Once again the best roadracers on the planet will descend on the Laguna Seca circuit for the annual USGP. Running on the July 4th weekend, the stars and stripes play host to title leaders Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, who will duke it out with American stars Nicky Hayden and Colin Edwards.

Last year’s USGP featured an epic battle between Rossi and Stoner. The race was memorable for two moments in particular: First was Rossi making a daring, some would argue reckless, overtaking maneuver past Stoner in the dirt through Laguna’s notorious corkscrew; Second was Stoner binning his Ducati in the gravel and finishing second, one of the mistakes that would see Rossi claim the 2008 crown.

Flash forward another year and Rossi returns the presumptive favorite. Celebrating his 100th career GP victory last round at Assen, The Doctor will be hunting for win 101. His Fiat Yamaha teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, will want to not repeat the highside that doomed his inaugural run at Laguna in 2008 - one of the many crashes that spoiled the Mallorcan’s rookie campaign. Instead, Lorenzo must focus on securing points to stay within striking distance of Rossi, who is a mere five points ahead in the championship.

Stoner steamrolled his way to USGP victory in 2007 during his juggernaut championship run but had to settle for second in 2008. The Aussie openly questioned some of Rossi’s aggressive tactics after his ’08 loss, perhaps the Ducati ace will find some payback on Sunday.

As for Stoner’s teammate, Nicky Hayden, the American continues to struggle aboard the Ducati. A measure of the Kentucky Kid’s slide in fortune is that his mediocre eighth-place finish at Assen was his best of the season. Can Hayden come close to regaining his USGP-winning form on Sunday? Even a podium would be a moral victory for two-time USGP winner and former champion.

Another man looking to change his Laguna Seca fortunes is American Colin Edwards. The Texas Tornado scored a second-place podium in 2005, but has since suffered disappointing results at his home round. The Tech 3 Yamaha rider should be able to improve on his collective ninth, 11th and 14th the past three years at Monterey. A podium on Sunday would be the first of the veteran racer’s 2009 campaign.

Perhaps the best podium bet may be Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen, who will be looking for his third consecutive Laguna rostrum. The Australian rider, however, is not enjoying the same success of 2008 or his breakout 2007 season. The probable cause is the Suzuki’s dearth of power this season, a common complaint from fellow Rizla rider and long-time GP vet Loris Capirossi, who for all his experience has never come close to USGP podium.

Arriving at Laguna the Factory Honda duo of Dani Pedrosa and Andrea Dovizioso can only improve on their dismal Assen double DNF. Both are now over 60 points out of the title hunt, with Dovizioso edging past Pedrosa for fourth overall. Pedrosa is still nursing injuries from rampant crashes this season. If the two Repsol riders keep up their current results, Honda will come to the grim realization that crash-master Randy de Puniet may be its most consistent rider.

The Gresini Honda squad of Toni Elias and Alex de Angelis continue to be spotty performers and unknown commodities at Laguna. In other Honda news, the Scot Racing team has announced it will only support the newly-promoted Gabor Talmacsi. This leaves the oft-crashed Yuki Takahashi out in the dark.

MotoGP action will begin with an hour-long practice session on Friday, followed by Free Practice 2 and Qualifying session on Saturday. The Sunday race will begin at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

MotoGP Laguna Seca Preview Rider Quotes:

Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha:
"The wonderful memory of the 100th win is still fresh, but now we have just a few days to recover before the next race, which is hard for everyone. We have to try to relax as much as possible and recharge the batteries a little, because Laguna is always a tough weekend and often very hot. Last year I had a great battle with Stoner and for me it was for sure one of the turning points of the championship and a very important win; I have some good memories. I think this year it will be hard again because Lorenzo is in brilliant form and I am sure Stoner will also be back to his best. Laguna is a great place to race and an exciting track, I also have a little trip to Los Angeles and Yamaha US first which I am looking forward to. The championship is very open at this point so we need to keep focus, get back to normal after Assen and try to get another good result this weekend."

Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha:
"Last year Laguna wasn't good for me but I don't think about this. It's the only time I've been there but I don't see that as a problem - until 2008 I'd never won in Portugal before and I won my first race there in MotoGP, and then again this year I won in Motegi where I'd never won before, so I don't consider any track 'bad' for me - the past doesn't matter. We are feeling very strong after the last races and everyone is very motivated to continue in the same way so I am looking forward to the challenge and learning more about the track. I will do my best and hopefully that will mean we can run at the front again."

