Trackhouse Racing has reached the final round of its debut season in the MotoGP World Championship – Barcelona, for the second time of the year. The only representative team of the United States in the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing has returned to Catalonia with the rest of the championship teams, due to the apocalyptic flood in Valencia, the place scheduled to host the final race of the season, just a week ago.
Titled the Solidarity Grand Prix as an expression of sympathy and support for the people of Valencia, the last round of the season expresses its wishes for the floodwaters that hit the region, where more than 200 citizens have died and many are still missing. Barcelona trail for people who are lost, unaccounted for or displaced. The circuit, located 200 miles north-east of Valencia, escaped the worst of the Dana weather phenomenon – when warm and humid air meets cold air to create an unstable weather system – that caused the collapse and, holding close, the final race of the year in the region, allows fundraising events and is worse than the MotoGP paddock. Status shows support planned for the weekend for all those affected.
The 2024 MotoGP World Championship is still the #1 plate for the man who drove it to victory lane at the Circuit de Catalunya for ’25, and with all eyes on that story, the Trackhouse team will have reason for celebration and reflection. . First, the finale marks the return of the #88 – our Portuguese star Miguel Oliveira, who joined the Trackhouse MotoGP project for the first time, scored the team’s first podium in Germany, but was forced to sit on the sidelines. Lines since his broken wrist in Mandalika district, Indonesia, in late September.
The team is grateful to Aprilia factory test rider Lorenzo Savadori, who stepped up to pilot Miguel’s bike in his absence and is now looking forward to receiving the #88 and seeing it one last time on the trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP bike. Before going out to pasture for 2025.
The man who has signed to replace Miguel is a reason for excitement in Barcelona in the coming days – Ai Ogura, the young Japanese intermediate Moto2, who finished the world championship three weeks ago in Thailand, will make his debut on the Trackhouse RS-GP24 following the last Grand Prix of the year on Tuesday. Tuesday, November 19th, will be an exciting day for the man from Kyoseki, Japan – he will take to pit-road for the first time as a MotoGP rider, with the #79 premier class Aprilia Prototype adorning the nose. Trackhouse is looking forward to welcoming Ai to The House and supporting him in the next phase of his career – his inaugural season in 2025 at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing.
For # 25, Raul Fernandez, the return to the Catalan circuit at the end of the week, brings back positive memories of the previous weekend. A front row qualifying performance leading the Sprint race and 6th place in the Catalunya Grand Prix makes the weekend special for Raul. At the conclusion of this tour of the track, while all other current drivers find futures elsewhere, Raúl will return as a top competition driver on Aprilia Technology in the pre-2025 season test and will look to continue his development career. He has been performing in recent tournaments to give the Noale factory a strong lead ahead of next year.
When Ai takes on Trackhouse in Barcelona, it will mark the Trackhouse Racing team’s first final race in MotoGP. After showing its colors to the world for the first time, in Milan, in December 2023, America’s only MotoGP class team finds the season in Hollywood – the entertainment capital of the world – in January and beyond. In 2024 the opening test will be held for the first time in Seppang, Malaysia. The opening race at Qatar Round 1 marked his first start under the lights. Since then, results in the season have not matched the Trackhouse organization’s wishes, but #25 Raul Fernandez led the Sprint race in Catalunya and finished 6th in Sunday’s Grand Prix, scoring the team’s first podium with #88 Miguel Oliveira. The Sachsenring Sprint is a showcase for the future potential.
At the Catalunya Grand Prix at the end of last May, the track house drivers both showed speed. Raúl qualified 3rd on the grid for the race and although the sprint resulted in a double DNF – Raúl led the opening lap before crashing out and Miguel also ran 7th before crashing out – Sunday’s Grand Prix gave the team a double. The top ten is close behind with #25 crossing the finish line in 6th and #88 in 10th.
Another double top ten, this time in the Solidarity Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday, or Sunday’s final major race of the 2024 season, will be an exciting result for the rookie outfit and all at Trackhouse headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I am very excited to be back in MotoGP racing. My expectations aren’t too high because I won’t know how limited my wrists are until I get back on the bike, and it’s definitely a mixed-feel Grand Prix, but my aim is to leave the Trackhouse team on a high note. We are, obviously, racing to raise some hope as well as money for those affected by the terrible events in Valencia in general – I’m looking forward to it!”
Championship level: 15 – 71 points
Fernandez River
“First of all we will race for all the people who were injured in Valencia. What happened there is still a shock, so we will race for them. Barcelona is a good way for us and although we will work mainly for next year, I want to finish well in the last round of the competition. The result here in Barcelona has disappointed me for the last time. I still try to stay calm, take it session by session and do my best.
Championship level: 16 – 66 points
Wilco Zeilenberg – Team Manager
“Of course, let’s hope that Barcelona will be a very special event, first of all, the reason we are going there, which is not very good. Let’s try to do everything to help the people in Valencia in the way we can. According to the MotoGP organization, we will not compete in Valencia, but we will run for Valencia – this is very well said and I think it will make this Barcelona second round special and for our team because Miguel is coming back from injury and Raul led the Sprint race, at the start of the summer. We’ll see if we can build on the results of the last race. I’m looking forward to going there, the last race of my career, apart from this, the team I think the final arrangement will be ready.
David Brivio – Main Team
“After what happened in Valencia, we go to Barcelona for the final with mixed feelings and we will continue to monitor the situation there. It should have been our big, end-of-the-year party and the good thing is that with the funds that can be raised from this tournament, we can now be in Barcelona to help the people of Valencia and everyone in general. The people of Spain. From a sporting point of view, after our race in May, Raúl was on the front row before we collided It’s great to be back in Barcelona at the helm, and it will be exciting to see where we are this time. Also, the most positive news is that Miguel will be back with us for 2025 – especially in Miguel’s case as we finish this season together! So, we are really looking forward to Barcelona for all the people affected by the accident in Valencia Hoping we can show our support and be proud of any help the weekend can bring them, hoping to have a successful weekend.
