In the lead up to this weekend’s MOTOGP™ GURU BY GRYFYN Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix 2023 at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Jack Miller took time out to return to his roots on Wednesday to host the ‘FLAT TRACK WITH JACK’ junior experience, providing an unforgettable day of assisting in sharpening the skills of the next generation of young flat track racers with KTM Australia.
Returning to where it all began for the Grand Prix race winner, 28-year-old Miller’s racing career began on the dirt as he navigated the unpredictability of the loose terrain beneath his wheels, citing the discipline as a great pathway into road racing at the highest of levels on his factory KTM RC 16 race bike. With ‘bike feel’ a critical part of any professional two-wheeled competition, flat track provides a unique connection between man and machine, focusing intently on traction and comprehensive corner speed.
Eight lucky KTM-mounted participants were present at the Nyora Speedway masterclass led by North Queensland fan favourite Miller himself, with talented young KTM racers Jed Fyffe, Hugo Holmes, Jye French, Jake Straney, Tyge Morey, Flynn Beard, Slater Beard, and Levi Campbell gaining invaluable competitive insights from Australia’s very best.
Also on-hand at the Victorian venue was current Red Bull KTM Factory Racing American Flat Track (AFT) standout Max Whale in what marked his homecoming following an action-packed season abroad, and KTM-equipped Australian Flat Track Nationals front-runner Billy van Eerde, who both joined Miller in sharing their advice and carried out top-level demonstrations for the KTM juniors in a day that won’t soon be forgotten by the youngsters.
Jack Miller: “Flat track for us is a really great pathway into Grand Prix racing, as that’s exactly how I started. Once upon a time I was one of these KTM juniors, so it’s special to be here now and helping out with the younger generation today! We walked around, kicked a bit of dirt with the kids and showed them the key points to look for on a new track and new surface, breaking the track down into sections, focusing on corner entry and exit, then tying everything together with mid-corner speed. To have the likes of Billy and Max here was awesome and made for a special coaching program for the kids that we will all very much remember for a long time to come.”
Miller will now set his sights on this weekend’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island with his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, which marks Round 16 of the 2023 MotoGP™ World Championship season.
