Three of the most viral, genre-defying moments in recent NASCAR history, all tied together by one common thread: all were accomplished by drivers for Trackhouse Racing.
The team founded by Justin Marks and co-owned by Pitbull has a knack for making headlines, either by winning races (only NASCAR behemoths Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have more victories in the past three-plus seasons than Trackhouse’s seven), by employing drivers who make any given event must-see TV (see: van Gisbergen’s win on the streets of Chicago last summer or 2007 Formula One world champion Kimi Räikkönen contesting rounds at Watkins Glen and Circuit of the Americas), or by having its Grammy-winning co-owner headline concerts corresponding with major dates on the NASCAR calendar.
Trackhouse is a marketer’s dream, boasting a unique combination of on-track success with off-track intrigue. The team’s headquarters in Concord, North Carolina is filled to the brim with knowledge of the American racing landscape.
“[Marks] is an exceptionally open-minded person. He’s always looking for opportunities, but not opportunities to do things like other people do them, for opportunities for him to do things the way he wants to do them,” former NASCAR Cup Series race winner and Marks’ CARS Tour co-owner Jeff Burton said to ESPN. “He’s very innovative, creative. Over there in the Cup team, they talk about being disruptive and trying to do things differently, and that’s the experience that I’ve had.”
You can understand, then, why Trackhouse would be attractive to MotoGP, whose teams are all owned by outfits based in Western Europe and Japan. While F1 continues to enjoy its boom in popularity in the U.S. and NASCAR continues to deliver dependable ratings (even if they aren’t what they were during stock car racing’s height of popularity 25 years ago), the two-wheeled equivalent of Formula One is still waiting for its “Drive to Survive” moment, the pop-culture crossover from niche audience to water-cooler conversation.
When the sport announced in November that it was not selecting CryptoData RNF Aprilia to participate in the 2024 championship, it didn’t take long for confirmation to arrive that Trackhouse would take its places on the grid.
“There is probably some pressure on us to deliver some value for MotoGP in the North American market, but I think it’s something that we’re uniquely positioned to be able to do just because of the voice that we already have in motorsports in North America,” Marks told ESPN. “There’s a lot of people that are already paying attention to us because of Project 91 (the operation that brought Räikkönen and Van Gisbergen to the Cup Series), because of the moments that we’ve had in NASCAR, because of Pitbull and all the things that we do. So we’ve already got a voice, and being able to introduce MotoGP into that conversation, I think we’ve got endemic followers and fans that are going to automatically maybe tune into MotoGP because Trackhouse is there.”
Converting even a fraction of those Trackhouse fans would be a boon for motorcycle grand prix racing. While the series enjoyed record in-person attendance in 2023, up 17% from the previous year, that hasn’t necessarily translated to success in the United States. Live broadcasts for the Saturday Sprint and Sunday grand prix from the second round in Portugal last month were seen by 182,000 American viewers, while the NASCAR Cup Series circulated Circuit of the Americas that same weekend in front of a television audience of 3.31 million.
MotoGP’s new broadcast rights deal in the U.S. with Warner Brothers Discovery will undoubtedly help, with 30 GPs and Sprints airing live in 2024 compared with zero last season, but Trackhouse’s ability to tap into an existing audience of American race fans holds enormous potential for the sport.
How will Marks’ team do that? For starters, cross-promotion.
Trackhouse brought one of its Aprilia RS-GP show bikes to Daytona International Speedway in February, on display for everyone wandering through the hospitality area of the Daytona 500. Marks helped organize a NASCAR demonstration lap when MotoGP visits Circuit of the Americas in Austin this weekend. Ahead of Trackhouse Aprilia’s arrival in the Texas capital, it stopped in North Carolina to visit the NASCAR shop, where riders Miguel Oliveira and Raúl Fernández got behind the wheel of a stock car.
All of it captured on camera, curated for social media. This is the second, and arguably biggest, tenet of Trackhouse’s ability to attract new fans.
