Dillon Machavern Scores Fifth, Connor Mosack Rallies From 34th to Claim Sixth, Chris Liesfeld Finishes 13th, While Late Incident Derails Top-10 for Thad Moffitt
Overview:
Date: Oct. 8, 2023
Event: VIR SpeedTour (Round 12 of 13)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Big Machine Vodka Spiked CoolersTA2 Series
Location: Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton
Layout: 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course
Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, low-60s
Winner: Connor Zilisch of Silver Hare Racing
TeamSLR:
● Dillon Machavern – Started 9th, Finished 5th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
● Connor Mosack – Started 34th, Finished 6th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
● Thad Moffitt – Started 18th, Finished 24th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
M1 Racecars:
● Chris Liesfeld – Started 22nd, Finished 13th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
Noteworthy:
● Connor Mosack was awarded the Cool Shirt Cool Move of the Race for his charge from 34th and last on the starting grid to today’s sixth-place finish. The fulltime TeamSLR driver in 2021 and 2022 returned for the third time this season but had to forego Saturday’s TA2 practice and qualifying sessions due to his NASCAR Xfinity Series commitment Saturday at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. He drove the No. 8 Sherry Strong/SLR-M1 Racecars entry at VIR today as a tribute to the late Sherry Pollex.
Dillon Machavern, Driver No. 17 Heritage Automotive/Unifirst/SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang:
“That was a good finish today. It felt good to be in the mix. We got shuffled back a few positions on the initial restart and then had to fight our way back toward the front. It was particularly difficult to pass out there today. Once you cleared someone, you could pull away, but getting around people was the hard part. The car was strong throughout the race and we were really hoping to fight for a podium spot but just ran out of time. All in all, a good effort for this TeamSLR/M1 Racecars organization.”
Connor Mosack, Driver No. 8 Sherry Strong/SLR-M1 Racecars Entry:
“It was an honor for us today to honor the Sherry Strong Foundation and honor Sherry Pollex’s legacy in the sport of racing and in NASCAR. Just an honor for me to be able to do that in the Xfinity race yesterday and then again today. Just big thanks to my team, TeamSLR, we brought a really good car but it just took a little too long to get going. We learned some stuff, for sure, and I had a lot of fun coming from the back and just happy we could finish near the front. I just wish we had some more laps.”
Thad Moffitt, Driver No. 43 Customers Bank/Safety-Kleen/Victory Impact Chevrolet Camaro:
“We still have this top-five speed that we’ve shown lately, but it was just unfortunate circumstances today. I think all day, Dillon, Mosack and I kind of ran the same speed. Mosack was definitely the best of the three cars, and I think we probably should’ve run fifth, sixth, seventh, somewhere in there. Of course, on the last restart, we just got spun off the track. I think it was a racing deal. The restart going into one was getting kind of hairy. I knew somebody was going to get wrecked, I just didn’t think it would be me. We got over to turn four and Misha Goikhberg got a little loose and came over into me. Everybody’s on old tires, something like that is going to happen on a restart. It’s just disappointing that we drove from 18th to eighth and ended up 24th. Not to mention, we had a chance to pick up some ground in the rookie points, and we outran a bunch of cars all day that were ahead of us in the overall standings. Just a bummer of an ending to a solid weekend for us. We’ll move to COTA and try to get a podium for the last weekend.”
Chris Liesfeld, Driver No. 96 Fields Racing/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:
“It was a pretty solid day for me. Started 22nd and finished 13th, so for a guy who just shows up every now and then, I’m happy with that. The car was handling pretty well. We worked on the forward drive all weekend, trying to make improvements, and worked on myself, trying to improve as a driver. I probably had a little more left in me. Turned my fastest lap in the middle of the race, which probably should’ve happened sooner. All in all, I felt good about the weekend. I’m happy with the result.”
Next Up:
The 2023 Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series season concludes four weeks hence with the Mission Foods Austin SpeedTour Nov. 3-5 at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The weekend kicks off with a pair of 20-minute TA2 test sessions at 11:15 a.m. and 5:05 p.m. CDT Friday, Nov. 3. Official TA2 practice is set for 11:05 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, followed by qualifying at 3:10 p.m. Sunday’s 30-lap, 75-minute TA2 race begins at 9 a.m. CST with live television coverage provided by MAVTV, augmented by live-streaming video coverage by the Trans Am Series and SpeedTourTV channels on YouTube.
About TeamSLR:
TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 120 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
