Connor Zilisch Stranded On Course After Brush With Wall, Cut Tire;

Late-Race Mechanical Problem Ends Promising Run for Maurice Hull

Overview

Date: Aug. 6, 2022

Event: Big Machine Music City Grand Prix (Round 9 of 12)

Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli

Division: TA2

Location: Streets of Nashville, Tennessee

Layout: 2.17-mile, 11-turn road course

Format: 46 laps or 75 minutes

Weather: Sunny, low 90s

Race Winner: Brent Crews of Nitro Motorsports

Silver Hare Racing:

  • Maurice Hull – Started 32nd, Finished 31st (Mechanical, completed 27/34 laps)
  • Connor Zilisch – Started 5th, Finished 35th (Accident, completed 14/34 laps)

Maurice Hull, Driver No. 57 Planet Cowboy/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“What do you say? We were running 19th, faster than the two cars in front of us. We were getting there, but then we broke a third link. So, the rear-end housing was moving around in the back of the car. Gears, wheels, tires and everything else was independent of the steering wheel, a terminal deal. The guys worked really hard. We had a fast car. Good equipment. It was just a weird thing to break. It wasn’t anything that we put on, just an aluminum piece that connects everything back there. Just one of those deals. Connor had a great car today, so his was an unfortunate deal. He grazed the wall with his right-front wheel and it bent the wheel and cut the tire. Just a freak sort of thing. No damage to the car, just cut the tire and he was stranded over on the downtown side of the bridge. Still, I was proud of the guys. We’re right there on the cusp and I feel good about Watkins Glen.”

Connor Zilisch, Driver No. 5 Silver Hare Racing/KHI Management Chevrolet Camaro:

“We were really good. We missed it a little bit in qualifying, but we rebounded after starting fifth. Got up to third and was kind of running there with the leaders, just trying to save everything so I would have something for the end. I knew there were going to be more cautions, so I was just holding onto it. We were able to keep pace with the leaders and I was running good laps and was kind of settling in and just barely grazed the wall. It was enough to cut the right-front down and end our race because I couldn’t get back to the pits. I’m just super disappointed in myself for making that kind of mistake at that point in the race. But we’ll move on as a team to Watkins Glen. We’re definitely moving in the right direction right now. We’ve made some good hires, we’ve got some good people around us, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do as we move forward.”

Next Up

The TA2 competitors of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli have a month-long reprieve before their next race Sept. 8-10 at the iconic Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The Watkins Glen SpeedTour on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course begins with an open test session on Thursday, Sept. 8, followed by practice and qualifying on Friday, Sept. 9 before culminating with the 30-lap, 70-minute TA2-class race on Saturday, Sept. 10. Coverage will be livestreamed via SpeedTourTV.com and the SpeedTourTV page on YouTube.

-SilverHareRacing-