MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Connor Zilisch will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut during next weekend’s XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americas with Spire Motorsports.
In addition to next weekend’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 Oct. 27 playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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 is a 10-time Trans-Am TA2 class race winner and a central component of Trackhouse Racing’s driver development program.
“I can’t wait to make my NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Circuit of the Americas, as well as other select races with Spire Motorsports this year,” said Zilisch. “Spire has obviously had a lot of success already this year, so I know that I’m getting into winning equipment.
“I’ve been doing a lot of preparation for COTA, and I feel that it’s a track that suits my style. I can’t wait to get to work with these guys and hopefully get my No. 7 Austin Hatcher Foundation Chevy Silverado to victory lane.”
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer will serve as Zilisch’s primary sponsor for all three races.
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. The Trackhouse Racing development driver 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.
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.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Spire Motorsports in a couple different ways,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. “We’re thrilled to have Connor Zilisch drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado this season, but separately, we’re looking forward to working closely with our friends at Chevrolet and Trackhouse Racing to help Connor get some vital seat time.
“Connor is an exceptionally talented young racer whose credentials speak for themselves. It’s almost hard to get your arms around how accomplished he really is, given that he’s just 17-years-old. Based on what he’s done already, we expect Connor to be a key contributor as we race for a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner’s championship.”