12th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Students Go Full Gas at the VR46 Motor Ranch on Day 5
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Copyrights 2023 Yamaha Motor Racing Srl
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) had been looking forward to riding the YZ250F bikes at the VR46 Motor Ranch once more. Their flat track instructor Marco Belli was again present to give the students hints and tips, and Celestino Vietti and Manuel Gonzalez joined the riders out on track to evaluate how they were applying the techniques.
After a quick lunch, again at Bar, Ristorante e Pizzeria Da Rossi, they were impatient to hop back aboard their YZ250F bikes at the Motor Ranch. But first their MotoGP eSport skills were tested in a friendly match-off. The winner was Yamane, with Nowak coming second, and Keankum finishing third.
Their teacher Daretti (aka Trastevere73), commented: “The guys enjoyed the session a lot, so that’s already important. They were all riding with the same set-up, so it was a level playing field. We did four races in total: two normal races in Misano and Motegi, and then sprints at Mugello and the Chang circuit. The points were of course distributed accordingly.
“In the end it was Yamane who came first. He is clearly the most experienced. But they all improved a lot compared to the first day. That, and the fact that they had so much fun, makes these classes very enjoyable.”
After the gaming excitement, the riders went back to perfecting their flat track riding, where Andrea Migno and Belli upped the ante. The recruits were asked to put their newly acquired skills to the test in a Superpole amongst the six protégées. The contest was won by Vich (taking his third gold medal of the four on offer at the 12th-edition Master Camp). Compatriots Keankum and Buapa secured second and third place respectively.
“Flat track is a very difficult discipline”, stated Migno. “The guys are already riding well for the short number of days they’ve been here. I’m happy about their level. We noticed an improvement over this session as well. The riders did a one-on-one and a Superpole. There were some crashes, but that’s normal in the beginning. I’m happy about the progress of the riders. I hope they enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, so see you next year Master Camp!”
Belli wrapped up the day saying: “It was another long, long day of training – but it was supercool because we had two riders from the VR46 Academy joining us, and Manu. Celestino came in the morning, Migno joined in the afternoon, and both did a great job with these guys. They understood the technique better. We did a Superpole and some of the lap times were very good. To ride at the VR46 Motor Ranch for the first time and clock 2’15s-2’16s is impressive. I think it shows that we did a good job training them, but also that they did a good job listening, absorbing information, and following the huge amount of advice given to them in the last few days.”
Watch the Day-5 activities HERE.
Eduardo Burr
12th Edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Rider
Dawid Nowak
12th Edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Rider
In the morning we rode with Celestino Vietti. He is one of my favourite riders of the MotoGP paddock, so I really enjoyed it. It was really nice to ride with him. I learned a lot in the morning, and it was fun. The MotoGP eSport is fun, but sometimes it gets kind of frustrating too. But it was funny, and I took second place, so I’m happy. In the afternoon we rode with Andrea Migno, who is a super nice guy, I really like him. I enjoyed it a lot. He showed us the right lines and techniques. He’s impressive!
Marc Vich
12th Edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Rider
This morning we did runs of five laps, and for me it was nice. I was learning more and more run-by-run. I also rode with Manuel Gonzalez, which to me is a great rider! I enjoyed it a lot! The MotoGP eSport on the other hand didn’t go so well. But I still enjoyed it. I was having so much fun. I was looking at my friends, and we were laughing so much. In the afternoon we did flat track again. At the beginning, we did some laps to inspect the track, and then Andrea Migno joined us. He is also a great rider. Then we tried a Superpole, and it went well for me. I won! I now have three gold medals, and I’m really happy about it. I really wanted the fourth one too, to complete the set, but unfortunately eSports is clearly not a strength of mine.
Krittapat Keankum (aka Idea)
12th Edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Rider
Thurakij Buapa (aka Earth)
12th Edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Rider
Shoma Yamane
12th Edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Rider
Today I realized that I got used to the fast speed of flat track. I was able to stay with fast riders like Celestino and Manu. I received good advice from these experienced riders, and I learned a lot by applying it. In the afternoon, I focused on what I couldn’t do in the morning. Especially I learned a lot riding one-on-one with Migno. I didn’t have a good start when we did the contest, but I’m glad I was able to catch up despite the delay. The best part for me was probably the MotoGP eSport session. I played at my own pace during the whole session, and I won the races. One day, I would like to play with Lorenzo, the three-times World Champion. All in all, it was a good day. I’m confident that my flat track techniques have definitely grown, but I don’t know if it is enough to help me on the road bike. I had a lot of fun so far this week, so bring on the last day!
The morning session was good, although I did have my second crash of the week. But I was completely okay and could continue with the programme like nothing happened. Overall, it was another good session. I noticed that I was able to go faster. MotoGP eSport is so difficult still… But I got second place in the second race, which is really good for me because I haven’t played this game in the last three years. In the afternoon session, I had another small crash, but again I was not hurt. It’s all part of learning, right? I’m noticing improvements, so that’s important.