Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia claimed the bragging rights on the final day of the Sepang Test, and in some style too, obliterating the outright lap record. The reigning World Champion fired in a 1:56.682 during a blistering opening hour of action to better 2023 rival Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), as last year’s gripping rivalry was renewed early in 2024.

Having finished fastest yesterday, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) was forced to settle for third but once again proved he’s back to his best - something his team boss, Davide Tardozzi, also wanted to stress. Fourth and the final rider to have broken new ground by posting a 1:56.938 was Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez.

Ducati Lenovo, Prima Pramac, Pertamina Enduro VR46 & Gresini
There were yet more reasons to smile down at Ducati with their three 2024 machines occupying the top three places, and six of their seven full-time riders sitting in the top eight.

Marc Marquez threw some soft rubber at his Gresini Racing machine on Thursday and he closed out the test within touching distance of the top spots. A 1:57.270 sees the #93 just over half a second behind Bagnaia, but Marquez was still concentrating on "laps, laps, laps" to get to know the bike.

Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s Fabio Di Giannantonio was eighth over one lap, but his pace was nothing short of phenomenal. Nine riders did Sprint simulations today and Diggia was the fastest of the lot, ahead of Bastianini and Martin. In terms of the simulations, fifth of the nine Ducati riders, and only a couple of seconds away, came Marc Marquez.

Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi has had some struggles in Sepang. A third crash in three days wasn't ideal as he was just unable to improve on his lap from yesterday and, as a result, finished 15th on the combined standings. But it's testing yet... and the Rins Cup rolls on to Qatar!
Aprilia & Trackhouse Racing

There were headlines made off-track on Thursday morning with a new signing for the Trackhouse Racing squad - and it's a familiar face as Davide Brivio returns to the paddock to take the reigns at the American team.

Still, it was another day of two halves for Aprilia. On one side, Aleix Espargaro hailed it “the best test” he’s ever had with the Noale factory, and you can understand why. The #41 claimed the final spot inside the top after punching in a 1:57.091, and his pace wasn’t bad either. He was fourth of the Sprint simulations and only a second away from 2023’s Sprint King, Martin.

Meanwhile on the other side, after complaining of a lack of rear grip yesterday, no many in-roads were made today. Maverick Viñales closed out the three days in 12th and is looking for more, whilst Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) was 18th. Still, there are two days left in Qatar.
Red Bull KTM & Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

Another day were all of the headlines coming out of the Austrian camp and down to the remarkable efforts of Pedro Acosta. Although Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished ahead of him on the combined standings, Acosta closed the gap down to just 0.058 seconds to the orange army’s star man.

The rookie's Sprint simulation is also worthy of a mention. Faster over 9 laps than Bagnaia and less than a second adrift of the incredibly experienced Marc Marquez and Aleix Espargaro. A reminder: today was just day seven on a MotoGP™ machine.

Aussie Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) rounds out the three days 1.1 seconds adrift of top spot in 14th, whilst there’s work to do for Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) who finished 21st and over two seconds behind.

Repsol Honda & CASTROL/IDEMITSU Honda LCR

Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir closed out the Sepang Test inside the top ten after going under the pole position lap from last year - positive signs for the

Japanese factory. But despite Mir’s 1.1 second improvement over one lap, he wanted to stress the need for further work over a longer distance. Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) fired in a 1:57.765 to end 13th, ahead of Johann Zarco and Luca Marini in 17th and 19th, but Marini was also confident of more to come in the Qatar Test.There are clear signs of progress at Yamaha too, but one search remains: that of one-lap pace. It's something already mentioned on Day 2 and the mission continued, and will continue in Qatar.

On the timesheets, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) was 11th, hoping for a further step next time out in Qatar, and Alex Rins was 16th and 1.1 seconds away from Bagnaia’s record-breaking lap.Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 completed the three day-Sepang MotoGP™ Official Test on Thursday, a key final day for Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez to complete their program in Malaysia, before another two testing days await them next weekend in Doha, Qatar. If Wednesday’s lap times were already impressive, it even got better on Thursday morning, with the all-time lap record of the Sepang International Circuit being, again, smashed by Pecco Bagnaia with an insane 1'56.682. Another five riders were also under the 1’57.273 today, which was the lap time to beat in Malaysia.

