Last time at Laguna...

As Valentino Rossi aims to overturn the home favourites in this weekend's US Grand Prix, he knows that only one other rider has managed to do so in the past.

Last time at Laguna...

As Valentino Rossi aims to overturn the home favourites in this weekend's US Grand Prix, he knows that only one other rider has managed to do so in the past.

Fellow Italian Yamaha rider Luca Cadalora won the final encounter at Laguna Seca in 1994 (pictured), overcoming Cagiva's John Kocinski and Honda's Mick Doohan to become the only non-American to win at the Monterey circuit in the history of the premier-class.

"I remember it was very funny because the weekend before the race we did a promotional spot on American television and they said only American riders can win at Laguna, so I was extra pleased to prove them wrong!" recalled Cadalora.

"It was great, I always liked Laguna Seca. I had already won there on a 250 in 1991 but to win on the 500 was very special. I had a big fight with John Kocinski on the Cagiva and Mick Doohan on the Honda - the bikes were sideways around most of the track and it was so much fun.

"It will be so nice to see the four-strokes racing there. It is not a fast track but there are some really good corners - like the one before the corkscrew and the last downhill section. It will be great to watch from these points and they will also be very important to the lap time.

"From what I can see of the M1, it is the type of track that will suit the way it handles. Also, Yamaha's engineers and the whole team have done a wonderful job to create a bike that can be set up quickly at new tracks so I think both Valentino and Colin will be on the pace.

"I am sure Valentino will like the track and the grand prix in general. Monterey is a great place. It was somewhere I always enjoyed to visit as a racer and it was always a great pleasure to ride there in front of the fans at a track like Laguna Seca," he concluded.

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