- Rising star Connor Zilisch will make his NCTS debut in Saturday’s XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americas. Zilisch, 17, is an accomplished karting and road racer who, most notably, was part of Era Motorsport’s LMP2 class win at the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, making him the second-youngest driver, ever, to win the iconic race. He parlayed that victory with a win last weekend in the 12 Hours of Sebring, one of the most highly regarded endurance races in the world.
- The racing prodigy is a six-time Trans-Am TA2 class race winner for Silver Hare Racing and a central component of Trackhouse Racing’s driver development program. He also has one CARS Tour Pro Late Model victory, which he secured at Ace Speedway in Elon, N.C. last May.
- In addition to Saturday’s 42-lapper at the 3.14-mile Austin, Texas road course, Zilisch will be at the controls of the No. 7 Chevy Silverado later this season at Talladega Superspeedway. Additionally, Spire Motorsports will coordinate a separate entry for Zilisch at the October 27 NCTS playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
- The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, through the generosity and support of Hixon Motor Sports, will serve as Zilisch’s primary sponsor for all three races. The Austin Hatcher Foundation is a leading nonprofit organization committed to helping families impacted by childhood cancer at no cost, for the entire family’s entire lifetime. The Foundation provides comprehensive, coordinated care through evidence-based therapies, counseling, family programs, grief groups, educational resources and more, fostering resilience and hope for families. The Foundation’s focus not only assists families coping in the present, but helps them thrive in the future following a childhood cancer diagnosis.
- The Mooresville, N.C., native is the 2022 Mazda MX-5 championship runner-up where he also claimed rookie-of-the-year honors for Hixon Motor Sports. Zilisch made his ARCA Menards Series debut last season at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International where he led 34 of the race’s 42 laps before securing an impressive runner-up finish. He is slated to pull double duty this weekend, also competing in Saturday night’s ARCA Menards Series East opener at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla.
Connor Zilisch Quotes
How have you prepared for your first NCTS Start?
“I’ve been preparing for this one for a long time. You know, I’ve known about making my Truck Series debut for a few months now and I’ve had it circled on my calendar. It’s a road course which is kind of what I grew up doing and what I feel comfortable doing. I’ve got a lot of faith in the No. 7 team and the Austin Hatcher Foundation Silverado that they are bringing to the track. We’ve been working really hard to get not only the equipment prepared, but to get myself prepared. I’ve done a lot of simulator time and I’ve worked really hard to be prepared for this race. I just have to go out there and do my job, execute and don’t make any mistakes.”
Talk about the prior experience you have at COTA.
“I’ve been to COTA multiple times, most recently in TA2 in the TransAm series. I was leading the race and a wheel bearing broke, so we didn’t get the finish we deserved but I’ve always been fast there. I really enjoy the track because I feel like it’s a driver’s track. There’s a lot of different corners and a lot of different styles that you can kind of drive the place. It’ll be interesting for me to see what it’s like racing the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since it’ll be new to me. A lot of the procedures will be new to me as well, but I’ll be with a great team, and I feel like I’m really prepared for my debut in the Truck Series. I’m excited to get to the track and get going.”
Have you set any goals for Saturday?
“I don’t really feel like it’s fair to set any goals. I don’t really know what I’m getting myself into, honestly, you know. I’ve never raced in the Truck Series before so there will be a whole lot of new things for me. I’d say my goal is to complete all the laps and learn and don’t make any mistakes. I feel like if we can do that, then hopefully we can run in the top five and hopefully compete for a win. I feel like I’m plenty fast enough to run up front, I just can’t make any mistakes and I think we will be there at the end.”
Spire Motorsports PR
