. The Aprilia is well suited to the track and I think we can have a couple of good results. At the start of the season, I said that every time out, I expected to win or get on the podium and that attitude has not changed. I'm going to Laguna to try and win both races and put some pressure on the leaders."

Another rider determined to stand on the podium and secure maximum points at the ninth round of the Superbike World Championship at Laguna Seca is Neil Hodgson.

“Laguna Seca holds a special place in my heart because it was where I secured my first-ever World Championship podium (World SuperBikes in 1996). Since then, I’ve always thought of Laguna as one of my favourite circuits.  As always, I know it’s going to be a real battle, but I really believe I’m going to be in the hunt. Many riders have a conservative approach to Laguna, but I enjoy the extra elements of danger it presents. Physically I feel really good and very positive about stepping onto the podium.”

Italian Superbike ace Pierfrancesco Chili has been on the podium at Laguna Seca before, and is hoping to repeat that feat this year.  "Last year I wasn't really fit enough to race hard, due to my injuries and fifth and sixth was pretty good considering. It's not a track I particularly like, but it's not a track that's particularly hard - though I haven't had much success there. It will be a testing track for us and it will be interesting to see how the Suzuki USA boys go ­ if they take part in the race as 'wild card' riders. Of course, they have much more experience of the track then our team, so it will be interesting what happens. It has been quite a hard season for all of us this year, but we're still working hard to make progress. I'm the kind of racer who loves racing ­ when I get the chance to race hard ­ but sometimes this year it's felt more of a job than racing. But, I'm an optimist and I hope that we can put on a good show in the races."

Team Benelli Sport continue their World Superbike this weekend. It's a significant challenge for the Tornado Racing Team as it's only their second World Superbike race and to make things harder, it's also a 'flyaway' round. When a race team attends a European round they are able to take all their trucks, hospitality units and support staff. But when attending 'flyaway' rounds the trucks and hospitality buses have to stay at home and the team have to work out of temporary units and shipping cases. Even the established teams struggle with this set up so it'll be a steep learning process for Team Benelli Sport.

Despite the difficulties they face, the team is upbeat about their first competitive visit to the USA, especially rider Peter Goddard who is really fired up and raring to go.

"I am really looking forward to Laguna," declared Goddard from his hotel in Monterey. "The aim is to finish both races and get some points! I like Laguna as it is a very challenging rider's track. It is very unforgiving with a well used surface and many elevation and camber changes - but that's exactly what makes it such a challenge!" Goddard has spent the last week in America visiting friends and family and adjusting his body clock to the time zone.

While the Benelli technicians have been hard at work since Misano setting up the bike and working out some base settings to start with at Laguna. "We will have access to the best Dunlop Tyres from Friday here so that will make a big difference," explained Goddard. "We will be up against it here with no previous bike experience, only some data which we have used to try to match gearbox and speeds together. But I have raced here for the last three years so I know the place reasonably well. I believe the bike will work fine at Laguna chassis-wise but will need some suspension changes for this special circuit. I have been discussing this with Ohlins and the team and I think we have a good start plan. We have already made some changes to increase ground clearance. We just hope to have a good run with the engine, we have no major engine updates yet as everything has come directly from the Misano round. The weather is forecast to be fine so it could be another hot one like last year."

Ben Bostrom is increasing his pace this year and is sure to be a threat at his home race where thousands of Americans will be cheering him on.  But team-mate Troy Bayliss is sure to be a weapon around the twisty Laguna Seca circuit.

Colin Edwards knows he must prove his championship-winning ability and take two wins at his home round in America on Sunday if he is to challenge for the 2001 title.

Edwards, 27, enters the Laguna Seca ninth round 47 points behind championship leader Troy Bayliss and only two victories on the undulating 2.24-mile Californian circuit will put a smile back on the Texan's face.

"It's not just about winning it's about putting up a fight," admits Edwards. "Laguna Seca is a circuit I've had success at in the past and I know what I need to do on Sunday."

He continued: "Setting the machine for the circuit will be the hardest task but we left the last round at Misano with some good ideas and hopefully I can get right on the pace from Friday morning. Michelin are working hard and I'm pretty confident they will have what's needed."

Edwards' fastest time in qualifying for last year's event was only bettered by fellow-countryman Ben Bostrom as both record laps of 1m 25.7s. Championship leader Bayliss set the fastest time in the 2000 Superpole before crashing out of race one and finishing seventh in the second 28-lap
affair.

Edwards finished second and fourth in the two races, won by Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser.

Edwards' Castrol Honda team-mate Tady Okada makes his first visit to Laguna Seca for eight years and the Japanese rider is hopeful of improving on his ninth place in the points standings.

"It's pretty close around me in the championship and I'd like to think I could get to fourth or fifth place by the end of the series," predicts Okada. "This weekend at Laguna Seca will be different for me, having not raced there for so long, but it's not a bad thing. I've found it more difficult this year going to circuits where I raced a 500, simply because of making comparisons. It's easier going to a new circuit and I'm starting from zero, with no ideas about what the machine should or should not be doing."

A trio of top riders from the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship plan to compete in the World Superbike rounds at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca on July 8. Kawasaki riders Eric Bostrom and Doug Chandler and Yamaha's Anthony Gobert will be wild-card entries in the world championship race.

Chandler and Gobert have both earned victories in the World Superbike Championship, while Bostrom hopes to follow in his brother Ben's footsteps and win a World Superbike race as a wild-card rider.

Of the three, Gobert certainly has the most experience in World Superbike. The 26-year-old Australian entered the highly competitive World Superbike series 1994. He amazed the race community by entering the Phillip Island round of World Superbike as a wild card and won the race! Since his incredible debut, Gobert has captured eight World Superbike wins, his most recent in Australia last year.

The "Go-Show" has always been a fan favourite in the U.S. even before he first came to race AMA Superbike in 1998. He has won U.S. World Superbike rounds three times before (1995, 1996 and 1999). He calls Laguna Seca one of his favorite racing circuits in the world. Gobert is recovering from injuries suffered in a crash at Loudon three weeks ago.

Chandler also won a U.S. round of the World Superbike Series in 1990 in Brainerd, Minn. The 35-year-old rider went on to win a round in Japan later that season. If Chandler could win a round at Laguna Seca, it would mark the longest time between wins (11 years) in the history of World Superbike.

Chandler was only the third American to win a World Superbike race in 1990 – his Kawasaki teammate Eric Bostrom will attempt to become the 10th American to stand atop the podium in the series.

Eric is coming off a winning performance in the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship at Loudon. The 24-year-old Northern Californian would dearly love to win in front of friends and family at Laguna Seca. He could also follow in his brother's footsteps with a victory. "I'm really pumped going into Laguna Seca, still high off of our Loudon win. Laguna is my favorite track in this country, and I'm really looking forward to being back home in Northern California, and seeing my home crowd. It's also great to be reuniting racing with my brother. I'm looking forward to a great race," said Bostrom.

With no World Supersport action at the Laguna Seca even the support classes consist of a full programme of AMA championship races with practice getting under way on Thursday for the national series riders.

2000 qualifying, Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 1m 25.770s
2000 Superpole: Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 1m 26.273s
2000 winners: Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) and Troy Corser (Aprilia)
Lap record: Anthony Gobert (Ducati) 1m 25.185s (July 1999)