Trackhouse Racing, a team co-owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull, is currently in the midst of its first full-time Cup Series season. However, the owners are looking toward the future and how to make the organization even better, starting with expansion. Marks revealed that Trackhouse could become a two-car operation for the 2022 NASCAR season.
The co-owner made the comments during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Wednesday, June 9. Marks explained to host Dave Moody that Trackhouse is “actively involved” in making expansion possible next season, which coincides with the release of the Next Gen car. Marks also confirmed that the team is speaking to potential options to join the fold in 2022 and work with current driver Daniel Suarez.
“To start working on the long-term success and long-term viability of Trackhouse, we have to think about scale,” Marks said during the appearance. “We are actively involved, right now, in finding opportunities for expansion in 2022. A two-car team in 2022 is very much in the picture and something we are working hard on right now. We are starting to communicate with other drivers in the sport and other stakeholders in the sport to see what the landscape looks like and to start building a plan around that.”
One Option Exists in a Former Cup Series Champion
GettyNASCAR driver Kurt Busch prepares for a race.
With the end of the regular season approaching, there are multiple rumors about what Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch will do. The 2004 Cup Series champion will be a free agent at the end of the year, and he has multiple options on the table. He could potentially return to the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro, he could retire, or he could join another team.
According to Jayski, Busch appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday, June 8, and explained that multiple teams have contacted him about his future. He spoke with 23XI Racing, confirming earlier rumors about him being a top target to join Bubba Wallace on the team. Busch also revealed that Trackhouse Racing contacted him about the future but clarified that he will first speak with CGR and Monster Energy due to his respect for both organizations, as well as his current relationship.
While Busch teased retirement prior to the 2021 season, he has since made it more likely that he will return for another year. He has explained to multiple outlets that his goal was to drive the Next Gen car during a race. However, an unforeseen situation pushed the release of the stock car.
“For me, I’m a racer, I wanted to race the Next Gen car,” Busch told Heavy during a recent interview. “And it was supposed to be out on the NASCAR circuit this year, but it got delayed with COVID to next year. So [we’re] working on things, we’ll see how it all plays out.”
Busch added that he has tested out the Next Gen car multiple times, providing him more information about the upcoming season. “You see what I did there. I tried to jump in that car as much as I could try to be able to digest the future and to see if I wanted to be part of it on track.”
Trackhouse Racing Will Join Multiple Teams Making Moves for 2022
GettyMichael Jordan attends a NASCAR race at Sonoma.
With NASCAR moving to a more cost-effective vehicle in 2022, there are several organizations examining ways to grow. 23XI Racing is reportedly targeting Busch for a second car, which would provide a veteran presence next to Wallace. Additionally, some Xfinity Series-focused teams could make the leap to the Cup Series.
For example, Kaulig Racing owner Matt Kaulig revealed after the Geico 500 in April that he had big plans for the future. He explained that the team, which fields three full-time Xfinity cars, would pursue a full-time Cup Series ride for the 2022 season and indicated that the team had purchased another race shop in North Carolina.
“We’re going full-time Cup racing next year,” Kaulig said, according to NASCAR. “We’ll have one car. We’ll have at least one car, let’s put it that way. So that’s definitely a done deal. We’re super-excited about that. That’s the reason we’re running … we’ll run 10 or 11 Cup races this year, and man, we’re already three in.”
Similarly, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke to Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal about a possible move to the Cup Series. He explained on May 7 that JR Motorsports is having discussions about whether to compete in the top series and that “it’s probably now or never.” Though Earnhardt clarified at the time that the biggest hurdle is making the financials work.
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