The 2024 MotoGP season is just two races (and two preseason tests) old, but already the content that the Trackhouse Aprilia team has produced has stood out from its rivals. There is a polish to its video edits that is unrivaled in the paddock, fans are being introduced to the personalities behind Oliveira and Fernández, there is an attention to detail that comes from an organization dedicated to the craft.
“We’ve really leaned into that on the NASCAR side and built a very strong content team. It’s one of the strongest divisions in the company on the NASCAR side, and that’s something that we want to grow on the MotoGP side,” Marks said. “We want to be able to tell the stories of our riders and the stories of our executives and our mechanics going down the road and flying all over the world. Right now we basically have one content guy that goes around the world with the MotoGP team but has the support of our content team here in North America, but I think that we will grow that over time.
“The broadcast of the races, that’s really telling the story of what happens on the race track, but social media is where you tell all the ancillary stories around what happens on the race track. So that’s where we’ve made big investments and continue to make big investments, and I think we have a massive opportunity on the MotoGP side to really establish our voice and our personality and work to bring content and behind-the-scenes stories to the MotoGP fans that they haven’t seen yet.”
There’s much more to winning over the American audience and new fans of MotoGP, though. The production quality of the team’s content can be worthy of an Academy Award, but if Trackhouse Aprilia doesn’t deliver on track, it will count for little.
Talk to anyone who knows Marks, though, and, yes, they will rave about his creativity and his innovation and his vision, but they will also bring up how competitive he is.
“I don’t think [Marks is] in this to just show up,” Dan Rossomondo, chief commercial officer of Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder of MotoGP, said to ESPN. “I think he’s in this to compete.
“I think that if you give them time, they’re going to invest in the right — when I say ‘invest,’ I just don’t mean money. I think they’re going to spend the right amount of time and the right amount of resources and the right amount of ideation on getting to the top of the grid.”
Trackhouse Racing was winless with Suárez in its first season in the NASCAR Cup Series. When it expanded to become a two-car operation in 2022, the team claimed three victories. Marks thinks it will take a year for his MotoGP operation, which largely absorbed the now-defunct CryptoData RNF team, to fully embrace the Trackhouse way of doing business. When it does, though, he has a clear vision for his outfit.
“What we really want, and this is where [former Yamaha, Suzuki and Alpine F1 boss and newly appointed Trackhouse Aprilia team principal Davide Brivio] is going to be very instrumental for us, is we want to be the strongest independent team in the sport,” Marks said.
In 2023, Pramac Ducati became the first independent team in the history of MotoGP to win the teams’ championship. If Trackhouse can replicate that feat in the years to come, you can bet that Marks’ team will have won over a few fans — in the U.S. and beyond — along the way.
ATLANTA — Ronald Acuña Jr. crushed his first pitch 467 feet for a home run in his dramatic return to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, almost one year after he tore his left ACL.
Acuña, in his customary leadoff position in the lineup, turned on a fastball from San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta and sent the ball into the seats in left-center. Acuña hesitated briefly on his jog around the bases for a shuffle step.
The homer by Acuña had an exit velocity of 115.5 mph. It was the hardest hit ball by a Braves player this season.
Acuña added a single in his next at-bat and also enjoyed a defensive highlight, throwing out Elias Díaz at second base in the eighth following Díaz’s single.
But San Diego’s Manny Machado hit a tiebreaking homer off Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning to overcome Acuña’s homer and beat the Braves 2-1 to end a six-game losing streak.
Acuña said after the game “I had a feeling” about hitting a homer in his return.
When asked if he meant he had a feeling about a first-pitch homer, Acuña said: “Exactly how it happened. … To me that’s just the culmination of all the work I put in.”
Infielder Orlando Arcia, a 2023 All-Star, was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Acuña, who started in right field.
