Tag: Connor Zilisch

Zilisch finally nabs first MX-5 Cup win of 2024 at Mid-Ohio

Despite starting the year off with breakthrough victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hour there was still one win that eluded Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing)-until today. The racing phenom fought hard to get his first Whelen …

Despite starting the year off with breakthrough victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hour there was still one win that eluded Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing)-until today. The racing phenom fought hard to get his first Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup win of the year at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Zilisch continues the streak of non-repeat race winners and becomes the seventh different driver to win in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup this season. Defending series champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) finished second ahead of polesitter Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing).

Watch replay:

After breaking his own qualifying lap record at Mid-Ohio Saturday morning, Wagner looked like the man to beat up front. He led a breakaway pack that included Zilisch, Thomas and Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing).

The intense racing happening from fifth through tenth behind them looked like it could have been a fight for a championship. Penalties handed out in qualifying put some of the regular front runners farther back than usual and with the passing opportunities at Mid-Ohio, it was a whirlwind of position changes through 45 minutes of all green-flag racing. Point leader Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering), top rookie Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and podium regular Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) had to make some daring moves to pick their way through the field.

It wasn’t long before Wagner, Zilisch, Thomas and Cicero were gone and in a race of their own. Zilisch and Thomas took turns trying to pressure Wagner into a mistake, but it wasn’t happening. With 15 minutes to go, Zilisch put down the hammer and decided he needed to take over the lead then and there if he wanted to win the race.

“Honestly, I was surprised at how fast we pulled away and how far we pulled away,” Zilisch said. “I kind of lost sight of them from behind, so that did change the way I raced the race and honestly, it worked out in my favor.

“I was waiting on a mistake. I wanted to get to the lead as soon as I could. But I honestly just couldn’t get there. You know, I struggled on to the straightaways and I never could really get a run to get by them. It was a little bit frustrating there at the middle of the race. I just stayed patient and kind of waited for Jared [Thomas] and Gresham [Wagner] to make mistakes and found my way to the lead.”

Zilisch was sliding around quite a bit and gave Wagner an opportunity to get him back, but Zilisch would not be denied.

“Once I got the lead I knew I couldn’t lose it,” Zilisch said. “So thats kind of what kind of led me to defend on the last five or six laps just to hold on to the track position.”

Zilisch adds this MX-5 Cup win to his list of banner achievements so far this season that also include an ARCA victory at Dover and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole at Circuit of the Americas.

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“This feels good,” Zilisch said. “This is one of the only series that I’ve yet to win in this year. I really wanted to win coming into this weekend and it feels good to do it with my BSI Racing team. They work really hard. We struggled yesterday in practice. I was outside the top 10. We worked hard overnight and got it to a place where I felt like we could contend. I’m so happy with the entire team’s effort and glad that I could get our team the second win of the year and my first one of the year.”

Thomas may have been disappointed with a sixth-place grid spot, but he was flying to the front as soon as the green dropped.

He is credited with leading a race lap early in the race, but without a teammate to work with, it was tricky finding ways to keep Wagner and Zilisch behind him.

“The car was super quick,” Thomas said. “I turned the fastest lap of the race. But, you know, these races always come down to the last lap and the positioning and these two guys (Zilisch and Wagner) are very talented racecar drivers. It was just a good old-fashioned Mid-Ohio race.

“Zilisch had a run there and wanted to push by so I pushed him past and, you know, I tried to get to where I wanted to be for the last couple laps. I mean, we all have to work together a little bit, but everybody has their own agenda at the end of the day.”

On the second to last lap Wagner slid wide in the Carousel, enabling Thomas to grab the second step on the podium.

Wagner may have had the car to beat, but you need a lot more than that to win in MX-5 Cup.

“I think anybody that’s got any experience could tell I was the fastest car in that race,” Wagner said. “Of course, it’s a bit frustrating when you know the car is that good and that quick, but you also kind of put a target on your back. I didn’t expect to really have much help at the end, and I didn’t, but I’m definitely not upset with how it turned out. It was a good race all in all.”

Cicero faded back from the top three during the race but was able to finish fourth on his own.

Jeansonne was the best of the feisty pack fighting for fifth and scored important points.

