Ryan Vickers “only 0.9 off of Valentino Rossi” at flat track race

A trip to the VR46 Motor Ranch for the 100km dei Campioni flat track race was “one of the best life experiences I could have wished for,” Ryan Vickers said.

The British rider, who will move up to the World Superbike Championship this year after several seasons in BSB, was racing at Valentino Rossi’s annual winter flat track race for the first time at this year’s edition, and was partnered with fellow Brit Davey Todd in the main event on Saturday which saw 23 two-rider teams compete against each other.

“Myself and my teammate [Davey Todd] rode a mega race holding our own against the best in the world,” Vickers wrote on Instagram.

“I managed to borrow a bike today and it was a weapon.”

“In the race I set the eighth fastest time and managed a 2:01.8, only +0.9 [seconds] off of [Valentino] Rossi. I was absolutely buzzing with this on my first visit to the Ranch!

Speaking more about his time at the VR46 Motor Ranch for this year’s 100km dei Campioni, Vickers said: “Honestly one of the best life experiences I could have wished for, I can’t thank [Valentino Rossi] enough for giving us such a warm welcome and opportunity to come race with you all. Thanks everyone who made this happen.”

Vickers and Todd finished 17th out of the 23 teams in Saturday’s race, which was won by the supermoto duo of eight-times World Champion Thomas Chareyre and Moto2 regular Diogo Moreira, who won an S1GP round in 2022.

Rossi finished in the race, partnered with Luca Marini who won the knockout-format Americana race on Friday evening; and completing the podium were former VR46 Academy riders Lorenzo Baldassarri and Elia Bartolini.

Three-times World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was sixth with Marco Bezzecchi; 2024 WorldSBK runner-up Nicolo Bulega finished 10th with Federico Fuligni; and 29-time TT winner Michael Dunlop, partnered with two-time World Champion and KTM MotoGP rider Pedro Acosta, finished 23rd and last in what was his first-ever flat track race.