Six days on track and a total of 273 laps clocked in, it is safe to write that rookie Pedro Acosta probably knows what he’s talking about now when we mention Malaysia! As each day seemed to get better and better, the #31 continued to impress on the final day of Sepang Test, as he retained his position within the top 10 fastest. A brilliant ride in 1'57.365 this morning meant that he improved by 0.361 seconds from his time of Wednesday, which sat him provisionally fourth fastest after forty minutes. Later on in the morning, the young rookie tried a sprint simulation with ten fast laps in a row, and times were extremely positive. His fastest lap was a 1’58.279, but the most impressive thing was that all his laps were faster than the current fastest race lap of the circuit, currently held by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), in 1’58.979. Impressive again is the least we can say. After lunch break, the young shark returned on track at around 3 pm as a few items remained to try before packing everything, and the team called it an end at 4:30 pm. Successful test for the rookie, and the squad will be looking forward to finishing the preparation for 2024 next week in Qatar.

On the other side of the garage, Augusto Fernandez continued to look for solutions to prepare the best 2024 package possible. His lap time slightly improved (1'58.740) but he still remained a bit far from the rest of the grid. As he completed the list of items to try, he was able to work in a more efficient way than the past two days, and he continued to accustom himself with the 2024 bike, a bit different to what he has been used to in his rookie season. The feeling progressively recovered, and he is confident that he will be able to make a good step in Qatar next week, a layout where he showed great pace last season.

That’s a wrap for our adventure in Malaysia. Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 will enjoy a few days of well deserved rest before we head to Doha next week for the last two days of preseason testing, in Qatar on February 19-20. Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP End Sepang Test On Positive Note


Sepang (Malaysia), 8th February 2024


SEPANG MOTOGP OFFICIAL TEST



Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP wrapped up the first official MotoGP test of 2024 today at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins wrapped up the three days of testing in 11th and 16th place respectively in the overall standings.


11th

F. QUARTARARO
1'57.525 / 56 LAPS


15th

Á. RINS
1'57.879 / 52 LAPS


Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team's Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins completed their programme at the Sepang Official MotoGP Test today. The third consecutive eight-hour session was crucial to collect some final data on various new items. The Factory Yamaha riders ultimately took 11th and 15th place respectively in today‘s timesheets and 11th and 16th in the overall MotoGP test results.

Quartararo picked up work on Day 3 where he left off, getting in as many laps as possible to make sure a clear direction is set for the next test and the further development of the 2024 YZR-M1. He completed 56 laps and at the end he approved the new engine, aerodynamics, and launch device and noted the positive race pace. His best time on Day 3, a 1'57.525s set on lap 12, saw him finish the test in 11th position in both today‘s and the overall test results, 0.843s from first.

Rins used the final day of riding in Sepang to fully form his verdict on the various testing items brought here by Yamaha. Like his teammate, his full focus was on getting the bike MotoGP-season ready and gathering as much data as possible. His fastest lap was a 1‘57.879s, set on lap 13/52, that had him finish the Sepang Test in 15th place in the Day 3 rankings and in 16th position in the combined results, 1.197s from the top.

The team will now return to Europe whilst the engineers in Japan process the testing data. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will regroup at the Losail International Circuit from 19-20 February for the final official test before kicking off the 2024 MotoGP season at the same track with the Grand Prix of Qatar, held from 8-10 March.


MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director


We gathered a lot of good information. The areas that we worked on the most were the engine and aerodynamics, and we also introduced a new rear starting device. All these items have been approved and confirmed by all riders: Cal, Fabio, and Álex. This is a good sign: the work done during the winter break has been done correctly. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are satisfied with the work we got done here. It's true that there's still a gap that we have to close, but we still have time during the preseason to work on making this gap smaller and smaller. In terms of race pace, we suspect we have made an improvement as we could also see that the bike is a bit faster. The aerodynamics are helping the rider with the turning, and the starting device is giving the riders less wheelie-ing and more acceleration. Now, if I have to point out an area of improvement, for sure it's qualifying, so that's the next target.