Acuña said through interpreter Franco Garcia that he was “super excited, super happy” to make his return and added “I couldn’t sleep that much” after receiving the news of his return Thursday.
Snitker said Friday it felt good to make out his first lineup of 2025 that included Acuña.
“He’s one of those players that you better not go get a beer or whatever because you might miss something really cool, you know?” Snitker said. “I mean, he’s that type of force, I think, in the game. I think he’s going to energize everybody. Going to energize the fans. Going to energize his teammates.”
Acuña, the 2023 NL MVP, hurt his left knee May 26, 2024, and had surgery on June 6. The 27-year-old played six games in the minors on a rehab assignment, going 6-for-15 with two home runs.
Acuña played in only 49 games last season, batting .250 with four homers, 15 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and a .716 OPS.
This is Acuña’s second comeback from a major knee injury. He tore his right ACL on July 10, 2021, and returned the following April. When asked Friday what is different about this rehabilitation process, he said, “Patience. The patience, for sure. … I just think I’m in a much better place.”
Atlanta is 24-26 after an 0-7 start.
“It’s huge,” third baseman Austin Riley said. “The talent is there. The energy he brings, having Ronald up there at the top of the lineup. … He can change a game at any point.”
Acuña was a unanimous NL MVP in 2023 when he hit .336 with 41 home runs, 106 RBIs and a league-leading 1.012 OPS. Acuña also stole 73 bases that year to become the only player with 40 homers and 70 steals in one season.
Arcia, 30, was a 2023 NL All-Star when he hit .264 with 17 homers and 65 RBIs. Arcia lost his starting job due to an inability to compensate at the plate while suffering a defensive decline. He hit only .194 in 31 at-bats this season.
Snitker said he hopes Arcia will accept a minor league assignment if he does not land another job in the majors.
“I think we all know that it’s a business,” Acuña said of Arcia getting cut. “I’m happy to be back but I’m sorry that’s the move.”
Nick Allen has taken over as the starting shortstop. Snitker said Luke Williams is the backup shortstop and Eli White, a part-time starter in the outfield, will see more time in the infield.
PITTSBURGH — Paul Skenes didn’t hear Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington say that trading the reigning National League Rookie of the Year to give the last-place club an influx of much-needed position player talent is “not at all part of the conversation.”
“It doesn’t affect anything,” Skenes told The Associated Press late Friday night after the Pirates rallied for a 6-5, 10-inning win over Milwaukee. “Anybody can play GM.”
If Skenes, who celebrated his first anniversary in the majors two weeks ago, has learned anything during his rise to stardom over the past three years, it’s that noise is not the same as news.
“There’s no substance to just all that talk that you hear on social media and news outlets and stuff like that,” Skenes said.
It’s one of the many reasons he makes it a point to try and block out all the noise.
There could be a time when Skenes moves on, either by Pittsburgh’s choice or his own. That time, at least to Skenes, is not coming soon.
Pittsburgh is last in the major leagues in runs with 157, and has no high-profile position player prospect ready to walk into the home clubhouse at PNC Park as a big leaguer anytime soon.
“Ben’s job is to create a winning team and a winning organization,” Skenes said. “So, what it looks like to him [is up to him].”
Skenes added if the Pirates make a highly unusual move by trading one of the sport’s brightest young stars, even though he remains under team control for the rest of the decade and isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2027, he wouldn’t take it personally.
“I don’t expect it to happen,” Skenes stressed. “[But Cherington] is going to look out for what’s best for the Pirates. If he feels [trading me] is the right way to go, then he feels that’s the right way to go. But you know, I have to pitch well, that’s the bottom line.”
Skenes has been every bit the generational talent Pittsburgh hoped it was getting when it selected him with the top pick in the 2023 draft.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander was a sensation from the moment he made his big league debut last May and even as the team around him has scuffled — the Pirates tied a major league record by going 26 straight games without scoring more than four runs, a streak that ended in a loss to the Brewers on Thursday — he has not.
