Justin Marks, Trackhouse Racing Extend reach to MotoGP
Justin Marks is changing the face of team ownership one series at a time. His efforts with Trackhouse Racing in NASCAR’s Cup Series has led to the appearance of stars from across the worldwide racing community in the stock car series. PROJECT91, which invites international racing stars to compete in Cup Series events, saw a couple of appearances by 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen in a team Chevrolet Camaro race car; three-time Australian Supercars titleholder Shane van Gisbergen blew the project out of the water by entering and winning NASCAR’s first-ever – in 75 years of competition – street race in Chicago this past summer.
Now Marks is taking his love for the sport in a very different direction, coupling with motorcycle manufacturer Aprilia and the Piaggio Group, and starting a new MotoGP team that will be an American entity based in Italy, where Aprilia has its manufacturing. Trackhouse Racing will enter MotoGP in 2024 with a two-rider team, managed by Trackhouse Entertainment Group from its Nashville, TN headquarters but operating in Noale, Italy.
The 42-year-old Marks agreed that this newest operation is “a monumental moment for Trackhouse Entertainment Group,” the umbrella under which Trackhouse Racing works. “It has been in the ethos of Trackhouse since the very first day to put in the work, have the vision and deploy the enthusiasm and passion necessary to build one of the most valuable motorsports entertainment companies in he world. Our entry into the MotoGP World Championship,” he emphasized, “is another step in the execution of that vision.”
MotoGP, following stock car’s premier sanction NASCAR, is celebrating 75 years as the premier motorcycle racing series in the world. It currently presents 11 teams at each event with every squad fielding two riders. The 2024 schedule encompasses 22 races in 19 countries across five continents. The 2024 MotoGP season begins in Qatar on March 10th, with an American race scheduled at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX a month later, April 14th. The closer takes place at historic Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.
The Trackhouse Entertainment Group MotoGP team will be an independent, rather than a factory team, racing the Aprilia RS-GP motorcycle. The announcement of Trackhouse’s entry was made in Milan on Tuesday of this first week of December, with Marks joined onstage by Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola, by Dorna Sports’ chief sporting officer Carlos Ezpeleta and Dorna Sports chief commercial officer Dan Rossomondo, as they discuss the new venture.
While Trackhouse’s official release stated the riders would be named at a later date, when announcing the squad in Milan, the team made known the two April’s RS-GP motorcycles will be ridden by multiple MotoGP winner Miguel Oliveira, sporting the No. 88, and by rising talent Raul Fernandez, who rides the No. 25 machine. The full 2024 livery will be revealed early next year, but as part of the launch, Trackhouse unveiled a symbolic American flag-liveried motorcycle, paying tribute to both previous testing colors used by the late American MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden, and to the huge motorcycle racing heritage of the United States, which has fielded multiple MotoGP race- and championship-winners.
Among the American riders who have a long history of success in MotoGP are Eddie Lawson, Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz, Kenny Roberts Jr., Randy Mamola, Colin Edwards, together with Hayden, whose family has been long known for its proclivity and success in two-wheel racing endeavors. Marks intends for the Trackhouse Racing Team to bring American motorcycle racing back to the pinnacle of the sport; its close partnership with Aprilia – as its official factory supported team – shows the team’s determination to be a competitive force in this series.
In NASCAR’s Cup Series, in addition to bringing foreign stars to a variety of circuits, Trackhouse Racing has been successful with its full-season drivers. Marks, who had a full-time driving career in sports cars and in NASCAR, founded the team in 2020 and started fielding cars a year later. Mexican driver Daniel Suarez became the first from his country to win a Cup Series points race in 2022, while American Ross Chastain finished second in the season-long 2022 standings and has earned four Cup Series victories, including the season finale this year in Phoenix.
The team’s off-track profile has been marketing-driven and progressive, looking at how the sport of racing presents itself to fans, media partners and sponsors. Trackhouse brought in international entertainment superstar Pitbull as a team partner, created a new style of team clothing, increased its digital presence to fans and created live entertainment at racetracks throughout the season.
“We feel that MotoGP is perfectly positioned for massive growth in the coming years, not only in the United
States, but internationally,” Marks stated. “It has all the ingredients necessary to continue its rise to global prominence, including a thrilling on-track product, aspirational stars, unmatched fan and partner experiences and an environment that’s fan-friendly and welcoming.”
At a time when racing series like Formula One and MotoGP are both looking to bring new teams into their folds, the principals at Dorna Sports are unequivocally pleased by this latest endeavor. “In the most competitive era the sport has even seen,” Dorna sports sporting officer Ezpeleta explained, “it’s even more vital than ever to have strong independent teams on the grid with solid projects. Trackhouse working with Aprilia, who will offer extensive support, is a really exciting prospect. The RS-GP is a winning motorcycle and the combination of the bike, factory and Trackhouse’s approach with this team is something super exciting for MotoGP fans everywhere. We can’t wait to see Trackhouse come racing with us.”