Rossi is eager in breaking American jinx......

Will Rossi finaly win an american MotoGP ?

Former world champion Valentino Rossi believes he is poised to break his American jinx when he lines up at the United States Grand Prix at Laguna Seca this weekend. The Yamaha rider, who has five titles in the elite MotoGP class and currently leads the 2008 championship race by 17 points, has never won in the US and has only finished on the podium once, in 2005.

However, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport that if the team can get their tyre changes right, then there should be no reason why he shouldn't be successful this time, rather than repeat his 2006 showing when he had to retire two laps from the finish.

"I've never won at Laguna Seca and in the last two years I've suffered the worst point of the season, but this time I can challenge," said the Italian.

"Our problem is that whenever we change the tyres we then start from zero when we return to the track. It's not easy however and at times we make hard work of it. We'll get there in the end, but will lose a lot of time."

Rossi's second place finish at the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring last weekend put him on top of the standing with 187 points, but he feels that defending world champion Casey Stoner is the man to watch.

With Australian rider Stoner 20 points behind, Rossi says that the challenge to stop him winning begins in the practice and qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday and that he can't afford to leave it until the race on Sunday to take the initiative.

"Stoner and Ducati are nearly supernatural. To challenge Casey I can't let him start from the first line. With the form he's in if you start from behind him, it becomes very difficult to overtake."