FABIO QUARTARARO


We still need to improve our one-lap pace, so hopefully we can make a step forward. That's basically the next step for the next test and the first few GPs. The 2024 engine is better, the aerodynamics are better too, but we are missing electronical grip. But I think that step by step we will come closer to the top. My goal is to be on the first two rows in qualifying, three maximum, because I know that on the pace I'm pretty fast.


ÁLEX RINS


I'm quite happy because we are doing a good testing job so far. It's true that we're still working on the set-up in terms of bettering the configuration of the bike. I was struggling a little bit to stop the bike, and the rear tyre lifted a bit. We're losing a bit of time in that area. During these last five days of testing, we focused on trying to test items, and we didn't pay as much attention to the set-up. But anyway, I'm quite happy with the work done. We collected a good amount of data, so let's see if we can continue like this and keep improving.There was time for everything at Sepang, the venue that hosted the first official test of the 2023 MotoGP season. Three days with plenty of heat – but overall favourable weather – allowed continuity in terms of on-track work for the Gresini Riders, with Alex and Marquez able to carry their testing programme forward.

If both riders had some rust to shake off after an off-season that had never been as short – but still too long for the riders – Alex Marquez had also to get acquainted with the 2023 version of the Desmosedici he first tried at Valencia, while for Marc it was the first real test with the Ducati machine he only recently got to know.

The good feeling experienced, combined with the great distance covered (173 laps for Marc, a little less for Alex) make sure both standard bearers of Team Gresini MotoGP are now eager to put their skills to test at Losail, taking place in slightly more than a week (February 19-20).
4th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73

(Day1 best lap 1’58.542 – 50 laps)
(Day2 best lap 1’57.542 – 50 laps)
(Day3 best lap 1’56.938 – 49 laps)

“Day after day we managed to understand the 2023 version of the Desmosedici some more and I must say that, compared to how we raced here last year, we did make a lot of changes. The bike is different in terms of weight distribution, and we had to adapt to it – with good results I must say. There was enough time to find the rhythm and make some race and sprint race simulations. The times are good, but that is not a super important thing to look at during testing; it would be a mistake to make comparisons with last year already, also because the conditions we encountered this time were much more favourable.”

6th - MARC MARQUEZ #93

(Day1 best lap 1’58.621 – 47 laps)
(Day2 best lap 1’58.118 – 72 laps)
(Day3 best lap 1’57.270 – 54 laps)

“I really did a lot of laps these three days, even during day one when we had some issues – which we tackled and solved brilliantly. The goal was to understand the bike the best possible way and we’re improving step by step. We’re suffering a bit more time-attack wise, an area where normally it’s more about working with instincts, but even in this department we improved a little during day three. From the second day onwards, we started to have fun on the bike, even though I still don’t feel it as my own. I need to shake 11 years of habits on another motorcycle and that’ll take time, but the progression is good and we must be happy with this first test on a track that has never really been mine.”Three hot and demanding first test days of the 2024 MotoGP season saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing plough through a wide range of ideas and parts at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Brad Binder and Jack Miller registered the 7th and 14th fastest lap-times respectively at the Grand Prix venue but also filtered through the vast catalogue of work for the 2024 spec of the KTM RC16 and the 21-race campaign ahead.



Acclimatisation, electronics, aerodynamics, base setting and data-gathering fill the roster of duties for the factory team and the test team at a steamy Sepang as MotoGP 2024 gets in motion
Brad Binder ranks 7th on combined times after three days at Sepang. The South African hovered near the top of the screens for long moments and as the pace moved beneath the circuit record
Jack Miller starts his second year on the KTM RC16 with further refinement of the 2024 package. The Australian was 14th quickest
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have one more test to finalize homologated aero and engine configurations for the year. The next outing will take place over two days in Qatar in just over a week


KTM’s potent testing team and crew consisting of Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaro fired ‘START’ on 2024 MotoGP with plenty of laps and analysis during the shakedown test in Malaysia, and before the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing outfit parked in pitlane to assess the main options for both Brad Binder and Jack Miller from Tuesday to Thursday this week.

