14-Year-Old Steps Up to TA2 Class After 11 National Karting Titles, Success in SCCA Spec Series, Nitro Rallycross and Stadium Super Trucks

HIGH POINT, N.C. (Feb. 22, 2023) – The youth movement continues in full force in the Silver Hare Racing stable for 2023 with the addition of Ben Maier to its driver lineup that’s set to contend for the championship in the Trans Am Series by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series.

The 14-year-old from Chester, Maryland, whose resume includes 11 national karting titles, as well as tastes of success in racing disciplines that include Stadium Super Trucks, Nitro Rallycross and NASA’s Spec Miata championship, joins 16-year-old Connor Zilisch, a fellow up-and-coming driving phenom who returns to Silver Hare Racing for the second year in a row.

It will be Maier’s first foray into the hotly competitive TA2 class after earning rookie of the year honors while running just a partial schedule in 2022 in Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks series, which is a frequent undercard during IndyCar event weekends. He scored a best finish of third during Music City Grand Prix weekend last August on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee.

Maier proved his ability to excel in pure road-racing equipment last year, as well, finishing second or better in his first five Spec Miata races. And his brief taste of competition in Travis Pastrana’s popular Nitro Rallycross last year included a runner-up finish in the SXS class during the November round at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park outside Phoenix.

“I’m super excited about the opportunity to join Silver Hare Racing and race in TA2,” said Maier, a two-time representative of Team USA in the European karting championships, as well as the youngest driver to ever win at the prestigious Supernats karting event in Las Vegas. “I think my experience in different types of racing will all help me get up to speed in the TA2 car. There are things about the 650-horsepower supertrucks, the Spec Miata and the racecraft that it takes to be good in rallycross will all come in handy. We have Gel Blaster as our primary sponsor, which is exciting, and we’re hoping our commitment to this series helps us attract additional partners. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Maier will pilot the No. 75 Gel Blaster/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro beginning with this weekend’s Trans Am season-opening Sebring SpeedTour on the iconic Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway circuit. It’s the first of 12 events on the TA2 calendar for 2023.

“Like Connor did for us a year ago, Ben adds another impressive resume to our lineup, and at such a young age,” said Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing co-owner and team manager. “Our goal is to be an important step in the ladder for young, up-and-coming drivers like Ben and Connor, and we are proud to offer the resources and the experience to help them reach their goals. It’s amazing to see the huge influx of young driving talent in not only Trans Am, but seemingly all forms of professional racing. We are certainly looking forward to watching Ben’s talents grow with us this year, and to watch him and Connor do everything they can to help us contend for the championship.”

-Silver Hare Racing-