Polewinner Connor Zilisch Charges from Last to Season’s Second Victory; Mid-Race Flat Tire Ruins Podium Bid for TA2 Rookie Ben Maier
Overview:
Date: June 4, 2023
Event: Detroit Grand Prix (Round 6 of 13)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Big Machine Vodka Spiked CoolersTA2 Series
Location: Streets of Downtown Detroit
Layout: 1.7-mile, nine-turn temporary street circuit
Format: 60 minutes
Weather: Sunny, low 70s
Winner: Connor Zilisch of Silver Hare Racing
Silver Hare Racing:
● Connor Zilisch – Started 28th, Finished 1st (Running, completed 41/41 laps)
● Ben Maier – Started 14th, Finished 17th (Running, completed 40/41 laps)
Noteworthy: Connor Zilisch earned the pole for Sunday’s second race of the weekend by virtue of his fastest race lap Saturday. But a technical disqualification sent Zilisch to the rear of the 28-car starting grid for today’s race. The 16-year-old driver clocked the fastest race lap for the second day in a row to earn the Omologato Watch Award on his way to taking the checkered flag in the runner-up position behind Thomas Annunziata, then was subsequently awarded the victory when Annunziata was penalized for avoidable contact that sparked a multicar accident in the closing laps. It was Zilisch’s second career win and second of the season. His first came March 26 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Connor Zilisch, Driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:
“It’s a sweet way to end our weekend here. We’d just been struck with back luck over and over again. In the first race (Saturday), we had the fastest car and didn’t win. And today we had the fastest car again and didn’t cross the finish line first. So to come all the way from dead last to ending up with the race win is just that much sweeter. We’re going on to the next race with all this momentum. We’ve got the fastest cars, the best crew around me, I love driving Chevrolets, especially at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Just thankful to be in this position and thankful for the team around me, the opportunity they have given me. Maurice and Laura Hull (co-owners), they do so much for me as a driver and a person. Just so thankful for Jeff (Holley, crew chief), Gil Martin (competition director), Ryan (Isabell, engineer), everybody on the team, they all worked their tails off to try and give me this opportunity. They were here slaving away for hours last night to get things fixed up after I put it in the wall (Saturday). To get the win the way we did here today is amazing.”
Ben Maier, Driver, No. 75 Gel Blaster/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:
“Things were going well and we had another fast racecar today. Seems like things never turn out the way you want it. We had a flat in turn eight. At least it was one corner away from the pit entrance, so I was able to dive in there, change the tire, but I went a lap down. I got some good track time this weekend, and still no damage to the car this season. So far, so good. Mid-Ohio is next, and I’ve raced there before, which is a good thing.”
Maurice Hull, Co-Owner, Silver Hare Racing:
“Boy, the highs and lows of racing. We set the fastest laps both days, earned the pole both days, but because of some repairs we did to our damaged fender, we got pushed to the back today. So Connor started dead last and won the race after all that adversity, and he ran the fastest race laps again today, just extraordinary. And Ben was impressive. He had a flat tire today that messed up his race, but he was running in the top-10 all day. He came home with a clean car, no wrecks, didn’t hit anything, drove a fast, clean race. His fastest lap times of the weekend were in the race today. Really proud of them, super improvement by both drivers. But the real kudos go to the crew. We had a torn-up racecar yesterday afternoon, ran the fastest laps of the race today and came away with the win. They had to put it back together. Their skill and expertise is unmatched. I’m just as proud as I can be.”
Next Up:
Round seven of the 2023 Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series takes Silver Hare Racing to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, June 23-25 for the Permco Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio. The weekend begins with a TA2 test session on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit the afternoon of Friday, June 23. TA2 practice kicks off Saturday’s festivities with qualifying set for that afternoon. The 45-lap, 70-minute TA2 race is set for 10:55 a.m. Sunday with live streaming provided by the Trans Am Series and SpeedTourTV channels on YouTube, with a delayed re-broadcast on MAVTV set for 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 29.
About Silver Hare Racing:
Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series. The multicar team has won the TA2 Masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, visit SilverHareRacing.com.
