CARL Fogarty has tipped Neil Hodgson to achieve something the four-times world champion did not achieve during his own career -- to win at Laguna Seca.

Hodgson has caught the eye in the previous three rounds of the World Superbike championship, without making significant progress in the championship standings.

The Burnley rider trails series leader Troy Bayliss by 109 points but is only 58 behind Troy Corser in third place.

That gap could have been even smaller had Hodgson's rear tyre not blown in the previous race at Misano, with second place and 20 points in the bag.

But, with his Dunlop tyres expected to perform better than their Michelin counterparts at the hot and demanding circuit on the west coast of America, Fogarty believes his former team-mate has another chance to make an impression.

Foggy said: "It's definitely a Dunlop track and I think Neil will go really well there.

"He could surprise everyone and win there, although it wouldn't be a surprise to me because he is riding really well.

"It was obviously a good move for him to take a step back into British Superbikes for two years and catch up on the learning that he missed by starting off at such a high level.

"You cannot blame him for doing that because, if you get offered a Ducati factory ride, you don't turn it down but it did mean he missed out on some development.

"Now he is probably one of the three or four riders out there and he is not a million miles away from winning the world championship."

Hodgson's only previous podium finish outside this country before this season's second place in Germany came at Laguna in 1996, his first season in world superbikes.

But Fogarty has warned by the two home favourites, Ben Bostrom and Colin Edwards, will both have added incentive for success.

"Bostrom will want to do well. He has just won the last round so his confidence is high and he is on his home track.

"Edwards has got some work to do because he has to beat Troy Bayliss in both races if he wants to win the world championship this year. If he doesn't do that the championship is over.

"Corser usually goes very quick there but I thought he'd go very quick at Misano so you never know," added Fogarty, who was this weekend attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Hodgson himself is relishing the challenges of the circuit and particularly the famous Corkscrew -- a left hand turn that has a steep, down-hill drop where the bike goes light and is difficult to control. Riders then have to pick their bikes up and aim them into an immediate right-hand corner.

The GSE rider said: "Many riders have a conservative approach to Laguna, but I enjoy the extra elements of danger it presents."

Championship standings: 1 Troy Bayliss, Australia (Ducati) 250, 2 Colin Edwards, USA (Castrol Honda) 203, 3 Troy Corser, Australia (Aprilia) 179, 4 Pier-Francesco Chili, Italy (Suzuki) 153, 5 Ben Bostrom, USA (Ducati) 147, 6 Neil Hodgson, GB (Ducati) 141, 7 Gregorio Lavilla, Spain (Kawasaki) 116, 8 Akira Yanagawa, Japan (Kawasaki) 110, 9 Tady Okada, Japan (Castrol Honda) 100, 10 Stephane Chambon, France (Suzuki) 80.