Motorsport News

Connor Zilisch Joining Spire in Trucks

Connor Zilisch after the announcement of his development deal with Trackhouse Racing (Photo: Trackhouse Racing)

The 17-year-old phenom Connor Zilisch will be getting his fill of NASCAR rides in 2024 and now has a debut set for later this month.

After being announced for a four-race deal with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on March 14, Zilisch was announced as the driver of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for at least three races this season on March 15.

Zilisch — a 24 Hours of Daytona winner this past January in the LMP2 class — will make his Truck debut on March 23 in the XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Additionally, Spire announced Zilisch will be in the No. 7 at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 4.

Austin Hatcher Foundation, a nonprofit helping families impacted by childhood cancer, will be Zilisch’s sponsor in all three events.

“I can’t wait to make my NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at Circuit of the America’s, as well as other select races with Spire Motorsports this year,” Zilisch said in a Spire Motorsports press release. “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 race at COTA will be his first in a NASCAR national series. His Xfinity debut is set for Sept. 14 at Watkins Glen International in the No. 88 Chevy from JR Motorsports.

Zilisch qualified second and led 34 laps in his ARCA Menards Series debut last August at Watkins Glen before being passed on the final lap by Jesse Love to finish second.

Trackhouse Racing signed Zilisch to a multi-year deal on Jan. 11.

The Mooresville, North Carolina native made waves early in his career in the Mazda MX-5 Global Cup with four wins, a runner-up points finish and Rookie of the Year honors in 2022. Zilisch also has experience in Trans-Am and the CARS Tour.


Sign up for the Frontstretch Newsletter

A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.

Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …