The American team has taken control of the grid slots that were previously occupied by the now-defunct RNF Racing team at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
RNF Racing, led by Razlan Razali, was denied participation in the 2024 grid by MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports due to “repeated infractions and breaches of the Participation Agreement affecting the public image of MotoGP.”
This decision stemmed from financial issues, with title partner and majority team shareholder CryptoDATA failing to settle outstanding bills with the championship and various suppliers.
In an interview with Motorsport.com following the announcement of his team’s collapse, Razali, who retained a 40% minor stake in the team, attributed the downfall to CryptoDATA.
Although NASCAR outfit Trackhouse Racing had initially been considering a MotoGP entry for 2025, the team expedited its plans and took over the former RNF team for the 2024 season.
As a result, Trackhouse Racing has become Aprilia’s satellite team, retaining all of RNF’s personnel and structure, along with riders Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez.
Trackhouse officially launched its 2024 MotoGP season in Los Angeles on Friday night, showcasing a red, white, and blue color scheme that evolved from the livery unveiled when the team announced its entry to MotoGP in December.
Notably, Trackhouse is establishing a closer working relationship with Aprilia compared to RNF and is expected to field a factory bike for Oliveira in 2024. In the previous year, RNF ran two-year-old RS-GPs for Oliveira and Fernandez, achieving their best result with a fourth-place finish at the British Grand Prix.
The entry of Trackhouse Racing into MotoGP aligns with the series’ efforts to expand in the North American market, evident from the appointment of former NBA chief Dan Rossomondo as Dorna’s chief commercial officer by Bridgepoint Capital, Dorna’s owner, last year.
The team is set to make its home debut at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin for the Americas GP on the weekend of April 12-14, marking round four on the calendar.
Trackhouse carries a penalty into its MotoGP debut in Qatar on March 10, as Oliveira incurred a long lap penalty in the Qatar GP last November due to a collision. This penalty carries over from the previous season due to Oliveira’s injury, which forced him to miss the final races of 2023.
Trackhouse Racing becomes the fourth team this year to unveil its 2024 livery, following Gresini, the factory Ducati squad, and VR46, all of which held their launch events the previous week.
