12TH YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP STUDENTS GET A TASTE OF FLAT TRACK ACTION ON DAY 2

The 12th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp riders got serious about flat track riding skills on Day 2. They completed both a morning and an afternoon session at the VR46 Motor Ranch and shopped at the VR46 Store.

Eduardo Burr (Brazilian, aged 16), Dawid Nowak (Polish, aged 14), Marc Vich (Spanish, aged 16), Krittapat Keankum (Thai, aged 18), Thurakij Buapa (Thai, aged 19), and Shoma Yamane (Japanese, aged 15) could hardly wait to start riding their Master Camp YZ250F bikes at Valentino Rossi's VR46 Motor Ranch. They met up with flat track instructor Marco Belli again. They were also joined by Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Moto2 rider Manuel Gonzalez who gave additional tips as the riders dedicated the morning and afternoon session to riding position and throttle control.

Despite the busy morning, the riders could have ridden at the Flat Track for hours longer, but they were asked to make their way to the Bar, Ristorante e Pizzeria Da Rossi. The students made the most of their lunch break and did some serious shopping at the updated VR46 Store next door (where also the official Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP replica gear is available).

After their shopping spree, the young talent went back to perfecting their flat track basic skills. With the help of Gonzalez and Belli, they booked great progress, moving on from slaloming and figures of eight to riding on the small oval and gaining speed.

Both coaches were very pleased with the pupils' professionalism.

"It was a nice day, because it was the first time for these riders to ride on the oval of the VR46 Motor Ranch", said Gonzalez at the end of the day.

"The first time trying a new discipline and new track is never easy, also for me that was hard. I was surprised by the level. Of course, they are still learning because everything is different from what they are used to. I told them a few tricks, and I'm just happy that I'm able to help the Master Camp."

"The morning session was a pleasant surprise", added Belli. "We did many exercises to help the riders gain confidence with the surface and the motorcycles. After a few times we already saw that they had full control over their bikes. They were looking safe and secure, so we could move on to correcting their technique a bit here and there.

"We had a full day at our disposal, so that allowed us to continue our work in the afternoon and try the oval. Manuel's presence helped a lot! He was riding amongst them and pushed them to increase their speed. We also tried the Americana track at the end. They completed some practice starts and did some good laps - so I'm a happy teacher. And they seem like happy riders too - which is also important!

Comments

Eduardo Burr

"The flat track at the VR46 Motor Ranch seemed much bigger once we entered it on the bike. It's both large and also quite wide. I learned so much today! I really like flat track, thanks to the two sessions and the tips from Marco Belli and Manuel Gonzalez. The store was also nice, maybe even too nice. I spent all my money!"

Dawid Nowak

"Like I said after Day 1, when something looks easy, it's not easy. But it was still fun! I just focused on myself and tried to improve as much as I could - but staying sensible about it. There is no point in crashing hard on the first day and missing out on the rest of the experience. I worked on technique, corner entry, corner exit, and keeping the correct body position on the straights. Marco Belli is a really nice teacher. The VR46 Store was really nice - it has a nice design, and the clothes are also nice. It's a good place to splurge."

Marc Vich

"I like flat track so much! It was like I imagined it to be. The bike is so smooth, and you can control how it slides. It really depends on what mindset you're in, how it feels. When you are trying to push too hard, it gets complicated, but when you just enjoy it and have fun, it's much easier. I feel really good on this bike. I also did some shopping. I bought something I didn't think I was going to buy. I bought a cap, but it's really beautiful, it comes in a special box, and I love it!"

Krittapat Keankum

"I had a lot of fun with flat track. I was able to use what I learned in Day 1's flat track theory class and use it in real life. I feel good on the bike. This is also thanks to Manu. I was able to watch his technique, it's really good. I think in the morning I was not used to the track yet, but in the afternoon, I felt that I could ride faster than in the morning. The VR46 Store has a lot of items - and I bought a lot of them too!"

Thurakij Buapa

"I had fun on Day 2, and I also feel like I have learned a lot of new things. The theory class yesterday gave us a foundation to work with, so that was great. But there's still a lot of ground to cover at the VR46 Motor Ranch - literally and figuratively! I learned the correct style and technique and the correct posture when riding the motorcycle on flat track. Thanks to a change in my posture, my bike control became smoother in the afternoon, so that made me happy. It was also exciting to go shopping in the VR46 store - it's really cool and I like it a lot!"

Shoma Yamane

"Since the track at the ranch is bigger than the one I used in Japan, and also because I didn't have many chances to ride a 250cc motorcycle before, I felt a bit out of my comfort zone in the beginning. But I gradually got used to it. In the morning, I focused on the turning, especially making sure to turn my face and not only the eyes towards the point I want to go. I feel I have improved in this. It is not easy to compare the practice sessions because they were focused on different exercises, but I felt I was able to slide smoothly in the afternoon, while it felt awkward in the morning. I tried to keep up with Manuel, but I couldn't. So I hope I can do it by the last day of the Master Camp. The structure of the VR46 Store was so interesting: it was divided into different rooms, and I found it very 'Italian style'. I was intrigued by the Moto2 bikes that were on display there. There were also race simulators: I did a lap at the Misano circuit for a bit of extra training."