Trackhouse Sells MotoGP Minority Stake as Investors Bet on Liberty's Ownership Era
The only American-owned MotoGP team has brought in fresh outside money, with founder Justin Marks selling a significant minority stake to London sports fund 1936 as investor demand surges under Liberty Media's ownership.
Trackhouse Entertainment Group founder Justin Marks has sold a significant minority stake in the team's MotoGP outfit to London-based sports fund 1936, cashing in on rising investor appetite now that Liberty Media controls the motorcycle racing series.
The completed deal was announced Wednesday morning. Few details were disclosed, but the arrangement lets Marks recoup some of his early investment while injecting fresh funding into the squad. The sale covers only Trackhouse's MotoGP operation — its American NASCAR business is not involved — and the exact percentage changing hands was not made public.
The 1936 fund is a first major move into sports ownership for a group of families and private individuals led by founder and CEO Charlie Raposo, a former British Olympic ski racer. It joins Marc Lasry's Avenue Sports Fund among Trackhouse's outside backers.
Trackhouse bought its MotoGP franchise in 2023 for a high seven-figure sum, replacing the RNF Racing outfit. The timing proved shrewd: Liberty Media won the race to acquire the Spain-based series the following year. Today Trackhouse stands as the only American-owned team in MotoGP's premier class — the American Racing Team competes a level down in Moto2.