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All you need to know about the American MotoGP this weekend.

History:

Laguna Seca played host to the US Grand Prix on six occasions between 1988 and 1994 before being removed from the calendar. A series of major structural improvements to the facility saw the World Championship return in 2005, although only for the MotoGP class. Before last year Valentino Rossi had just one podium to his name at Laguna, but he produced one of the performances of his career in 2008 to take a crucial victory in his run to the title: a race-long battle with Casey Stoner threw up some nail-biting moments between the pair but the Italian prevailed to take his first win on American soil.

Track:

The track, which flows around the undulating hills on the outskirts of Monterey, is most famous for the Corkscrew, a tight and spectacular left-right downhill chicane. In fact, the entire circuit is a rollercoaster ride, with a few short straights and a series of fast corners and elevation changes that often leave the front wheel pawing at the air. The 3.610km track is the perfect amphitheatre for the fans and is surprisingly straightforward in terms of machine set-up, with little opportunity to maximise full throttle. Frequent downhill braking zones put extra stress on the front end and make tyre wear a crucial factor.

Data:

Length: 3,610m

Width: 15m

Right corners: 7

Left corners: 4

Longest straight: 966m

Circuit Record: Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008), 1'21"488

Best Pole: Casey Stoner (Ducati, 2008), 1'20"700

MotoGP Laguna Seca: Race weekend LIVE from 10pm on Friday July 3rd on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe

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