The South African and the Australian, together with their hard-working staff and plenty of support from KTM engineering experts both at the circuit and back at KTM Motorsports HQ, tallied almost 350 laps in the three days to shred through a comprehensive job list. The goal was to chisel the first competitive shape of the KTM RC16 for the 21-GP (42 races, including the 2024 Sprints) calendar. The workload involved most aspects of the bike but perhaps most significantly the new theories the factory had for aerodynamics and to improve aspects of the 2023 machine that proved to be so competitive at the final round of the season in Spain. The pace was particularly hot with lap-times well under those recorded at Sepang for the Grand Prix last autumn.


Now onto the Lusail International Circuit on February 19-20 where the team will make their critical decisions for the opening part of the racing year and also focus on the first round of the championship at the same circuit on March 8-10.

Brad Binder, 7th: “Probably one of the best pre-season tests I’ve ever had. We have still not put everything together to see the full potential but we tried so many different things and once we have the time to select all the best parts then we’ll be in a position to make a step. I’m quite happy. The last day was about combinations, and I had a little go at a time attack. We are better than the time sheets look and once we back-check everything then I’m sure we’ll be stronger. We made progress with our electronics and the engine braking feels better, traction control also. In general we made decent headway and the guys at the factory can understand a lot more.”

Jack Miller, 14th: “A good test. A lot of different items and things on the block. The boys have done a fantastic job during the winter and the bike is working really well. I have a couple of areas I would like to improve personally with set-up but the main goal of the test was to understand the items, understand the combinations and try and build the RC16 for what will be our race bike for the 2024 season. We’re pretty close. We didn’t have the full package ready for the time attack this morning and I’m not ecstatic with the lap-times but it was the first time in the 1min 57s for me. We still need to pull our finger out. I’m looking forward to getting home, reflecting on these days and then going again in Qatar.”

Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “Busy days, starting from the shakedown right up until the final laps here it has been intense. Happy with the work but not yet with the speed. We have some more ideas to improve, and we were getting better each day. Everyone could see our aerodynamic work, but we also did a lot with electronics, the engine and also the frame. We did a 360 job with the bike and it takes time to get up to speed between the setting changes. We are satisfied and we know the speed will come.”

Sebastian Risse, Red Bull KTM Technical Manager MotoGP: “We had one big testing program here with the test team working some things out and then the race team riders coming in to confirm those findings, make the compromises and their choices for the season. There was a lot about aerodynamics and the engine because these need to be homologated and to be honest it would be easier to ask me what we didn’t touch on the bike! We worked on almost every area: electronics, chassis stiffness, technical solutions and conceptual work. Everything was focused on what we can race this season and we are really happy with the progress we made, and for some things we were already able to understand the full potential and in some others we see the potential but need to find the right compromise in set-up. So now we are looking forward to the Qatar test and to then get ready for the first race.”
Francesco Bagnaia tops the first 2024 pre-season test at Sepang with record-breaking lap time. Enea Bastianini, third.

Four Ducatis in total were under the 1:57 mark, with Martín (Pramac Racing Team) second and Alex Márquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) fourth.

Francesco Bagnaia was the fastest at the end of the first pre-season test of the 2024 MotoGP season. Thanks to a sensational lap time of 1:56.682 (0.809 seconds quicker than the current circuit record, which dates back to last November and bears Bagnaia's own signature), the Ducati Lenovo Team rider took the lead at the end of the last of three days of test at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

For the rider from Turin, the Sepang test got off to a rocky start with a crash on the first lap due to some wet patches on the track after the rain that had fallen the night before. At the same spot, another rider also crashed shortly afterwards, causing the red flag to be shown. Once the track reopened, Bagnaia, followed by teammate Enea Bastianini, completed a few laps on the Desmosedici GP 23, reacquainting himself with the bike after the winter break before starting work on the development of the 2024 package.