Five days after throwing the first complete game of his career in a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia, Skenes kept the Brewers in check over six innings, giving up one run on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
When he induced Sal Frelick into a grounder to second to finish the sixth, many in the crowd of 24,646 rose to their feet to salute him as he sauntered back to the dugout. He exited with a 2-1 lead, then watched from afar as the struggling bullpen let it slip away. The Pirates, in an all-too-rare occurrence, fought back, rallying to tie it in the ninth on Oneil Cruz‘s second home run, then winning it in the 10th when Adam Frazier raced home on a wild pitch.
Afterward, music blared and Skenes — who hasn’t won in a month despite a 2.32 ERA across his five May starts — flashed a smile that was a mixture of happiness and relief.
“It’s nice to see us pull it out, which is something that we haven’t done as much to this point in the year,” he said. “Hopefully, it’s a good sign.”
The challenge of trying to help make the Pirates truly matter is something Skenes has eagerly accepted. He’s as invested in the city as he is in the team.
Asked if the outside speculation that the club should move on from him so quickly is disrespectful to the effort he has given the Pirates, the former Air Force cadet shrugged.
“I don’t feel anything good or bad toward it,” he said.
It hasn’t been the start to 2025 that anybody associated with the Pirates has wanted. Skenes believes there has been a “little bit more fight” since Don Kelly took over as manager. He believes that he’s gaining more mastery over his ever-expanding arsenal. He believes he’s developing chemistry with catcher Henry Davis.
Skenes was asked about what it has been like to work with Davis, the top overall pick in the 2021 draft.
“Just really got to keep doing what we’re doing,” Skenes said, “continue learning and let everything take care of itself, I guess.”
The Edmonton Oilers atoned for letting Game 1 of the Western Conference finals slip away in a dominating 3-0 Game 2 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday to even the series.
Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner continued to be the most boom-or-bust player in the postseason. He gave up 20 goals and didn’t have a save percentage better than .833 in four losses. His three wins? All shutouts, becoming just the second Edmonton goalie in franchise history to record three in a playoff year. (The other was Curtis Joseph in 1998.)
Once again, the Oilers flexed their impressive depth. The stars combined on their power-play goal in the first period, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins getting the tally on assists from Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl. The other two non-empty-netters: Brett Kulak‘s first of the playoffs, snapping his rebound past Jake Oettinger; and Connor Brown, continuing an incredible playoff run with his fifth goal in the second period.
How did both teams perform? What are the big questions facing each team ahead of Game 3 on Sunday afternoon in Edmonton? Here’s our breakdown of the Oilers’ Game 2 win.
As I warned after Game 1: Not every game of the Western Conference finals would have a third-period implosion by the Oilers, nor the power-play success the Stars enjoyed to rally for that win.
Edmonton continued to roll at 5-on-5, winning the special teams battle. The Stars weren’t sharp on the details. There were too many shots that didn’t get through to Stuart Skinner, and there were not enough moments that truly tested the Edmonton goalie — outside of a third-period short-handed breakaway that Wyatt Johnston couldn’t convert, extending his drought to one point in eight games.
The Stars had more giveaways through two periods (21) than they had in any game of the 2025 postseason. That’s gift-wrapping the game to Edmonton. The Oilers were going to be desperate after losing Game 1, and Dallas didn’t come close to answering that effort or execution. — Greg Wyshynski
Edmonton Oilers Grade: A
Edmonton got the start it wanted in Game 2 — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied an early power-play goal that felt like exacting revenge on that costly, penalty-filled third period the Oilers handed Dallas in Game 1. Then, Edmonton tempted fate, handing the Stars a power play — but neutralized it with an excellent kill. That was a confidence booster.
The Oilers followed that by holding Dallas at bay in the second frame, when Skinner was particularly strong as the Stars pushed for an equalizer. That success set up Edmonton to extend its lead with a pair of goals in just 1:13, off a powerful shot from Brett Kulak and a tip from Connor Brown. Edmonton exorcised a few more demons by killing the Stars’ power-play opportunities in the third period.
