The second day of the tenth Yamaha VR46 Master Camp gave Jurand Kusmierczyk (aged 17, from Poland), Devis Bergamini (aged 19, from Italy), Enzo Valentim Garcia (aged 17, from Brazil), and Kevin Fontainha (aged 15, also from Brazil) the opportunity to showcase their talents in two racing disciplines: MiniGP and Flat Track.
In the morning they got up to speed at the Jeepers Kart track on MiniGP bikes before heading to the VR46 Motor Ranch for yet more MotoGP eSport and Flat Track action with the YZ250Fs.
First off at the kart track, it didn‘t take the protégées long to get up to speed on their YZ85s thanks to the help of instructor Marco Bezzecchi, who closely watched their riding and gave them tips accordingly.
Unfortunately, the session was cut short by 30 minutes due to a racing incident involving Valentim. He went to the hospital for a medical check. Though not seriously injured, he was advised to take it easy for a few days, so he will not be taking part in the remaining riding sessions.
After a short trip to the VR46 Store the adventure continued. All four riders returned to the VR46 Motor Ranch where they would have their first official match for Master Camp medals, in this case in the MotoGP eSport discipline. There was nothing between them, but in the end it was Bergamini who rode a flawless race when it mattered the most. Kusmierczyk came second, with Valentim closely behind in third.
In the late afternoon, they impressed teacher Marco Belli and support coach Franco Morbidelli with their ability to absorb information and put it directly into practice, even in changeable riding conditions.
“We were really worried about the weather, but finally the super funny Franco told us ’Come on guys, let‘s go!‘ and he was right because we had the best conditions of the track ever”, shared Belli.
“The guys could do a lot of work, also doing work one-on-one, so we could pay attention to the questions and difficulties of each individual rider.
“We mostly used the Americana track, which is very tricky especially in those conditions, with the grip levels constantly changing. So, for me, the Day-2 performances of the riders were very positive because they all understood what they should do to achieve their goals. This means that they are becoming one with their bikes and aren‘t just 'crawling‘ around. I‘m feeling very positive, and I‘m looking forward to the next session.”
Morbidelli added, “It was a good day. There was a little bit of rain, but finally we were able to ride and had a good day. We rode well, and the guys are funny. They are nice, and their riding is also good. So, overall, it was a good day.
“We mainly focused on letting them get used to Flat Track. It‘s a different discipline compared to what the guys are used to. But they are really good at catching up, because they‘ve got a good teacher in Marco Belli. He taught them well on Day 1, so on Day 2 they already knew how to behave on the bike. I was positively surprised by how good they were.”