After testing a new engine, different setup configurations, and other updates, Pecco and Enea tested a new fairing and a new exhaust on the second day, generally obtaining positive feedback from all tested items. In confirmation of this, Bastianini finished in the lead on Wednesday, thanks to a fastest lap of 1:57.134, a time below the current circuit record.

Bagnaia, on the other hand, finished the second day in fifth position, opting to do the "time attack" the following day. Apart from the reigning World Champion, Bastianini was also among the only four riders able to break the 1:57 barrier at Sepang. The rider from Rimini finished third with a time of 1:56.915, behind the Ducati of Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing Team) in second place and ahead of the Desmosedici GP 23 of Alex Márquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) in fourth.

Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) - 1st (1:56.682 - 151 total laps)
"I feel really comfortable on the bike. The time I set in my first time attack of the season was fantastic, but this is a test, and the conditions today were perfect. The only thing I'm not completely satisfied with was the sprint race simulation this morning: I had a small problem that slowed me down, but by then, I had started, and I didn't want to come back into the garage, so I continued to the end. In any case, we showed that we know the potential of this bike. We have improved a lot in just three days. We're not 100% there yet, but we're not far off. I would say we are at 80%. In Qatar, we will try different maps, but the program will be more or less the same as in Sepang.

Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team) - 3rd (1:56.915 - 142 total laps)
"I'm satisfied with these three days of testing; the balance is positive, and we got off on the right foot from day one. Today, we were also able to be fast in the time attack and set a time of 1:56, something I never thought I would be able to do before coming here. Compared to last year, I improved on the time attack, which was important. This morning, we did a sprint race simulation: the pace was good even though I felt some vibration in the rear. We have had positive feedback from these three days, but now it will be important to try everything again in Qatar to understand how the bike behaves in different conditions and to have more data to compare. In general, the package is already at a good level.

The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track from 19-20 February at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar for the final pre-season test for the 2024 season.Trackhouse Racing – Sepang Test: Day 3

Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia:

Track length: 3.44 miles / 5.54 kilometers

Air Temperature: 86°F / 30°C

Track Temperature: 116.6°F / 47°C

It’s a wrap for America’s MotoGP Team first test. Three days of running completed – 298 laps in total for the #88 and #25 combined (with Lorenzo Savadori replacing Raul Fernandez for days 2 and 3) which means Trackhouse Racing has covered 1,025.12 miles or 1,650.92 kilometers in total on its track debut.

The team announced today that its Team Principal will be Davide Brivio with immediate effect. A statement of intent by bringing his experience of building success to help achieve Trackhouse’s goal to be a winning team.

#88 Miguel Oliveira – Day 3 saw Miguel continuing to test aerodynamics and electronics, as well chassis dynamics. In the afternoon, the emphasis was on establishing a base set-up of the bike before finishing with two start procedures.



Completed: 55 Laps – 189.2 miles / 304.7 kilometers

Best lap: 1’58.000 (Pos 18th)

Top speed: 208.4 mph / 335.4 km/h

“Physically it’s a little bit difficult to manage the whole three days, but I actually feel good. The best training is on the bike, so that’s good. We tried a couple of things this morning and we totally lost the good temperature window to do a lap time. Then, we carried on with used tires and just tried to get a little bit more feeling with a stable setting because we have been changing so much throughout every exit. We found out that, at the moment, it was just important to get used to the bike and not experiment with too many things. Finally, at the end of the day, I got a new rear tire again but I couldn’t improve. The ideal lap time is a bit more satisfying, but we know how unimportant the time sheet is in a test, so we are not really in panic at the moment. We’re just getting through a couple of things to go to Qatar ready to work for the first race.”

