For Silver Hare Racing, VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) is home for many reasons. In addition to being the closest track to the team’s High Point, N.C. race shop, team owners Maurice and Laura Hull (pictured above) own and operate Waukegan Farms, which is located just six miles southeast of VIR in Semora, N.C. But more than that, VIR is the heart of Silver Hare Racing. It’s where Laura, who grew up 30 miles south of the track in Union Ridge, N.C., met Maurice, setting in motion the events that led to the creation of the successful multi-car CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series team. Laura worked as the PR and marketing director at VIR from 2002-04, and met Maurice, who was racing sports cars and vintage cars at the track. Introduced through a mutual friend in 2002, the two have been together ever since.
“When I think about VIR, I would have to say there’s no place like home, especially racing at home,” said Laura Hull. “Every year at this time, we really want to extend our warmest welcome to the racing community by saying, ‘Welcome to our home.’ We couldn’t be more excited for this weekend. Not only is it such a unique track and a beautiful part of the country, my personal experience at VIR was completely life changing. Between my work experience there and my love for racing, it’s where I truly met the love of my life, not to sound cliché. It was in the paddock there that Maurice and I were introduced by a mutual friend way back in 2002, and meeting him completely changed my life. It led to the creation of Silver Hare Racing, which Maurice and I are so terribly proud of.”
Not only is VIR a home track for the team, but it’s also a very special track for Connor Zilisch, who is back in the Trans Am Series this weekend for the first time since his season-opening TA2 win at Sebring International Raceway in February. Zilisch made his Trans Am debut at VIR with Nitro Motorsports in 2021, earning the pole in his first weekend in a TA2 car. Last year, Zilisch made history, sweeping the weekend and becoming the first driver to win both a TA and TA2 race in a single weekend, driving to GYM WEED Winners Circle in his first-career TA start.
“Obviously, VIR is special to me because that’s where it all started for me with Silver Hare Racing,” said Zilisch. “I had my first test with them back in 2021. Then going there and winning in the TA2 race last year and winning the TA race on the same weekend, becoming the first person to sweep a weekend, it makes it a special track for me and one that I really enjoy, too.
“It’s one of my favorite tracks in the country, and I always have a good time when I race there. It’s historically been a really good track for me as well, so I’m looking forward to getting back there and racing with everybody and getting back with the Trans Am Series. Obviously, things have changed since I last was there with the series, so I’m looking forward to getting there and seeing how the series has grown and I’m ready to make the most of this opportunity at a track that I love.”
Outside of the Trans Am paddock, Zilisch has been forging a name for himself in all forms of motorsports. He started the year with an LMP2 win in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and followed that up with a victory in the same class in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. He has earned five ARCA Menards Series wins, and earned a pole and top-five finish in his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Circuit of The Americas. Zilisch has a multi-year development contract with Trackhouse Racing and Chevrolet, has joined the Red Bull family of athletes, and most recently made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, where he scored both the pole and the race win at Watkins Glen International in his first career start.
This weekend, Zilisch will have the additional challenge of competing in Saturday’s race without practice or qualifying, as he will be driving in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday night. The team is also welcoming three partners from the region to Zilisch’s No. 57 Camaro: Bankers Insurance Group, Guy M Turner Company and Clark Outdoor, in addition to receiving support from Chevrolet Driver Development.
“I’m really excited for this weekend back at VIR. I’ve got the NASCAR Truck Series race at Talladega on Friday and it’s going to be a busy day on Saturday getting back up to VIR to run the TA2 race,” said Zilisch. “We tested a little bit at VIR and felt really comfortable with the car. We’re just building off the speed we had there last year; we were really fast and it was probably one of our best races last year.
“It’s really special to race at VIR, being the home race for Silver Hare Racing, and it’s the closest race on the schedule to my house, as well, so it’s also a home race for me and that makes it even more important and more special to go out and perform. Obviously, this is only my second race with Silver Hare Racing this year in the TA2 series, and it’d be cool to go two-for-two. It means a lot to race with this team and get back with all the guys that I kind of started my professional career with. I’m going to try and do everything I can to apply everything I’ve learned this year in all the other series I’ve been blessed to be able to race in and make the most of this opportunity.
“It means a lot to be able to race with Silver Hare Racing again and be back with Maurice and Laura Hull, Gil Martin and Jeff Holley, and everybody who I’ve learned from over the years. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off last time. We won the race at Sebring and just want to build on that success and the success we had the last half of last season. I’m looking forward to it and I’m ready for the opportunity and ready to make the most of it.”
Zilisch will be competing with Silver Hare Racing teammate Jake Drew (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro), who has had an impressive first season in Trans Am. Drew has earned three podium finishes and six top-five finishes so far, and he is currently in a tight race for the Young Gun award. Boris Said Jr. will also be flying the Silver Hare banner in the No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Chevrolet Camaro.
The green flag will wave for the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at VIR on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 12:40 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV as well as on the Trans Am Series YouTube channel.