This was a low-shot game, with only three registered from both sides by midway through the frame, and it was clear how much effort Edmonton was exerting in trying to limit Dallas’ chances. It worked in the end. And a round of applause for Skinner, who rebounded from a brutal performance in the final 20 minutes of Game 1 to be a true difference-maker while recording his third shutout in four games. — Kristen Shilton
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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tips in opening goal for Oilers
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins buries the goal for Edmonton to give the Oilers an early 1-0 lead.
Three Stars of Game 2
Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist, and his power-play goal to open the scoring was the winner. He has multipoint outings in both games of this series, and both of the Oilers’ power-play goals through two games.
Skinner had 25 saves for his third shutout of the postseason, joining Curtis Joseph in 1998 as the only Oilers goalies with three clean sheets in a postseason.
3. Bouncing back
The Oilers flushed an abysmal third period in Game 1 to control Game 2 virtually for the entire 60 minutes, en route to a 3-0 victory to even the series heading to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4. — Arda Öcal
Players to watch in Game 3
The Stars winger shares the postseason scoring lead with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, at 20 points, thanks to a four-game stretch in which he has generated only one point — a power-play assist in Game 1 of this series. Rantanen earned all of his Conn Smythe hype by carrying the Stars through their first-round win over the Colorado Avalanche, and then posting two, three-point games in wins over the Winnipeg Jets.
But in Game 2, he had as many shot attempts as he did giveaways (three). Neither number is good for the Stars. With Roope Hintz leaving Game 2 because of an injury, there are even more questions about their top line, which hasn’t produced an even-strength goal since Game 4 against the Jets. — Wyshynski
Fans are always watching for McDavid. But for all McDavid’s marvellous moves and powerful playmaking, he hasn’t been a goal-scoring threat for Edmonton. McDavid has just three goals (with 20 points) in these playoffs, and 11 goals in his past 38 postseason contests.
There’s no discounting McDavid’s impact on the Oilers’ game, but there’s a need to see him light the lamp, too. Right now, McDavid is sitting on just one goal since Game 3 of Edmonton’s first-round series against Los Angeles. The Oilers are matching up well against the Stars at 5-on-5 in the series. And McDavid appeared to ring the iron at least once in Game 2.
If McDavid can put more doubt in Dallas by slipping one (or more) past Jake Oettinger, it could ignite Edmonton’s game further — and nothing would get the Oilers’ home crowd fired up quite like seeing the captain go off. — Shilton
Big questions for Game 3
What’s the status of Roope Hintz?
The Stars lost their top center in the third period after a nasty slash to the top of the skate by Edmonton defenseman Darnell Nurse. Hintz crumpled to the ice, clutching his left leg and needed help leaving the playing surface just 3:40 into the final period.
Nurse received only a minor penalty after the officials reviewed it — and the Department of Player Safety will review it further.
Losing Hintz, or having him diminished, would be a huge blow to Dallas, as the veteran Finn has five goals and six assists in 14 games, also playing on the Stars’ power play and penalty kill. — Wyshynski
The Oilers should be feeling good as the series shifts to their home ice. Getting one of the club’s top defensemen back would be an enormous boost for the Oilers, too.
Ekholm has been sidelined because of an undisclosed injury since mid-April, missing all of the Oilers’ postseason run to date. But he returned to practice Thursday, and though he remains day-to-day, even Ekholm admitted he didn’t expect to be back soon.
Edmonton has leaned on Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher in Ekholm’s absence, but there’s no question he would strengthen its back end when he’s ready. The Oilers must prepare for Dallas’ response in Game 3, and having Ekholm — who averaged 22 minutes in the regular season for Edmonton, while collecting nine goals and 33 points — makes that more manageable. — Shilton