Justin Marks says Trackhouse focuses on its approach rather than MotoGP victories, with strong results a "by-product" of good work.
Trackhouse owner Justin Marks has explained why the team’s Key Performance Indicators are not based on winning MotoGP championships and races.
The American team is enjoying its strongest season yet, having won grands prix with both Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez during only its third year in the premier class.
Rather than purely results-based targets, Marks, who also owns a race-winning NASCAR team, said he is focused on the team’s approach.
“Well, one of the things we talk about is being relevant,” he said. “I mean, there's just too many variables out of your control when it comes to winning. So we don't typically put our goals, our KPIs, as championships and wins.
“It's more just an approach. Are we happy with the way we're going to the races? Are we happy with the work that we're doing? Knowing that the results will be a by-product of that.
“You just find yourself in these moments right now. So I would say success is just continuing to learn, and continuing to get more confident about the role that we can play in this sport.
“I would say we're, pun intended, firing on all cylinders right now. So if the season ended today, it's been a huge success.”
A similar approach applies to sponsorship.
"The way that we approach it in NASCAR, in MotoGP, just the way we approach motorsport, is not to be a team that a company sponsors, but a growth partner for a company," Marks said.
"And that means creating very customised activation and promotion programmes. Really understanding what they're trying to solve for, for their investment in motorsport. And approaching it that way so that all of the value that they're looking for is created before we even go on the racetrack.
"And if we go win, it's icing on the cake. It's the extra. But you can't sell sponsorship based on performance on the racetrack. We don't. Because there's gonna be days when I'm not here [celebrating a victory]. There's gonna be days when I'm down there crying!
"And we know that those are coming. It comes for every organisation. So creating the value for sponsors and being a true partner with them, and selling the experience of being at MotoGP, or being at NASCAR, or Formula 1, or whatever it is, that's really what we focus on.
"And winning, it's like the extra-fun part."
While Ogura, who joined Trackhouse as a rookie last season, has grown stronger with experience, Fernandez has taken a more complicated route.