Casey Stoner – Marlboro Ducati:
“We have had some setbacks over the past couple of races that have prevented us from showing our full potential. We have done a lot of work on the bike and found a great set-up for the race on both occasions but I have not been in good shape when it was the moment to take advantage of that work. We have come straight to America from Assen and there hasn’t been much time to recover, although I do feel better already. What we learned from last weekend is not to underestimate the symptoms. I have always liked Laguna, with its natural elevation changes, I love racing in America and the Ducati has always gone well here. We have the potential to challenge for a good result again but we’ll wait until we get out on track and see how things shape up.”

Andrea Dovizioso - Repsol Honda:
“I really look forward to the race in Laguna Seca. The track itself and the whole atmosphere makes coming to Laguna a fascinating experience. Last year was the first time that I had raced in the United States and I was impressed by this track. Some parts are quite dangerous and very different from the European standard of racetracks we are used to, but the whole atmosphere is incredible and I like it a lot. I’m confident that we can have a good race here. Last year I had a good battle and finished 4th, which I was pleased with. I feel as though I’ve come fourth enough times this year though, so I hope to make the step up. At each race we’re getting closer to the leading riders but we’re still not close enough yet. So we need to work hard to get the speed and consistency we need.”

Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda:
“I’m actually really looking forward to getting to Laguna and I’m feeling confident going into the weekend - as I was before Assen. The result there wasn’t great, but there’s no reason why we can’t have a strong race in the US. I felt much better on the bike in Assen than I did in Barcelona and, although my physical fitness is not at 100 per cent because I haven’t been training as usual for quite a while, the injury is getting better and isn’t giving me any problems on the machine. The Laguna track itself is unique and it can be a lot of fun to ride - as long as you’re going quickly. When you’re struggling it obviously isn’t quite as much fun! As a team we’ve got to continue working hard and bring the whole machine package up to a level where we can compete for wins again. We’re making progress and with luck Laguna will take us closer to that target.”

Loris Capirossi – Rizla Suzuki:
"I wasn't at full strength at Laguna last year following my crash at Assen and all the changes in direction really made it a painful race for me. This year I am going there fully fit and the bike seems to be improving every time I ride it, so we are hoping to be right up amongst the front guys this weekend. The season still has a long way to go and I am now in-touch with the top-five in the championship and that certainly has to be our target - to break into that group and go from strength-to-strength at every race."

Chris Vermeulen – Rizla Suzuki:
"I'm really looking forward to Laguna Seca, it's certainly one of my favorite circuits and I've been on the podium there for the last two years, as well as a pole position in 2006. I certainly want to try and repeat those performances and get the Suzuki on the podium for the first time in 2009. I hope it is a good race for all the fans and that the weather is as nice as it usually is. I am sure we can be competitive from day one and put on a good show."

Randy de Puniet - LCR Honda:
“Laguna is a very special racetrack – I love the challenges that it throws at you. We had quite a challenging time there last year, but came out of it all with a not so bad sixth-place finish. This year we have the potential to do better if Friday and Saturday go well for us. I feel really good on this year’s bike and tires, so I’m really looking forward to the race.”

Alex De Angelis - San Carlo Honda Gresini:
“I am extremely motivated going into this race because we’re finally finding the right way with the bike and working t hrough our problems. We know that sometimes when you solve one problem you can create another and finding the ideal package isn’t easy, but the point is that we are solving our biggest issue, which is rear traction, and that is important. I don’t think anything more problematic than that is going to crop up! I love Laguna Seca, I went fast from the first day on my debut there last year and we know the tires work well there too, so I am excited. The target is to get involved with that second group again but this time be fighting with them all the way to the final corner.”

Toni Elias - San Carlo Honda Gresini:
“I left the last race at Assen feeling frustrated with the result, having been relegated to twelfth by Race Direction for an aggressive move in the final corner, but even the eighth place I managed before the penalty was below our expectations. Having said that I was encouraged by the performance and to have passed so many riders in the race gives me motivation and determination to continue where I left off at Laguna Seca. For this race I’ll have both bikes equipped with my preferred chassis, which should allow us to work a bit more calmly and make quicker progress in adjusting the set-up. Our recent pace suggests that we’re not far from making another step forward – not into the top four just yet but at least a little closer to them.”

Gabor Talmacsi - Scot Honda:
“I never have been there. I'm really curious. I asked for information from my more experienced companions and everybody told me that Laguna is different and difficult. Well, the great majority of things are new for me in the MotoGP class. So, I'm getting used to facing new challenges. I will try to understand by myself as many things as I can about Laguna Seca, then I will knock on Nicky Hayden's motor home and ask for his advice; he declared himself glad to teach me the secrets of his home circuit. We reached a point at which I feel necessary to work a little bit more on the set-up, to improve my performances. In the first races, the target was simply – not to do silly things and learn as much as I could. Now I want to make a step ahead and leave the last position to some other guy.”