Julian DaCosta (No. 78 JTR Motorsports Engineering) was the highest finishing rookie in seventh. Sally Mott (No. 15 Spark Performance) was the highest finishing female driver.

Mazda MX-5 Cup race two at Mid-Ohio takes place Sunday, June 9, at 10:25 a.m. ET with live streaming available on the RACER YouTube channel and at IMSA.tv.

Spire Motorsports expands Connor Zilisch’s schedule in NASCAR Truck Series

Spire Motorsports announced that it has expanded Connor Zilisch’s schedule in the No. 7 truck during the 2024 NASCAR Truck Series season.

[autotag]Connor Zilisch[/autotag] made his NASCAR Truck Series debut with Spire Motorsports at Circuit of the Americas, which was very impressive. Zilisch blew out the competition for the pole position and finished in fourth place despite several mistakes throughout the day. Now, the 17-year-old driver will have more opportunities in the No. 7 truck.

[autotag]Spire Motorsports[/autotag] announced on Thursday morning that Zilisch’s schedule in the No. 7 truck has expanded for five more races in 2024. Zilisch will drive the entry at Richmond Raceway on August 10, Bristol Motor Speedway on September 19, Talladega Superspeedway on October 4, Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, and Martinsville Speedway on November 1.

Zilisch is considered one of NASCAR’s best talents after signing with Trackhouse Racing during the offseason. Due to Spire Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing’s relationship, seeing this become a full-time gig in 2025 wouldn’t be surprising. For now, Zilisch will have to wait for his oval debut in NASCAR, but it will be well worth it come August.

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Connor Zilisch signs with JR Motorsports for partial Xfinity schedule in 2024

JR Motorsports announced that Connor Zilisch will drive the No. 88 car in select NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2024.

[autotag]JR Motorsports[/autotag] has teased announcements for its No. 88 car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and it landed another driver with a boatload of potential. On Tuesday morning, JR Motorsports announced that [autotag]Connor Zilisch[/autotag] will drive the No. 88 Xfinity car in select races in 2024. Zilisch signed with Trackhouse Racing during the offseason.

The 17-year-old driver is a versatile competitor, who won the LMP2 class during the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA earlier in the year. Zilisch will drive the No. 88 car at Watkins Glen International on September 14, Kansas Speedway on September 28, Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 26, and Phoenix Raceway on November 9.

Zilisch will turn 18 years old in July, so he will be eligible to compete in Xfinity Series races by September. This is a massive addition for JR Motorsports as the young driver is regarded as one of NASCAR’s best prospects. Expectations should be held in check, but it will be fascinating to see how Zilisch runs starting in September.

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Zilisch leads flag to flag in TA2 opener at Sebring

17-year-old Connor Zilisch was unstoppable in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at Sebring International Raceway, opening up the 2024 season with a win from the pole. He took green flag from the point …

17-year-old Connor Zilisch was unstoppable in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at Sebring International Raceway, opening up the 2024 season with a win from the pole. He took green flag from the point position and led every lap en route to victory, cleanly dominating the 27-lap race.

Zilisch’s No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro was the class of the field, pacing the competition from start to finish. He managed to open up multi-second advantages over second place through three long runs, effortlessly keeping his lead through two restarts after full-course cautions.

Behind Zilisch, many of the most heated battles were between teammates at Nitro Motorsports, which had seven fast entries in the event, five of which started the race in the top 10. Two-time TA2 champion Rafa Matos in the No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang held the runner-up position for most of the 27-lap race, but was challenged by his teammate Tyler Gonzalez in the No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang with seven laps to go. Gonzalez ultimately came home with the second step on the podium, with Matos rounding out the top three. Thomas Annunziata in the No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang finished fourth, working his way up from a seventh-place starting spot, followed by 2023 Rookie of the Year Austin Green in the No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang.

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“I’m super thankful for everyone at Silver Hare Racing; this is a brand-new Howe Racing car that they built together,” said Zilisch. “To come out here in the first race with this car and get a win is really special to me. I’m sure it’s special to all these guys who’ve worked really hard on this car all off-season long. I’m just super proud of this team. Unfortunately, I can’t be here all year to race with them. I’m confident that Connor Mosack and Boris Said Jr. will do a good job keeping the team up front. I’m just thankful to Maurice and Laura Hull for everything they’ve done for me and making this possible. I’m glad I could be here and get my first win of the season in the Trans Am Series.”

