SUNDAY GUIDE MotoGP · Nicky Hayden has qualified on pole for the first time in his Grand Prix career, in what will be his 38th GP start. His previous best qualifying result was second on the grid at Mugello last year. · Nicky Hayden is the first rider from the USA to start from pole since Kenny Roberts at the Rio GP last year. Hayden is also the youngest rider to start a MotoGP race from pole since Valentino Rossi at the British GP at Donington Park in 2002. · Yamaha riders have taken five victories at Laguna Seca; Eddie Lawson in 1988, Wayne Rainey in 1989, 1990 & 1991 and Luca Cadalora in 1994. The only other manufacturer to have won was Cagiva in 1993 with John Kocinski. · Valentino Rossi has won nine of the last ten MotoGP races, the exception being his second place to Alex Barros at the second round of the year in Portugal. · Valentino Rossi is the only rider amongst the top eight qualifiers who has not previously competed at Laguna Seca in either a US domestic Championship, Grand Prix or World Superbike race. · Alex Barros starts from the front row for the first time since he qualified on pole in Portugal. · Troy Bayliss starts from his highest grid position since he started the Czech GP at Brno last year from 4th place on the grid. · After finishing in third place at the last GP at Assen, Colin Edwards will be aiming to score back-to-back podium finishes for the first time in his Grand Prix career. Edwards has finished as second best Yamaha rider at each of the seven races so far in 2005. · John Hopkins has been the top Suzuki qualifier at each of the eight races this year. · The last American rider to win a Grand Prix was Kenny Roberts at the Pacific GP at Motegi in 2000. This seventy-two race string is the longest run of successive races in the premier-class without a rider from the USA taking a victory since Pat Hennen scored the first win by an American rider at the Grand Prix of Finland at Imatra in 1976. · Five riders have scored points at all seven MotoGP races this year Valentino Rossi, Marco Melandri, Max Biaggi, Colin Edwards and Loris Capirossi. · Loris Capirossi is the only rider in the field who has previously won a Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, having taken victory in the 250cc race in 1993. · Marco Melandri starts from his lowest grid position since joining Honda at the start of 2005. · Sete Gibernau has qualified in his lowest grid position since he started the Japanese GP last year also from 13th place on the grid.