Trackhouse Racing, a leading NASCAR team, is set to join the MotoGP grid for the 2024 season. The team will replace the disbanded RNF team and joining as a new Aprilia satellite outfit. The American-owned entry, co-owned by Justin Marks and musician Pitbull, expedited its foray into MotoGP due to RNF’s financial woes, signalling a significant shift in American involvement in the series.
The news comes after Dorna Sports announced the exclusion of RNF from the 2024 MotoGP season due to repeated infractions affecting the sport’s public image. This decision followed reports of RNF’s financial turmoil, with CryptoDATA, its majority shareholder and title sponsor, failing to fulfill its sponsorship commitments and accumulating debts with various suppliers.
Trackhouse Racing’s MotoGP venture marks an expansion beyond its NASCAR presence, aiming to bolster the series’ growth internationally and in the United States. The team will field Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez as the main riders for the season.
Justin Marks, expressing enthusiasm for this transition, highlighted Trackhouse’s vision to elevate MotoGP’s global prominence, recognizing the championship’s thrilling racing, aspirational stars, and fan-friendly environment. Furthermore, Trackhouse’s partnership with Aprilia is expected to strengthen, with the possibility of a third factory bike for a Trackhouse rider.
This move by Trackhouse coincides with a broader trend of American influence in MotoGP, a series with a storied history in the United States, notably marked by legends like Kenny Roberts Sr., Freddie Spencer, and Nicky Hayden.
The transition from RNF to Trackhouse comes amid Dorna’s efforts to reconcile with the former team and its backers amicably.
