HIGH POINT, N.C. — Connor Zilisch may have graduated from his full-time role behind the wheel of a Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro the past two seasons competing in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, but the North Carolina-based race team remains in lockstep with the 17-year-old driving prodigy this season as he tackles a mixed bag of racing disciplines.
His schedule includes NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series, the ARCA Menards Series and the zMAX CARS Tour.
Silver Hare Racing will serve as the primary sponsor on Zilisch’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado for two Truck Series events — Aug. 9 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and Sept. 19 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway — and as an associate sponsor Oct. 4 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and Nov. 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Spire Motorsports will also coordinate a separate entry for Zilich for the Oct. 26 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Silver Hare serving as the primary sponsor.
In Zilisch’s Truck Series debut last month at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, the native of Mooresville, North Carolina, qualified on the pole with a track-record lap of 2 minutes, 11.98 seconds (93.012 mph) around the 3.4-mile, 20-turn road course, then rallied from deep in the pack for a fourth-place finish in the closing laps.
After Zilisch celebrates his 18th birthday July 22, he will be eligible to compete in the Xfinity Series, where he signed a four-race agreement to drive the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Silver Hare Racing will serve as an associate sponsor for those four events — Sept. 14 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Oct. 26 at Homestead following his run in that day’s Truck Series race, and Nov. 9 at Phoenix Raceway.
Silver Hare Racing will also serve as the primary sponsor for Zilisch’s slate of 12 ARCA Menards Series races and eight CARS Tour events, all in Pinnacle Racing Group (PRG) Chevrolets. The ARCA slate includes the full, eight-race East Series schedule, plus three additional national series events (Aug. 16 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Sept. 13 at Watkins Glen and Sept. 27 at Kansas) and one West Series event (Nov. 8 at Phoenix).
Zilisch opened his 2024 ARCA campaign the evening of his March 23 Truck Series race at COTA with a fourth-place finish at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. His next ARCA outing is Friday at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway. Zilisch drove to his first career CARS Tour victory in a PRG Late Model Stock Chevrolet earlier this month at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
“From the very beginning when Maurice and I first met Connor and took him to his first test in a TA2 car at VIR, we clearly recognized the talent and the uniqueness of his ability and his level of maturity even at 15 years old,” said Laura Hull, team manager and co-owner of Silver Hare Racing alongside her husband Maurice.
“His personality is infectious. You can’t help but like him and be drawn to him. He drove one of our Silver Hare Racing Camaros fulltime the past two seasons with great success and made us realize he’s a talent that we wanted to continue to support as he climbs his way up the racing ladder. This opportunity with PRG, Spire and JRM just couldn’t come at a better time and we’re proud to work with them, to work with the Zilisches, and just help Connor move forward, which he’s doing at such a rapid pace.
“All of us at Silver Hare Racing have been proud to work with Connor, and we’ve enjoyed great success together. One of the primary missions of our organization is the development of young driving talent, and Connor’s is a success story that’s only just begun.”
The season started on a high note for Zilisch before racing action even began when Trackhouse Racing signed the Team Chevrolet driver to a multiyear development contract Jan. 11. He then debuted in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition by co-driving to the LMP2-class victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona Jan. 27-28 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, becoming the second-youngest driver ever to win the iconic endurance classic.
He followed up that feat with the LMP2-class victory March 16 at the 12 Hours of Sebring at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway. Between those milestone victories, Zilisch returned to Silver Hare Racing to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro to a pole-to-checkered-flag victory in the Feb. 24 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series season opener at Sebring. It was his sixth TA2 victory in 12 races and the third time in four events that he qualified on the pole and led every lap of the race.
“It’s super exciting for me to be able to continue my relationship with Maurice and Laura and everybody at Silver Hair Racing,” said Zilisch, who’s expected to return to Silver Hare to compete in the season’s final two TA2 rounds Oct. 5 at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, and Nov. 3 at COTA. “Obviously, they gave me my first opportunity in a stock car when I was 15 years old and took a chance on me at a young age, and that meant a lot to me. And then now to continue to support me on my way up through the ranks is even cooler and adds to the story that we’ve been building together.
“Maurice and Laura are super passionate about their team, and motorsports in general, and it means a lot that they choose to support me and know that they’re willing to invest their time and are willing to help me get to the next level. It takes a lot of people to make it in this sport, and considering all Maurice and Laura have done for me in the past and are continuing to do for my future, I also have the opportunity to help grow the Silver Hair Racing brand.
“The TA2 program has had a lot of success over the last few years. It’s a first-class organization, and the drivers who are fortunate to be a part of the team really benefit from all they have to offer, and everybody who joins and becomes a part of the team enjoys it. I’ve got to do what I can to support them and give back to them.”
Next up for Silver Hare Racing on the TA2 Series schedule is the WWTR SpeedTour, the season’s fourth of 12 rounds, set for May 10-11 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis.
Drivers Connor Mosack, Boris Said Jr., and Jake Drew will anchor the driver lineup for last year’s race-winning team.
“With NASCAR having so many more road-course races, it’s our goal for Silver Hare Racing to be the preferred team for drivers to get that road-course experience,” Laura Hull said. “We want to be that important step in the ladder for the young, up-and-coming drivers like Connor. We want people to know we have an arrive-and-drive program, where for people who want to run this track or another, we provide the opportunity to do that and be successful.”