Mechanical Failure Thwarts Connor Zilisch’s Bid for Season’s Sixth Victory

Overview

Date: Nov. 5, 2023

Event: Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour (Round 13 of 13)

Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli

Division: Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series

Location: Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas

Layout: 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course

Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes

Weather: Sunny, upper-60s

Winner: Thomas Annunziata of Nitro Motorsports

Silver Hare Racing:

Connor Zilisch – Started 4th, Finished 42nd (Mechanical, completed 9/27 laps)

Noteworthy:

With five wins, Zilisch and Silver Hare Racing were the winningest driver and team in TA2 this season. The victories came March 26 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, June 4 on the downtown streets of Detroit, Aug. 5 in downtown Nashville, Sept. 24 at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis, and Oct. 8 at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, the home track for the High Point, North Carolina-based team.

Connor Zilisch, Driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“It’s a frustrating way to end the season here at COTA. We got out to the lead early after a bit of rough qualifying with traffic and issues out of our control. But the bottom line is we had a really fast Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The team did a really good job after qualifying, making some adjustments to get me really comfortable. The first five or six laps there, I felt really comfortable. I was able to go from fourth into the lead and lead a few laps before our issue. It doesn’t resemble who we are, one race doesn’t resemble the season that we’ve had. I just feel really proud of all the guys and the progress we made this year, going from struggling to get on the podium to feeling disappointed if we don’t win. I’m just really excited for next year for these guys, to see where they head, and hopefully I’ll be able to make it back for a good chunk of races and not end our legacy with a loss, come back and be able to get some more wins with these guys. Just super proud of the entire season and the effort from the entire team the whole year, and I can’t wait to see what next year holds.”

Maurice Hull, Co-Owner, Silver Hare Racing:

“What an end to an exciting year – we were fast, Connor was the class of the field, we had an unfortunate mechanical failure. Like this year, it was up and down. But the guys did a super job with the car, it was extremely fast and Connor drove it with expertise. He was leading the race and walking off. But unfortunately, things happen, so you’ve got to move on. And the highlight is we were extremely fast the last race of the season. We won five, so all in all a great year, and looking forward to next year, it can only get better. We’ve got a super crew, the car is fast, and Connor did a super job this year. We’re looking forward to coming back and running for the championship next year.”

Next Up

The 2024 Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series season kicks off with the traditional Sebring SpeedTour at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway the weekend of Feb. 22-25. The complete weekend schedule will be announced at a later date.

-SilverHareRacing-