MID-SEPTEMBER START FOR SIXTH YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy prepare for the sixth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, a training programme created in cooperation with Valentino Rossi to discover and develop young riding talent.
Tavullia (Italy), 6th September 2018
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy are proud to announce that the sixth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp will be held from September 12th – 16th, 2018.
The upcoming Master Camp rider line-up features riders from Asia. With Muhammad Aiman Bin Tahiruddin (16) and Nazirul Izzat Bin Muhammad Bahauddin (18) hailing from Malaysia, Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah (15) hailing from Indonesia, and Shota Yokoyama (16) hailing from Japan. All four riders are active in the Asia Road Racing Championship and various local racing series.
Just as in previous editions, the Master Camp schedule is created with the aim to discover and develop young riding talent. The selected students will go through a week of training and learning in Italy under the guidance of the VR46 Riders Academy‘s staff and riders.
For the upcoming edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp the talents will have to bring their A game right from the get-go. Their riding skills will be put to the test at Valentino Rossi‘s VR46 Motor Ranch in more ways than one. The students will be asked to ride Yamaha YZ250Fs on the flat track and get familiar with soft cross skills on Yamaha YZ125s. They will also ride Yamaha YZF-R3s at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and try the Yamaha YZ85s at the Misanino KCE go-karts circuit.
Besides the on-track action, the riders will also be instructed on how to keep their physical form in top-shape during training sessions at the Fisio Gym.
Those eager to know more and curious about the goings on at the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp can easily stay up to date. Tips, news, images, and videos from the event will be posted regularly on its dedicated media channels throughout the sixth edition:
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP website: Yamahamotogp.com
Facebook: @YamahaVR46MasterCamp
Twitter: @YamahaVR46MasterCamp
Instagram: @YamahaVR46MasterCamp
Youtube: @YamahaMotoGP
LIN JARVIS
Next week we‘re already starting the sixth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp project, which is always an action-packed week. Once again we thank Valentino, the VR46 Riders Academy, and all sponsors and partners for contributing to the training programme, so we can help young riders. The upcoming edition will have an all-Asian rider line-up, which we’re excited about. The motorsport industry in Asia is rapidly evolving and we are more than keen to welcome upcoming talents from these countries and help them develop their racing careers by giving them extra guidance at the Master Camp. We look forward to having the new four riders with us in Italy, especially since Yamaha and VR46 will also be spending a lot of time in Asia in the next few months, as we have the MotoGP rounds in Thailand, Japan and Malaysia coming up soon. However, first we’ll focus on the Master Camp. The five days of training will be hard work, but with the help of the VR46 staff and racing experts, the talents will certainly be able to boost their skills and I’m sure they will have a lot of fun along the way.
MUHAMMAD AIMAN BIN TAHIRUDDIN
Nationality: Malaysian
Age: 16 (Born in 2001)
Racing Career
2018
3rd in Malaysian Superbike Championship Open 250cc (as of Round 2)
19th in PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix CP150 (as of Round 5)
2017
Malaysian Superbike Championship Open 250cc Champion
PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix WIRA Champion
NAZIRUL IZZAT BIN MUHAMMAD BAHAUDDIN
Nationality: Malaysian
Age: 18 (Born in 2000)
Racing Career
2018
6th in PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix CP115 (as of Round 5)
2017
5th in PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix CP115
MUHAMMAD FAEROZI TOREQOTTULLAH
Nationality: Indonesian
Age: 15 (Born in 2002)
Racing Career
2018
15th in ARRC AP250 class (as of Round 4)
2017
10th in Rd. 4, 7th in Rd. 5 of Indospeed Race Series Sport 250cc
SHOTA YOKOYAMA
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 16 (Born in 2001)
Racing Career
2018
3rd in MFJ CUP JP250 National (as of Round 4)
2017
15th in MFJ CUP JP250 National
NOTES
In an effort to support young Italian riders aiming to become world-class racers, Valentino Rossi decided to put his vast experience and knowledge from his many years of racing to good use in 2014 and established the VR46 Riders Academy.
In March 2016 Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. entered into a formal three-year partnership agreement with the VR46 Riders Academy as an Official Partner and also as its Official Motorcycle Supplier.
In July of 2016 Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy staged the inaugural Yamaha VR46 Master Camp with the goal of helping selected young Yamaha talent make their way in the racing world by increasing their skills and experience in various racing disciplines, riding Yamaha YZ85, YZ125, YZ250F and YZF-R3 bikes.
Since then the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp has put on five subsequent training events. The participants so far have been 28 mostly teenage riders who race in various championships on bikes like the YZF-R25 and YZF-R3 and hail from 13 countries in all: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Thailand, Ukraine, and the United States.
Outstanding among them has been Thai rider Apiwath Wongthananon. He was selected to join the VR46 Master Camp Team in the CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship for the 2017 season and he is racing with the team again in 2018.
Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama is now contesting a full season in the World Supersport 300 class. In addition, Italian rider Alfonso Coppola has made the step up to the World Supersport Championship. With examples like these, it is clear Yamaha‘s system of advancing young promising riders is seeing results.
The riders for the sixth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp were selected by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. A place in the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp can’t be bought, nor can riders apply for a placement – riders are to be put forward by Yamaha distributors.