WILCO ZEELENBERG, TEAM MANAGER


“Our first test is done. Obviously, not everything was positive with the crash of Raul and his injury. And of course, talking about injuries, Miguel just came back from one during the winter where he tried to recover. We definitely need more track time and that we will get in Qatar. At the moment, we are not where we want to be with the bike and the performance, so let’s see how we can use the data we have now got and prepare ourselves in the best way possible for Qatar. Clearly, Miguel recovered well from his injuries, he never complained through the test. Saying that, of course, he did not ride for a long period and jumping from a 2022 RS-GP straight onto a 2024 bike gives him some more adjustment work to do. I hope we are able to show our full potential in Qatar.”

Following Raul’s withdrawal from the action after crashing heavily on day 1, the RS-GP 23 was again in the hands of Lorenzo Savadori, Aprilia’s test rider, to work on electronics.


Raul Fernandez is at home in Madrid, Spain, where he is recovering from his crash. While uncomfortable, fortunately he suffered no serious injuries and the team looks forward to having him back on his bike in Qatar, at the second test, starting on Monday, February 19, at Lusail. See you there!

www.trackhouse.com – #Welcometothehouse

Trackhouse Racing MotoGP Team - Editor Notes:



The core:



Every racing team has to have top athletes at its core: Trackhouse enters its first season in the World Championship with a strong, well-balanced, line-up:



#88 Miguel Oliveira joins the Trackhouse Racing MotoGP Team as an established star of MotoGP. He marked himself out for future success in Portugal from his earliest days on track and has shown his prodigious talent and intelligence throughout the Championship battles he has fought in his career to date on the world stage. His five race wins since he arrived in the premier class have marked him out as a man to watch, particularly when he can run at his own rhythm, or rain falls. His 2023 season was disrupted by injuries suffered largely through no fault of his own and so 2024 will be all about staying fit, working on finding the sweet spot with the new Aprilia RS-GP bike and making his proven pace count throughout the year.



#25 Raul Fernandez arrives in the Trackhouse Team as one of the youngest, most exciting, riders in the MotoGP World Championship. Since the age of 11 years old, when he learnt his early race-craft on the tracks around Madrid, he has been ‘one to watch’. No rookie has shaken up the intermediate Moto 2 class like Raul in 2021. Blitzing the field with eight victories, he only just missed out on the Championship crown in his rookie year, injury preventing him from securing vital points towards the end of the campaign. 2023 ended strongly with a top 5 finish in the final race and 2024 will be a year that Raul looks to stamp his speed on the timesheets from the opening race in Qatar through to the final round in Valencia.

The background:



Trackhouse Entertainment Group owner Justin Marks announced, back in December 2023, that his organization will field a MotoGP World Championship team in 2024, a move expanding its reach across the global motorsports world and building on its success in the NASCAR series. Just six weeks later the Team pulled back the curtains on its season-opening design with two of its Aprilia MotoGP prototype bikes and introduced #88 Miguel Oliveira and #25 Raul Fernandez as its pilots. One week later, Trackhouse Racing MotoGP rolled out onto its pit-road debut at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia.



Trackhouse Entertainment Group is the owner of Trackhouse Racing’s NASCAR team, which operates out of Concord, North Carolina. After a full-time driving career in sports cars and NASCAR, Justin Marks founded Trackhouse Racing in 2020 and started fielding Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021.



The new team has enjoyed success on track. Daniel Suárez became the first Mexican driver to win a Cup Series race when he visited victory lane in 2022, New Zealander and three-time Supercar champion Shane van Gisbergen won at Chicago in his debut Cup race on July 2 and American Ross Chastain finished second in the standings in 2022 and posted four victories including the 2023 Cup Series season finale.

Marks brought 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen to NASCAR and Trackhouse Racing in 2022 and 2023 as part of the team's PROJECT91 program created to give international stars a chance to compete in the sport. It was the same program that led to van Gisbergen’s win in Chicago.



Off the track, Trackhouse Racing as a brand has proven itself as a progressive, marketing-minded team, reimagining how the sport is presented to its fans, media partners and sponsors. It brought in international entertainment superstar Pitbull as a team partner, created a new style of team clothing, increased digital presence to fans and created live entertainment at racetracks throughout the season.