This is the third time in the last four CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series races that Connor Zilisch has not only won, but led from flag to flag. Zilisch was the winningest driver in the class in 2023 with five victories.

Nitro Motorsports had two drivers on the podium and three cars in the top five. This was Rafa Matos’ first race driving for the team.

Tyler Gonzalez’s second-place finish was earned in just his second-career Trans Am race. He and Matos are two of six drivers to race in the Trans Am Series this year with support from the PMH Powering Diversity Scholarship.

The highlight show of Saturday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, February 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series next hit the track at the Mission Foods Road Atlanta SpeedTour, March 21-24. Tickets can be purchased here on SpeedTour.net.

RESULTS

Zilisch opens TA2 season with another pole at Sebring

Connor Zilisch, in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro, set pole for the season-opening Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at Sebring International Raceway. He was TA2’s winningest driver in 2023, …

Connor Zilisch, in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro, set pole for the season-opening Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at Sebring International Raceway. He was TA2’s winningest driver in 2023, earning five victories and four pole awards, and added to that tally Friday with a 2m05.062s lap.

“It feels really good to be on the pole,” said Zilisch. “This is a brand new car; we didn’t get the chance to test at all because I’ve been so busy the last few weeks, so this is just a testament to all the people at Silver Hare and the work that they put into these cars in the off-season. We’ve got two cars in the front two rows, so we’ve got a really good chance to get on the podium tomorrow as a team and have a good first race to the season. I’m really proud of everyone at Silver Hare Racing. We ended last year really well and wanted to come back here to Sebring and start the season really well. I haven’t had a lot of success here in the past, unfortunately, but we’re starting in a good place tomorrow. I’ve got a lot of confidence that we’ll be able to keep it up front and, hopefully, end our Sebring weekend with a win to start the season off strong.”

The race will be contested Saturday at 11:15 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live on MAVTV Select and at 3:00 p.m. ET on MAVTV. It can also be streamed live here.

The re-broadcast of the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, February 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

RESULTS

Zilisch charting a rapid rise

There aren’t a lot of 17-year olds walking around with a Rolex. There are even fewer who earned it by winning one of the biggest endurance races in the world on their first attempt. Connor Zilisch transitioned from a long career in karts to racing …

There aren’t a lot of 17-year olds walking around with a Rolex. There are even fewer who earned it by winning one of the biggest endurance races in the world on their first attempt.

Connor Zilisch transitioned from a long career in karts to racing cars three years ago, beginning with Spec Miata in SCCA competition, finishing third in a 70-car field in the 2021 SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and earning SCCA’s Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year award. Last month, along with Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel and Christian Rasmussen, he won LMP2 with Era Motorsports in the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona, his first race in an LMP2, or any aero car for that matter. And he did it while doubling up in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, where he also scored a pole.

“The P2 car took me some time. It’s a lot different than anything I’ve driven,” Zilisch says. “So figuring it out, it’s been … I wouldn’t say a challenge, I feel like I’ve acclimated to it well, but it’s definitely different. But I’ve got a really great group of people around me at Era Motorsports and I did a lot of prep for it with the guys back at Chevy, as silly as it may sound. Scott Speed, he’s involved in that and he’s helped me a bunch with simulator work and just giving me advice. He obviously raced F1, so he’s got a lot of experience in different kinds of cars as well. It just it helps a lot to have quick people you can ask questions and people that know what they’re doing and that’s what I’ve leaned on.”

That mentorship goes for his Era Motorsports teammates as well, and Dalziel had high praise for Zilisch after the victory, noting that he gave up his final stint in the No. 18 ORECA so Zilisch and Rasmussen could finish. On Sunday morning, Zilisch set the fifth-fastest lap time of all the LMP2 drivers during the race, only about 0.3s off the best overall LMP2 time, set by Colin Braun. Rasmussen finished the race, pulling out to a 6s lead in the final 30 minutes of green flag running to take victory over Braun, George Kurtz, Toby Sowery and Malthe Jakonsen in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR entry.

