Rossi's Ranch: Valentino's Personal Playground
What does Valentino Rossi do when he’s not riding his Yamaha M1 around the best racetracks in the world? He relaxes at home in Tavullia, Italy, and rides motorcycles around his newly developed dirt track dubbed, “Rossi’s Ranch.”
“It’s like a dream from when you’re a child,” says Rossi. “You hope at one moment you can buy your own racetrack.” It’s safe to say Rossi is financially stable enough at this moment in time to where he can make his childhood dream a reality.
He found the plot of land three years ago near his childhood home, and was hand’s-on in designing the layout of each turn. The surface itself is concrete based, covered in loose dirt and gravel, creating a low-grip surface that’s ideal for training, but even better for sliding. Of course, what’s the fun in sliding around on motorcycles by yourself? “Coming here alone? Never.” Rossi says. “I always ride with friends.”
And this time he’s come with two very special friends, courtesy of Dainese, Rossi’s long-time personal sponsor: Two-time supermoto world champion Thomas Chareyre and Isle of Man TT competitor, and fan favorite, Guy Martin.
Watch the video below as the three stars slide around, all while trying to pass each other into the next bend. It’s especially interesting to hear Martin admitting (granted, it’s hard to understand him) he has little dirt experience, having been brought up on the roads. Still, it looks like he adapts to the ranch quite well, mixing it up with the rest of the guys.
Rossi’s Ranch looks like a barrel of laughs. Now who do we need to talk to for an invite?
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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