The Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy have continued their mission to support young, aspiring racing talent today at the heart of motorcycle racing, the Adriatic coast. The second day of the second Yamaha VR46 Master Camp gave the riders a well-rounded impression of what is in store over the next three days; the students got down to business immediately during their flat track training in “Rossi‘s backyard”.
The Yamaha VR46 riders needed little time to get up to speed on the second day of the second Master Camp. Their first day of training at Valentino Rossi‘s Motor Ranch was action-packed as the riders reunited with their favourite instructor, flat track expert Marco Belli, to put their control of throttle and clutch to the test
Before heading out on track, good preparations are essential. A hearty lunch of beef, rices, and as much ice cream as they could manage at a restaurant in Tavullia, was called for to help sustain them during the afternoon training session.
When the young riders arrived at the Motor Ranch, their YZ250Fs and their favourite teacher, three-time English Flat Track Champion and two-time American and European Flat Track Champion Marco Belli (who the students refer to as “the King of the Sand”) were already waiting for them. The riders quickly got changed and joined Belli first for a short briefing on track safety before venturing out on their machines.
The Master Camp riders had fun playing with the throttle and the clutch to maintain perfect bike control in the corners and feel that the skills that they have picked up today will definitely be of benefit to them in the remaining races of the Asian Production 250 Championship. The riders mainly focused on the correct body position and Belli was impressed that, despite not having a similar training facility near their place of habitat, they only needed a short five minutes to refresh their memories.
The flat track expert was equally impressed with new student Wongthananon, who needed just a few tips to get right up to the level of the other students.
Apiwat Wongthananon: “This was the first type for me that I tried to ride this type of motorcycle and I will try to keep the experience I gained here today. I tried to develop my riding to take a further step and I think I will do better tomorrow, as it will no longer be completely new to me.”
Soichiro Minamimoto: “It‘s the first time we have returned to the Motor Ranch after two months and I remember the first experience well. At first I had to get refamiliarised with the track and the bike, but after riding it all came back to me. I‘m not perfect yet, so tomorrow I will try again to ride better.”