Zilisch, at left, celebrates at Daytona with Era Motorsport teammates Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel and Christian Rasmussen. Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

So while the Roar and Rolex 24 weekends were a whirlwind for Zilisch with a lot of seat time, looking over the past couple of months, it’s a wonder he has had time to breathe. After the late-December announcement that he would join Era Motorsports for the Michelin Endurance Cup, Trackhouse Racing announced that it had signed an agreement with the rising star. When someone you beat on track in a Trans Am TA2 car recruits you, there aren’t many higher compliments.

“I have watched Connor grow from a youngster racing go-karts at the Trackhouse Motorplex to an up-close seat as he beat all of us in the Trans Am race at VIR a few months ago,” said Trackhouse founder Justin Marks in making the announcement. “This kid is an amazing talent who we wanted to be part of the Trackhouse family. We are going to go slow with Connor and make sure he’s fully prepared as he advances in what we believe will be a long racing career.”

So, the not-yet-adult who has already raced and won in MX-5 Cup, TA2, LMP2 and late models will, in 2024, compete his first races in ARCA, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series in addition to the IMEC and some more MX-5 Cup races. And what was he doing the weekend prior to the Roar Before the 24? Beating 75-car fields in both Spec Miata races at the SCCA Hoosier Super Tour at Sebring International Raceway, the location of his next race in the LMP2. It’s been, and will continue to be, a packed schedule for Zilisch.

“I’m running the full Endurance Cup with Era,” he says. “I’m going to run a select amount of ARCA races, a select amount of Truck races and a select amount of Xfinity races as well; not sure where or when yet, but those are going to be big, big learning tools for me, getting on some bigger tracks on the oval. As I’ve signed this deal with Trackhouse, I need to get better at that stuff.

“I’m really looking forward to getting out there and getting some seat time on some bigger tracks in the stock cars. It’s going be a really busy year, though — I’ve also got some late model races that I’m going to be doing. I’m going to be in a lot of different disciplines, but there’s no way to be a better driver than to get seat time.”

In the meantime, he’ll get to relish the Rolex 24 victory, and look forward to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“I keep trying to make sure I’m awake and not dreaming still,” he says. “It’s surreal. I was sitting in the pit box there, and I couldn’t even watch the race it was so nerve-racking. I have complete faith in Christian. He’s a badass, honestly. When he got out of the car, he told me he was completely chill. I was getting into the car and I was shaking. I don’t know why, but I never really get like that, but before that last stint when I had the double before Christian at the end, it was nerve-wracking.

“But once you get in the car, it all goes away. It was a surreal feeling those last 10 minutes when we kind of realized, ‘Wow, we are going to win this, we have a really good chance at this.’ It’s been a wild last few weeks for me, but that’s not going to let my head get big. I’ve still got to put in the work. I’m only 17 — it’s not like I’ve achieved everything.”

But he’s on track to achieve an awful lot. If the first you heard of Connor Zilisch was Era’s LMP2 victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, be prepared to hear a lot more.

Trackhouse Racing signs young rising NASCAR star to multi-year contract

Trackhouse Racing announced on Thursday afternoon that it has signed this young rising NASCAR star to a multi-year contract.

[autotag]Trackhouse Racing[/autotag] has made another big signing in NASCAR. On Thursday afternoon, Trackhouse Racing signed [autotag]Connor Zilisch[/autotag] to a multi-year driver agreement. Zilisch is a rising star at only 17 years old and will compete in select CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans Am, and IMSA races, plus NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series events in 2024 and 2025.

The 17-year-old driver competed in one ARCA Menards Series race during the 2023 season, resulting in a second-place finish at Watkins Glen International. Most notably, Zilisch will compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, which is one of the biggest races of the year. There is a lot of optimism from Trackhouse Racing that Zilisch can be special.

Speaking of Trackhouse Racing, Zilisch marks the third offseason signing after the team acquired Zane Smith and Shane van Gisbergen. The organization is taking steps in the right direction by securing key drivers for its short-term and long-term future. With Zilisch, this is a great singing that will lean toward the long-term success of Trackhouse Racing.

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Zilisch signs development program deal with Trackhouse

Trackhouse Racing has signed 17-year-old Connor Zilisch to a multiyear agreement that will see him compete in multiple racing series this year. Zilisch, in a developmental program for 2024 and 2025, will be fielded in select CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans …

Trackhouse Racing has signed 17-year-old Connor Zilisch to a multiyear agreement that will see him compete in multiple racing series this year.

