Justin Marks took a huge gamble expanding Trackhouse Racing’s operation to three full-time cars last year, and that gamble paid off. Well, at least for the time being. With how the current season has been going for the team, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that they need a strong upgrade, and as it seems, Marks was preparing for one. However, it can sometimes be hard to keep things like a massive new facility under wraps.

As per the Charlotte Business Journal, Trackhouse Entertainment Group has secured land approval from the Kannapolis City Council. The report states that the team has gotten approval to annex roughly 20 acres to establish a racing facility that will house research and development, maintenance, and training operations. The official City of Kannapolis website has yet to publicly reveal the information, and the latest link in the City Council YouTube Links section has the link for the June 22 City Council Meeting.

This news comes as Trackhouse struggles to find a place among the top. Ross Chastain, the only driver who has been pulling off consistent results after Daniel Suarez’s departure, has been struggling with pace this season. He has finished 20.2 on average so far this season. Compared to the 15.8 he pulled off last year, he is currently ranked 22nd in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.

Connor Zilisch was supposed to be Trackhouse’s breakout signing. Instead, he has zero top-10 finishes and multiple crashes, while Chastain has 1 top-5 and 4 top-10 finishes. Although he managed to win 10 races in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year, he has been struggling and currently ranks 34th. Apart from the crashes he has been involved in, the #88 team lacks overall competitiveness on the field, making it hard for Zilisch to replicate his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series success

And these issues have only been multiplying since the team expanded to a three-car operation in 2025, after purchasing a charter from SHR to field Shane van Gisbergen. While he has been the only race winner the team has had this year, his excellence remains limited to the road courses. Sitting at 17th for now, he has been averaging a 19.6 finish. This isn’t where Justin Marks would ideally want his cars to finish.

Hence, planning a new facility isn’t surprising. Trackhouse’s 2021 shop, acquired from Chip Ganassi, served a two-car operation. While it proved to be very beneficial in building the team’s structure from the beginning in the Cup Series, Trackhouse needs something bigger after expanding to a three-car operation, and the new race facility they’re building in Kannapolis seems to be the answer.

This has been a proven formula for other teams. 23XI Racing inaugurated the Airspeed race shop in 2024, and just two years later, the team is leading the championship. Of course, the surge in Toyota’s performance has helped the team catch some good traction, but their overall competitiveness has also improved massively in recent seasons.

So, even though it was revealed a bit earlier than Justin Marks would have wanted, Trackhouse Racing seems to be moving in the right direction with the new race facility.

Why Sonoma could be the break Trackhouse Racing needs

Shane van Gisbergen showcased his excellence on the road course last year, and it was quite apparent why. His experience racing in the Supercars Series is one of the massive reasons why he has managed to dominate the road courses in the Cup Series. He was even battling for the lead in San Diego earlier until he found himself involved in a multi-car wreck, and that circuit, being one-of-a-kind, was one of the few courses where he did not have sufficient experience.

He won the race here last year, and even this year, despite the struggles the team is facing, he is expected to dominate the race once again. However, he still agrees that this race would be largely different coming straight from San Diego.

“The car setup will be very different. At San Diego, we were very high, very soft to try to get over the bumps. When we go to Sonoma this weekend, it’s very smooth and high grip, so the car will be stiff and low. Everybody’s cars will be on the edge, which you have to have it like that to make grip. This weekend everybody will be pushing hard and set up for the high grip,” he said recently.

The 1.9-mile track is much more of a ‘natural’ track for him, and the #97 team would be able to maximize their performance here. But it is apparent that Trackhouse Racing needs more than that. While Justin Marks’ plans seem to be moving in the right direction for the team, it is uncertain when Trackhouse Racing would be able to capitalize.