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Trackhouse Racing reaches the final round of its inaugural season
in the MotoGP World Championship – in Barcelona, for the second time in the
year. America’s only representative team in the premier class of Grand Prix
motorcycle racing returns to Catalunya, along with the rest of the Championship
teams, in the wake of the apocalyptic flooding that hit Valencia, the venue
originally slated to host the last race of the season, just over one week
ago.
Titled
the Solidarity Grand Prix as a gesture of sympathy and support for the people
of Valencia, where over 200 citizens died in the flood waters that engulfed the
region and where there are still many missing, the final round of the season
will pay its respects at the Barcelona track to those lost, unaccounted for, or
displaced from their homes. Located just over 200 miles to the north-east of
Valencia, the circuit escaped the worst of the Dana weather phenomenon -
when warm, moist air meets cold air, creating an unstable weather system –
which caused the devastation and given its proximity, holding the final race of
the year in the region, allows for the fund-raising events and show of support
from the MotoGP Paddock planned through the weekend for all those so badly
affected.
The
2024 MotoGP World Championship has still to award the #1 plate for ‘25 to the
man who makes it to Victory Lane at the Catalunya Circuit and while all eyes
will be on that story, the Trackhouse Team will also have reason for
celebrations and reflection. First off, the final race will mark the return of
the #88 – our Portuguese star, Miguel Oliveira, who joined the Trackhouse
MotoGP project at the outset, scored the Team’s first podium in Germany, but
has been forced to sit on the side-lines since his wrist fracture, sustained at
Mandalika Circuit, Indonesia, back in late September. The team are grateful to
Aprilia factory test rider, Lorenzo Savadori, who stepped up to pilot Miguel’s
bike in his absence and now very happily looking forward to welcoming the #88
back and seeing him on his Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP bike, one final time before
he moves to pastures new for 2025. The man who has signed to replace Miguel, is
another reason for excitement during the coming days in Barcelona – Ai Ogura,
the young Japanese sensation who wrapped up the intermediate, Moto2, class
World Championship just a couple three weeks back, in Thailand, will make his
debut on a Trackhouse RS-GP24, on the Tuesday following the final Grand Prix of
the current year. Tuesday, November 19, will be an auspicious day for the man
out of Kiyose, Japan – the first time he will roll-out onto pit-road as a
MotoGP rider, with his #79 adorning the nose of the premier class Aprilia
prototype. Trackhouse is looking forward to welcoming Ai into The House and
supporting him for the next step in his career - his opening season in 2025 at
the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. For #25, Raul Fernandez, a return to the
Catalunya Circuit will bring positive memories of his weekend here, earlier in
the season. A front row qualifying performance, leading the Sprint race and a
6th place in the Catalunya Grand Prix made the weekend a breakout for
Raul. At the conclusion of this visit to the track, with all other current
riders finding a future elsewhere, Raul will return for the pre-2025 season
test as the most senior race rider on Aprilia technology and will be looking to
continue the development work he has been undertaking in recent races to give
the Noale factory a strong lead ahead of next year.
While
Ai will be making his Trackhouse debut in Barcelona, the Trackhouse Racing Team
will be marking the final race of its debut in MotoGP. Having first shown its
colors to the world, at a global premier in Milan, back in December 2023,
America’s only MotoGP class team launched its season at a star-studded rooftop
party in Hollywood – entertainment capital of the world – in January and then
got on track for the first time at the opening test of 2024, at Sepang, in
Malaysia. Its opening race, under the lights, at Round 1 in Qatar heralded its
very first start. Since then, results through the season have not matched the
ambitions of the Trackhouse organization, but #25 Raul Fernandez leading in the
Catalunya Sprint race and coming home 6th in the Sunday Grand Prix,
together with #88 Miguel Oliveira scoring the team’s first podium in the
Sachsenring Sprint, are performances that have hinted at the potential in
future.
Last
time, at the Grand Prix of Catalunya back in late May, the Trackhouse riders
both showed speed. Raul qualified 3rd on the grid for the races and
although the Sprint resulted in a double DNF - Raul led in the opening laps
before going down and Miguel ran in 7th before he also crashed out – the
Grand Prix on the Sunday gave the team a double top ten with the #25 crossing
the finishing stripe in 6th and the #88 close behind in 10th.
Another
double top ten, this time in the Solidarity Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday, or
Sunday’s final main race of the 2024 season, would be a pleasing result for the
rookie outfit and all at Trackhouse headquarters back in Charlotte, North
Carolina.
 |
| Kenyataan Miguel Oliveira |
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| Kenyataan Raul Fernandez |
WILCO ZEELENBERG - TEAM MANAGER
“Of course, let’s hope Barcelona is going to be a very special
event, first of all, for the reason we go there, which is not the best. Let’s
try to do everything for the people in Valencia to help them in whatever way we
can. As the MotoGP organization says, we don’t race in Valencia, but we race
for Valencia - I think this is very nicely said and makes this second round in
Barcelona very special. For our team, it will also be a special one because
Miguel is coming back from injury and Raul led the Sprint race, at this home
event here, early in summer. Our bike worked quite well there before so we will
see if we can achieve the race results of the past. I’m looking forward to going
there, the last MotoGP race of this season and maybe also, the final one of my
career. Other than that, I think the team will be ready for this last event of
the season.”
DAVIDE BRIVIO - TEAM PRINCIPAL
“We are going to Barcelona for the last race with mixed feelings
after what happened in Valencia and continuing to keep an eye on the situation
there. It was supposed to be our big, end of year party and the good thing is
that we hope that with funds that can be raised from this race, in Barcelona,
we can now be helpful to the people of Valencia and in general for all the
Spanish population. From a sporting point-of-view, it is very interesting for
us to go back to Barcelona, after the race we had here in May, where we had
Raul starting on the front row and leading the Sprint before crashing - so we
were quite fast there and it will be interesting to see, after the months that
have past, where we are this time. Also, the very positive news is that Miguel
will be back with us! We are very happy to be able to finish the end of this
season together, before we move on for 2025 with new challenges – particularly
in Miguel’s case. So, we are really looking forward to Barcelona; aiming to
have a successful weekend on track and hoping that we can show our support for
all the people affected by the disaster in Valencia and proud of any help the
weekend can bring to them.”
Teruskan Bersama Two Wheels..!!
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