A recent hint dropped by MotoAmerica suggests that Rahal Ducati might be making an entry for the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Season. The hint came in the form of a social media story. However, for racing fans who have been around since the beginning of the MotoAmerica brand they know a possibility when they see one. The thought at hand is whether Rahal Ducati will be joining the 2024 MotoAmerica grid? There is precedent for such a move.
The Rahal Family Going Superbike Racing?
IndyCar driver Graham Rahal runs Rahal Ducati; a Ducati dealership in the Racing Capital of the World: Indianapolis. The idea for a Superbike team started back in 2015 when Graham’s father Bobby Rahal was in talks with MotoAmerica about starting a Superbike team. However, no moves have been made to date. The idea is a natural progression given the success of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing organization in the car world. Graham Rahal is also an avid Ducati collector and loves the brand.
RLL Racing is involved in a number of different tiers of motorsport across the country. One key highlight is that Graham Rahal is an avid motorcycle collector. His collection is on display at Rahal Ducati and one could infer that a run at a Superbike championship with factory Ducati support could be a very real possibility given the recent success Ducati has had in the World Superbike Championship and recently in MotoAmerica by the likes of Xavi Fores who won the Supersport championship with Warhorse HSBK Ducati and Josh Herrin who finished second in the 2023 Superbike championship fight.
Is it a Good Move?
While no official announcement has been made. We believe such a move makes sense from a racing lovers point of view. It also makes sense from a growth point of view. MotoAmerica saw its largest year over year growth at the end of the 2022 season. MotoAmerica reported 1 Billion+ digital interactions couple with a record 181 million views on social media and 300,000+ race attendees. Social media subscribers also increased 72% and this year’s numbers based on individual race reports will top last years. With potential brand exposure at an all time high, starting a race team would coincide very nicely. We are expecting an official announcement on some time this month. Whether the speculation is true is yet to be determined.
As a racing fan the thought of a second Ducati team on the grid in MotoAmerica is a positive thing. Currently, Ducati is the only manufacturer with one bike on grid in the Medallia Superbike class. There is also the possibility of a Superport entry with the recent dominance of the Ducati V2 in the class. We will report back if there is any validity to the rumors.