Ducati’s presence in MotoAmerica looks very different for 2024. Besides dropping their Supersport efforts and focusing only on a two-rider lineup in the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, the livery is dramatically different.
Goodbye red, hello blue.
Meet the 2024 OnlyFans Racing Warhorse Ducati team, unveiled Saturday during a launch party at a main sponsor’s location, the Mount Airy Casino in the Poconos, a Pennsylvania mecca for vacationers. Greg White, the lead commentator for MotoAmerica on FOX Sports, hosted the event before an audience blended with fans, team members, and the legendary Eraldo Ferracci, who helped the HSBK Warhorse Ducati team since day one in various ways, including securing riders.
The 2024 riders Josh Herrin and Loris Baz took the wraps of their Ducati Panigale V4 R superbikes with the new livery designed by another Pennsylvania company, DrippinWet.
Herrin was instrumental in landing OnlyFans as a team sponsor. The California native has worked with the social media giant for three years. Now, the OnlyFans logo and blue coloring will be seen across the paddocks and race tracks during this year’s nine-round Superbike season.
Mention OnlyFans, and many immediately think of x-rated subscription content. But the London-based brand is also focused on becoming a leading social channel that highlights creative fitness and sports content, and the new relationship with the HSBK Warhorse Ducati team backs this sentiment.
Herrin strives to see that new livery up front and on the podium, and he has proven he has the experience to do so with his record: 2013 AMA Superbike Champion (Yamaha YZF-R1), 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock Champion (Yamaha), and the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion (Ducati Panigale V2).
After securing that Supersport title with HSBK Warhorse Ducati, Herrin advanced to the Superbike series for 2023, claiming two wins and 11 podiums on the V4 R. Finishing second overall in 2023 behind Jake Gagne (Yamaha), Herrin’s journey from a one-rider lineup to leading the charge alongside Baz in 2024 is a narrative of growth, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
“Spending the last 2.5 years with this team has been a dream,” Herrin says. “They’ve become family. Teaming up with Baz, we share a similar style and a competitive spirit that drives us to push harder. Analyzing data and comparing our performances will undoubtedly elevate our game. The synergy with Baz, our shared competitive drive, and our analytical approach to performance promises a season of pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks.”
And although you won’t see an OnlyFans Ducati in the Supersport class during 2024 MotoAmerica season, the team will field one in this Saturday’s Daytona 200. There, Herrin will look to defend his 2023 Daytona 200 title.
Baz shares similar sentiments about the revamped team with strong backing from OnlyFans.
The Frenchman returns to MotoAmerica after two seasons on the BMW S 1000 RR in World Superbike. Baz, who became the youngest champ in Europe at 15 after winning the European Superstock 600cc Championship in 2008, raced for the HSBK Ducati Warhorse team in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike series, achieving nine podium finishes and achieving fourth overall. That season was a learning curve for Baz, who struggled with pavement issues at the stateside tracks.
“I’m really happy to be back in the States,” says Baz when asked about his return to MotoAmerica. “I knew I was going to be back one day after my 2021 season. That 2021 season was tough, don’t get me wrong. We didn’t reach our goal, but we learned a lot. But there’s more to learn in 2024. This time I will not only have an improved V4 R, but also a teammate that I can share data and talk with to learn faster and give Ducati a great chance at the title.”
As for the pavement issues, the revamped surfaces should help with the 2024 season. “I loved all the layouts of the tracks, but the pavement was an issue. Now it should be better. The Ducati is a super stiff bike, so those bumps were an issue. But this year should be better. Excited for all the tracks, especially COTA.”
Following the team launch, the revamped team now focuses all energy on the opening of the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, which gets underway April 19 at Road Atlanta. Baz will undoubtedly be seeking redemption there due to his 2021 season when he crashed out of Race One while battling for the lead and suffered a DNF in Race Two for technical issues. Herrin had finishes of fourth and third last year at Road Atlanta.
As the 2024 season unfolds, it’ll be hard to miss that pale blue livery on Ducati V4 R machinery. With the added backing from the new title sponsor and the two-person team structure, the OnlyFans Warhorse Ducati team looks to bring the stateside Superbike title back to Ducati. And it’s been a long time; 30 years ago, Troy Corser claimed the AMA Superbike title, snatching it from Yamaha’s Jamie James. In 2022, former HSBK Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci had the chance but lost it to Gagne during the final round.
Will 2024 be the year for a not-so-red Ducati to reclaim the Superbike honors? Only time—or better yet, OnlyFans—will tell.