Zilisch, in a developmental program for 2024 and 2025, will be fielded in select CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans Am and IMSA events, as well as NASCAR national series events in the Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series. Additionally, Zilisch will be entered in the Rolex 24 At Daytona later this month.

“I have watched Connor grow from a youngster racing go-karts at the Trackhouse Motorplex to an up-close seat as he beat all of us in the Trans-Am race at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) a few months ago,” said Trackhouse boss Justin Marks. “This kid is an amazing talent who we wanted to be a part of the Trackhouse family. We are going to go slow with Connor and make sure he’s fully prepared as he advances in what we believe will be a long racing career.”

Marks has competed against Zilisch in the Trans Am Series. Last year, Zilisch won five of the 13 Trans Am Series TA2 events he entered. He also competed and won in the Trans Am Series TA class, becoming the youngest driver to be victories in his first career start in the class and the first to win races in two different classes in a single weekend (Oct. 7 at VIR).

Zilisch turns 18 in July, which will make him eligible to compete on bigger racetracks in NASCAR. From a young age, Zilisch began putting together a diverse racing résumé that includes kart racing in Europe before he was a teenager, the top prize in the Mazda MX-5 Cup scholarship, a CARS Pro Late Model Tour victory and a second-place finish in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen.

“This is a dream come true,” Zilisch said. “I can’t thank Justin and everyone at Trackhouse Racing enough for giving me this opportunity. It has been a pleasure to spend the last two years racing with Chevrolet and I am thrilled to extend that relationship. I have a lot to learn, but I don’t think there is a better place for me to learn than with Trackhouse Racing.”

Zilisch joins Era Motorsport LMP2 team

Era Motorsport has confirmed Connor Zilisch as the final driver of its No. 18 ORECA 07 LMP2 car for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The 17-year-old Zilisch will join team drivers Ryan Dalziel and Dwight Merriman for the Michelin …

Era Motorsport has confirmed Connor Zilisch as the final driver of its No. 18 ORECA 07 LMP2 car for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The 17-year-old Zilisch will join team drivers Ryan Dalziel and Dwight Merriman for the Michelin Endurance Cup, as well as Indy NXT champion Christian Rasmussen for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

“I’m super excited to get going in 2024 with Era Motorsport for my first season in endurance racing,” said Zilisch, “but I have a lot to learn as this is a very different style of racing than I’m used to. Thankfully, I have a great team around me and very experienced teammates in Ryan, Dwight, and Christian that I will be able to learn from throughout the season.”

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Zilisch started his driving career at age four behind the wheel of a kart. After moving up through the ranks, he became a karting world champion in 2017 at the Rok International Championship in Italy, and followed it up by becoming the first American to win the FIA Karting Academy Championship in 2020.

In 2021 at the age of 14, Zilisch began his race car career and set seven track records at six different tracks that year, and winning the 2021 MX-5 Cup Scholarship, and took MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year honors the following year.

Signing on as a Chevrolet Junior Development Driver in 2022, Zilisch finished fourth overall in the this season’s Trans Am TA2 class, with five wins during the season.

“I’m super happy to have a promising up-and-comer like Zilisch in the car,” said team owner Kyle Tilley. “Even after just one test it’s clear that he’s going to be one of the best drivers in the field any time he hits the track. I think with him joining our already strong lineup we have great odds at a strong performance not just at Daytona, but for the overall championship”

Zilisch doubles up in Mazda MX-5 Cup at Road Atlanta

It was a day of repeats for the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports) was a repeat winner at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) became the …

It was a day of repeats for the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports) was a repeat winner at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) became the first repeat champion in Mazda MX-5 Cup history. Veteran racer Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports), finished second, with Max Opalski (No. 2 Copeland Motorsports) closing out a promising season with a run to third.

So consistent was Thomas this season, he only needed to finish the race to claim his second-consecutive Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship. While a fifth-place finish at Road Atlanta for Thomas certainly wasn’t his best race, it was more than enough to win the championship and the $250,000 prize on offer from Mazda.

