In a move announced on a Wednesday morning, Trackhouse Entertainment Group disclosed that it has transferred a substantial minority interest in its premier MotoGP programme to the London-situated sports investment vehicle known as 1936. While the precise percentage remains undisclosed, both parties describe the transaction as a “significant minority stake,” allowing founder Justin Marks to retrieve part of the capital he initially committed and to replenish the team’s budget for the current season.
Deal specifics and immediate financial impact
The agreement, sealed with the assistance of Tifosy Capital & Advisory and law firm Davis Polk on Trackhouse’s side, and McGuireWoods together with Sheridans for 1936, involves a “high seven-figure” sum—an amount that sits just below the eight-figure threshold. This infusion is earmarked to sustain the team’s development pipeline, retain key technical staff, and keep the rider lineup competitive. Notably, the transaction is limited to the MotoGP operation; Trackhouse’s NASCAR assets remain wholly under the control of Marks and his existing partners, including Marc Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund.
Trackhouse’s rapid ascent in the world’s top motorcycle championship
Trackhouse entered the MotoGP arena in 2023, purchasing a franchise for a comparable high-seven-figure outlay and rebranding the former RNF Racing outfit under the Superfile Trackhouse MotoGP Team banner. The re-brand was part of a title-sponsorship deal with Chicago-based software firm Superfile which also supports UFC athletes. Aligned with Italian bike manufacturer Aprilia the squad has quickly become the sole American-owned entity at the sport’s highest tier, currently sitting third in the constructors’ standings out of eleven rivals. A parallel American effort, the American Racing Team, competes in Moto2, the series’ intermediate class.
Who is 1936 and why the investment matters
The 1936 fund, founded roughly a year ago by former Olympic ski racer Charlie Raposo aggregates a confidential group of families and high-net-worth individuals. Its inaugural foray into a major sport team acquisition makes the Trackhouse deal a landmark transaction. Raposo disclosed that the fund is scouting a broader portfolio across the sporting landscape, with an eye toward acquiring controlling interests where opportunities arise. “What Justin has accomplished in two-and-a-half years is very impressive,” Raposo said, drawing a parallel with the surge in Formula 1 popularity in the United States under Liberty Media’s stewardship.
Strategic implications for MotoGP’s U.S. expansion
Both parties acknowledge that replicating the Drive to Survive effect—Liberty Media’s successful Netflix series that amplified F1’s American audience—will not be automatic for MotoGP. Raposo highlighted the absence of a singular, globally recognized star akin to Lewis Hamilton in the motorcycle class, stressing the need to cultivate home-grown heroes and tap into the “cultural zeitgeist.” He added that the partnership’s success hinges on active collaboration, not simply “riding the Liberty wave.” By injecting fresh capital and leveraging Marks’s marketing acumen, the alliance hopes to broaden MotoGP’s reach, attract new sponsors, and solidify the sport’s foothold on U.S. soil.
As the team continues its competitive run—currently positioned third among eleven—it will serve as a live laboratory for the strategies envisioned by both Marks and Raposo, potentially redefining how American audiences engage with the premier motorcycle racing series.
