Marcos Ramirez of Spain and the OnlyFans American Racing Team leads the sphere throughout the Moto2 Race throughout the MotoGP Of The Americas last Sunday in Austin, Texas. (Getty Images)
AUSTIN, Texas — A brand new American team with ties to the NASCAR stock automotive series, a brand new television deal in america, and upcoming American ownership. MotoGP, global motorcycle racing’s version of Formula 1, looks primed for a bid to repeat F1’s explosive growth lately and produce a brand new group of fans — notably from the U.S. — to the thrills of two-wheeled speed.
“It has what Americans really crave or demand out of their sports: A mixture of physical ability and danger,” said Bobby Epstein, president of the Texas racetrack Circuit of the Americas, which hosts MotoGP’s only race within the U.S.
Liberty Media’s purchase of Spain-based Dorna and the business rights to MotoGP by the tip of the 12 months has fueled speculation of what might come for a racing series anchored largely in Europe.
“They know what to do, they raise Formula 1 to the utmost peak we’ve ever seen,” said Italy’s Francesco Bagnaia, the 2022 and 2023 MotoGP champion with Ducati. “It would be an excellent opportunity for MotoGP.”
Liberty took over Formula 1 in 2017 and has overseen its rise in popularity, with an expanded calendar, recent races in Las Vegas and Miami, and the slick Netflix docuseries “Drive to Survive.”
Liberty has yet to disclose specific plans for MotoGP, but President and Chief Executive Greg Maffei called the series “an excellent sporting spectacle that we will expand to a wider global audience. The business has significant upside, and we intend to grow the game for MotoGP fans, teams, business partners and our shareholders.”
MotoGP already has two key elements for growing its American audience: Trackhouse Racing’s move into the series this season and its potential crossover appeal to NASCAR fans; and a broadcast take care of TNT Sports to hold every sprint race and grand prix live across the network’s platforms.
“I see an incredible amount of potential, which is strictly why I made the investment to return into this sport,” said Justin Marks, co-owner of Trackhouse Racing with pop star Pitbull. “I understand the American motorsport consumer. I understand the profile of the American racing fan.”
Those fans will appreciate daredevil riders racing at speeds that may top 200 mph (321 kph), and short races that typically finish in under and hour, Marks said.
Trackhouse is already attempting to lure its NASCAR fans into giving MotoGP a glance.
Trackhouse NASCAR drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez were within the MotoGP paddock on the Grand Prix of the Americas last week before their very own race on Sunday. Earlier within the week, Trackhouse MotoGP riders Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez visited the team’s NASCAR headquarters in North Carolina.
All of it was cross-promoted across team social media accounts.
“It’s our one time to race on American soil. I spent a spent a whole lot of time talking to fans who walked up and shook my hand and just said, ’Thanks for doing what your are doing and investing in motorcycle racing,’” Marks said.
American fans will search for an American rider. They won’t find one — yet.
No American has held a full-time ride in MotoGP since 2015. No rider from the U.S. has won a MotoGP race since 2011. The last American champion was the late Nicky Hayden in 2006.
Europe dominates the talent development in any respect levels. Of the 22 riders this season, 16 are from Spain, including Fernandez, or Italy. Oliveira is Portuguese.
Joe Roberts, who races for the Onlyfans American Racing team, is the one American rider on the Moto2 level.
“An American rider at the highest level of GP competing for wins is absolutely the best-case scenario. It’s just going to get take some time to get there. Hopefully, Trackhouse will help curate that American talent,” Marks said.
The Liberty takeover announcement noted that Dorna would remain an “independently run company” that can remain based in Madrid. Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna’s chief sporting officer, last week downplayed the prospect of major changes within the immediate future. The series had already added F1-style sprint races and expanded its calendar to 22 races.
“Liberty doesn’t think that the game needs fixing, and we agree with that,” Ezpeleta said.
MotoGP had three races within the U.S. in 2013. By 2016, it was all the way down to one. The Circuit of the Americas has hosted the series for a decade. Race sites are mostly set through 2026.
Epstein said adding a brand new U.S. race too soon would only dilute attendance at his race and a brand new one. Marks would love to see MotoGP follow the F1 model of expanding into recent American markets with international appeal and flavor, corresponding to Southern California or Miami. Marks selected Los Angeles as the positioning to unveil the Trackhouse team and liveries back in January.
Friends Vince Chu, 59, and Russ Smith, 69, of Las Vegas made their first trip to the race in Austin last week. They were decked out out in Ducati gear as they roamed the “Ducati Island” fan zone.
Each said they hope MotoGP will draw recent fans and welcomed the thought of more races, particularly on the West Coast. But in addition they had a message for Liberty and any idea about expansion: MotoGP fans expect their series to stay inexpensive.
“I’m a Formula 1 fan, I’m from Las Vegas, and I couldn’t go to the race in Vegas. (Cost) was outrageous,” Chu said. “If its ridiculous like Formula 1, people won’t go.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
This Article First Appeared At www.autoblog.com