“When you get the opportunity to come out here and race, you want to run as hard as you can,” Thomas said. “I learned from last year that you can’t be conservative at all. So as soon as I knew we were locked in, I kind of stepped it up a little bit, but I made a mistake in the race – though it was a good battle with Aaron [Jeansonne] there at the end. We were trying to catch the pack in front of us and we eventually did get there, but it was just a little too late. We were just hooked up right there pushing because we knew the only way to catch the pack in front of us was to push. It was a great run and all in all, a great year.”

With teammates Thomas and Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) one-two in the drivers’ championship, JTR Motorsports Engineering had no trouble securing the Team Championship.

“I’m so proud of this entire team,” Thomas said. “Everybody’s put in a lot of hard work, a lot of long hours – and it’s also cool to have a one-two for the championship. That’s pretty impressive, I’m happy with that.”

Early in the 45-minute race, the top half of the field broke into two trains. Thomas led the second one and in the first group six drivers were playing musical chairs with the lead.

Zilisch and Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) spent the most time in the lead, but Rollan, Robert Noaker (No. 13 Robert Noaker Racing), Tyler Gonzalez (No. 35 Saito Motorsports Group) and Opalski were always in the mix. With less than 10 minutes to go, Wagner started to pull away from the pack, but the others just needed to work together to draft right back to his bumper.

“When Gresham got himself a gap there, I knew we were going to be able to run him back down,” Zilisch said. “There was still enough time; in this series, those gaps don’t last for long. As long as you have a few guys towards the front that will work with you and push to get back up to the front, you’re usually able to catch up to a leader that’s kind of alone.”

Gonzalez was leading with three laps to go when Joe Rainey (No. 17 Robert Noaker Racing) made contact with the wall exiting Turn 12 and came to a stop near pit out. The leaders all had their teams communicating to them that a full-course yellow was about to come out. Knowing that if the safety car did come out, the race would end under yellow, the drivers sense of urgency escalated. Coming into Turn 10, Noaker, Gonzalez, Wagner and Zilisch went two-by-two. Contact was made, spinning Noaker around and forcing Gonzalez, Wagner and Zilisch to take evasive action.

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The incident allowed Rollan and Opalski to slip through and queue up behind Zilisch, who had taken the best escape route.

Race control determined the car was in a safe spot and did not issue a full-course yellow. With two laps to go, Zilisch led Rollan and Opalski and that’s how the race finished.

“When they started battling for a second, I had a little bit of stress so I’m just glad I could get back up to the lead and get myself a chance to win the race,” Zilisch said. It feels really good to get our second win of the weekend here at Road Atlanta and a one-two finish for Hixon Motor Sports with Selin Rollan. The team does such a good job setting up these cars and giving us the opportunity. We’ve got Andrew Carbonell coaching us now, making us better drivers. It really does take an army to come out here and do this kind of stuff and to have the success that we’ve had every time I’ve come out here and raced this series. It means a lot to me so I’m glad I could get the win for my team and end the year on a positive note.”

Teammates Zilisch and Rollan came across the finish line glued to each other, something that’s become fairly common for the two.

“This is great for Hixon Motor Sports,” Rollan said. “We did this last year, which was great. It’s another one-two for the team, I think this might be like our third or fourth. It’s a great feeling. Congrats to Connor – that kid is going places. Thanks, Hixon Motor Sports, thanks Austin Hatcher. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I’m happy to end it on a high note. That was a crazy race, yesterday was a crazy race, but we brought home two good finishes so it’s a good way to end the year.”

Opalski was able to take advantage of the Turn 10 incident, but had to hold off Wagner and Gonzalez for two laps to take the final podium spot.

“That was super intense all race long,” Opalski said. “We made a little gap, which was nice, but I think my car started falling off and I made do with what I had and managed the best I could. So, I’m pretty happy with a P3 today. We were so close to a win all season; I hope I can come back and try again.

“The team told me there would most likely be a full-course caution, so I thought I was somewhat safe – they told me to just stay where I was and just make good laps, and we’d be good. But then the white flag came out and I had to lock in and finish the last lap.”

Wagner finished fourth on the track, but a post-race penalty for his involvement in the Turn 10 scuffle dropped him to 19th. That promoted Gonzalez to fourth and Thomas to fifth.

Rookie Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) finished 10th, securing his Rookie of the Year Title and a nice $80,000 prize from Mazda.

All award winners will be honored Friday evening at the Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship Banquet.

All races from the 2023 season are available to watch on the RACER and IMSA YouTube channels.