Trackhouse Racing, the new American team that entered the MotoGP World Championship at the start of the 2024 season, is expanding into professional gaming by entering the eSport version of the Championship for the final rounds of this year’s global series.
To mount a serious challenge in the fiercely contested competition, Trackhouse has recruited one of Asia’s top professional gamers – XzerRock #98, who hails from Thailand and is no stranger to the MotoGP eSport Championship.
The 21-year-old, out of Bangkok – is a seasoned pro at the MotoGP eSport game having been playing competitively over recent seasons and gaming for the last 11 years. 9th overall in last year’s Global Series and currently sitting P3 in 2024, XzerRock is the very first gamer to join Trackhouse and aims to make a strong impression in the next Global Series, Round 2 on November 7, which starts at his home track - Chang in Thailand - for the Sprint, before Race 3 at Sepang, Malaysia, where his own race team will be in action for the weekend and finally at Valencia, for Race 4.
After Round 2, the 11 gamers, each racing for their MotoGP team entered in the premier class of World Championship motorcycle racing, will converge on Milan Games Week for the MotoGP eSport Championship showdown, in front of a live worldwide internet audience to race each other for gaming’s ultimate two-wheel prize.
XzerRock, who loves riding his own bike around the streets of the Thai capital, Bangkok, attended the recent Grand Prix of Thailand, at Chang International Circuit, where he spent the weekend with the US racing team’s riders and crew. As well as sharing his gaming experience with Trackhouse riders, #25 Raul Fernandez and #32 Lorenzo Savadori - who is currently deputizing for the team’s regular rider, #88 Miguel Oliveira, currently benched through injury - XzerRock compared data and gained insights from the team crew chiefs on bike set-up with the Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP24 to see where he might gain additional precious time around his home track and the other venues in the eSport series. Valuable time spent for the young pro who has been a MotoGP fan since his early teens and is hungry for success in his own version of the sport.
Speaking with his team while at the Grand Prix of Thailand, XzerRock explained a little more on his thoughts about being picked as the 2024 MotoGP eSport Championship gamer for Trackhouse Racing and his objectives with two Rounds left in the Global Series:
- What were your immediate thoughts when you got the call to join Trackhouse Racing?
“When I got the call, I was initially shocked and then very happy at the same time. I could not believe I was being given the opportunity to join Trackhouse and I am so pleased this has happened to me – especially to be able to represent Thai and Asian gamers in the MotoGP eSport Championship.”
- What is it like to come to Chang International Circuit – your home MotoGP World Championship Round – to meet the team and its two riders, #25 Raul Fernandez and #32 Lorenzo Savadori?
“Coming to Buriram to meet Trackhouse Racing and the riders is the best experience ever. It is a dream to be part of this team but a dream that has now happened. Meeting the two riders, Raul and Lorenzo was so much fun and speaking with the Crew Chiefs was really interesting and we shared some very useful information.”
- Your series takes place this week, on November 7, starting at Chang, your home track and once you finish this virtual round you head for Milan, Italy, to compete in the last races head-to-head with the other MotoGP team gamers – what are your thoughts ahead of the next races?
“Going to Milan will be my first ever trip out if Asia so very excited and I feel great. We will see what happens but Chang and Circuit of the America’s, the last race in the 2024 series, are my strongest tracks so I will give it my all, in every race, to represent Trackhouse as strongly as I can.”
- What will you do between here, in Buriram, this weekend and the next virtual eSport Round on November 7?
“I will be practicing hard – 6 to 7 hours at least, as I usually do every day. We have a chance to win but it’s difficult at the level of the Championship. I will do my best and try to be on a podium, at least.”
Trackhouse Racing gamer, XzerRock #98, will be racing in Round 2 of the MotoGP eSport Championship on Thursday, November 7 – 4pm (GMT+2).
Fans can tune to watch on motogp.com and esport.motogp.com, on selected TV broadcasters, and across social media platforms including YouTube (via MotoGP™ eSport), MotoGP™ eSport Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (via MotoGP™ and MotoGP™ eSport pages) and Twitch via MotoGP™ eSport
www.trackhouse.com – #Welcometothehouse
