Two Americans selected for Yamaha VR46 Master Camp

Jackson Blackmon and Cory Ventura to take part in this year’s edition

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. has announced that two U.S. road racers will be attending this year’s Yamaha VR46 Master Camp that will take place in Tavullia, Italy, in July. 16-year-old Jackson Blackmon and 15-year-old Cory Ventura, both riders in the 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship, will make the trip to receive specialised training from Movistar Yamaha MotoGP racing legend Valentino Rossi, as well as other racing experts.

Jackson and Cory will be accompanied on the trip by Yamaha Factory Racing Ambassador and bLU cRU Rider Coach Josh Hayes.

Held at the VR46 Motor Ranch in Tavullia, which is also Valentino Rossi’s home base, the Master Camp will take place in conjunction with the VR46 Riders Academy. Students will receive a variety of training that ranges from classroom lecture, to physical fitness, to specialized riding instruction on both pavement and dirt.

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp

The training is designed to boost the Master Camp students’ riding skills, bike control, and choice of race line, along with technical knowledge and motivation to give them the edge in competition.

First begun in 2016, the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp has already hosted 18 riders from 12 different countries around the world. Students from the Camp have gone on to apply their skills in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship and the FIM World Supersport 300 class.

 “I’m so thankful and excited for this opportunity to go to the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp! I cannot thank Yamaha enough for giving me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Rossi’s ranch and learn from one of the sport’s greatest-ever riders,” says Jackson Blackmon. “This will be a trip I will never forget.”

“I’m very excited and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to travel to Italy and to the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp with four-time Superbike Champion Josh Hayes and my teammate Jackson Blackmon,” echoes Cory Ventura. “It has always been a dream of mine to be able to go and do something like this. I can’t wait!”

 “This is an amazing opportunity for Jackson and Cory, and all of us at Yamaha are thrilled that they were selected to participate in the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp,” says Keith McCarty – Motorsports Racing Division Manager for YMUS. “Jackson and Cory are two of our best and brightest Yamaha bLU cRU road racers, and the Master Camp will serve them well not only now but as their racing careers progress.”

“I’m excited to be making the trip to Italy with Jackson and Cory, and to be part of their learning experience,” adds Josh Hayes. “The skills they develop during the camp will no-doubt help with their ability to ride a motorcycle faster while continually strategizing during their races.”


The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp

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 July of 2016, Yamaha and the VR46 Riders Academy staged the inaugural Yamaha VR46 Master Camp with the goal of helping selected young talent make their way in the racing world by increasing their skills and experience. A place in the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp can’t be bought, nor can riders apply for a placement – riders are put forward by Yamaha only.