Having been a parochial sport, confined to American shores for most of its existence, NASCAR rarely ventures outside. But recent efforts at globalization are ongoing, especially to take the races overseas. ‘NASCAR: Full Speed,’ a Netflix docuseries, also boosted the sport’s diversification attempt. And now, one Cup Series team is taking things a notch further with international ties.

Trackhouse Racing is one of the newer race teams in the Cup garage. But it has already glittered in its career – notching 7 race wins in a span of barely three years. It is also planning to expand its reach in 2025. And this successful team is heralding a revolutionary international movement for NASCAR’s future.

Trackhouse acting as NASCAR’s harbinger

Racing teams are facing a massive turning point at the end of 2024, with the current charter agreement slated to expire. With NASCAR turning a blind eye to the Racing Team Alliance’s demands of making charters permanent, teams stand at risk of losing huge sums of capital. But Trackhouse Racing’s recent endeavors indicate a sliver of hope on this dark horizon.

Trackhouse Entertainment Group, the parent company of Trackhouse Racing, expanded its money tree. It acquired a new investment partner, Avenue Sports, a $12.3 billion private equity fund owned by Marc Lasry. Justin Marks, Trackhouse Racing founder, expressed his wishes to grow wings via this new tie-up: “The money from Avenue will be invested in several areas, including technology to boost performance on the track and fan engagement.”

Given Trackhouse’s astronomical progress through the past few seasons, Avenue Sports CEO, Lasry, favored this team for his business interest. “We had quite a bit of opportunities to do work with other groups, but Justin was the only one who understood the business and also saw which way it was going to go.” This alliance also aligned with Trackhouse’s long-term goals, as Marks specified it “is a testament to the fact that motorsports is ripe for innovation, young leaders, aggressive brand development and new ideas on how to build a compelling business.”

This marks a big turning point for NASCAR teams from a business standpoint, as NASCAR expert Eric Estepp pointed out. It signals the opening of new marketplaces and profitable avenues.

Trackhouse Racing is not the only team to engage in this changing atmosphere. Last year, Joe Gibbs Racing received investment from Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Arctos Partners. Moreover, cross-sports tie-ups are also on the rise – LeBron James is part of the Fenway Group, so he has an ownership stake in RFK Racing. This week, Kevin Harvick became part of the ownership group of the Charlotte Checkers American Hockey League team.

Hence, Trackhouse Racing just hopped on this bandwagon of widening business interests within NASCAR. Besides a financial interest, they are also expanding their reach into an international motorsport series.

Going beyond the steering wheel

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Ever since former sports car driver Justin Marks introduced Trackhouse Racing in 2021, the team has been on a roll. In 2022, Ross Chastain finished second in the standings and Suárez became the first Mexican driver to win a Cup race. Then, Kiwi racer Shane van Gisbergen became one of six drivers in NASCAR’s 76-year history to win in a debut race. Sailing on the success, the team decided to expand its horizon in 2024.

Trackhouse Racing debuted as the first American team since 2007 in the Moto GP Grid, the premier motorcycle racing series in the world. And the team immediately started achieving – One of the team’s riders, Miguel Oliveira, earned a second-place finish in the German Grand Prix Sprint race on July 7. Marks stated his global vision upon incorporating his team with Moto GP. “Trackhouse has worked from day one to recognise unique and compelling motorsport opportunities and being able to expand to a global series like MotoGP is a massive step in scaling the company.” The team is also “working hard to help grow and amplify this amazing sport to millions of new fans in North America and beyond.”

Hence, even as race teams’ economies lie at stake with the jittery charter system, Trackhouse Racing is determined to change that narrative. New profitable avenues are opening up on an international basis, bound to change NASCAR as a sport.