For several riders competing in this weekends's ninth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, the undulating 3.6km Laguna Seca circuit in California presents a new and exciting challenge.

WorldSBK caught up with some of the riders making their Laguna debut:

Michael van der Mark – Pata Honda World Superbike Team: “It’s the first time I’ve ever been to the States and I am excited. The track is awesome, you get no time to rest and it really gets your adrenalin flowing. Everyone talks about the Corkscrew but Turn 1 is also pretty amazing.”

Santiago Barragan – Grillini Racing: “It’s a beautiful track but very difficult. When you walk it, the Corkscrew looks quite impressive, but when you ride it’s not so bad as it looks. We are still looking for a better setting with the bike, so we will push hard tomorrow.”

Matteo Baiocco – Althea Racing: “The first time on-track was strange, as I had no clue really of the line, and with all the ups and downs you can’t really see the apex of many corners. For sure, it’s a circuit on which you can go faster when you understand its secrets.”

Christophe Ponsson – Team Pedercini: “I’m very happy to be here, the track is amazing! The first corner and the run up to the Corkscrew is blind and the left-hander after the Corkscrew is pretty exciting too!”