BURNLEY'S Neil Hodgson enjoyed his first podium as he finished third in the first race of the sixth round of the World Superbike Championship at the Laguna Seca circuit near Monterey, California.

Blackburn's Carl Fogarty finished eighth in the first race and fourth in the second as American John Kocinski and Australian Anthony Gobert each won.

Defending world champion Fogarty improved in the second race and now looks forward to the home round at Brands Hatch coming up on August 4.

Kocinski took advantage in the first race when leader Gobert crashed on the 13th of 28 laps. Ducati rider Kocinski led home Troy Corser and British rider Neil Hodgson. Gobert led the second race from the fifth lap to the end of the race for his first win of the year. He finished ahead of Corser and Castrol Honda's Aaron Slight after Kocinski slowed on the last lap and dropped from second to 12th.

Slight finished fifth in the first race before taking the final rostrum position in the second.The New Zealander lost the championship lead to Corser, but is just four points behind with six of the 12 rounds remaining. "I never expected to leave Laguna Seca with the points I have. It's all credit to the team after the nightmare we had here at Laguna last year," said Slight.

Results - First race: 1 John Kocinski, USA (Ducati) 41m 03.153s, 2 Troy Croser, Australia (Ducati) 41m 03.270s, 3 Neil Hodgson, GB (Ducati) 41m 09.513s.

Second race: 1 Anthony Gobert, Australia (Kawasaki) 40m 59.224s, 2 Troy Corser, Australia (Ducati) 41m 04.115s, 3 Aaron Slight, New Zealand (Castrol Honda) 41m 10.967s, 4 Carl Fogarty, GB (Castrol Honda) 41m 12.568s.

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