Connor Mosack Turning Double Duty at Iconic American Road Course; Boris Said Jr., Jake Drew Help Kick Off Second Half of 2024 TA2 Series Campaign
HIGH POINT, N.C. (June 19, 2024) – Extreme heat forecast for Saturday’s Mid-Ohio SpeedTour Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington has been a key storyline heading into the weekend. But the Silver Hare Racing trio of Connor Mosack, Boris Said Jr., and Jake Drew are feeling more than ready for the challenge as they kick off the second half of the 2024 season.
With race-day temperatures forecast to be in the mid-90s and heat indexes hovering around the 100s, the Silver Hare camp is ready to deliver a one-two-three punch on the iconic 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio circuit as it races for its second victory of the season.
Leading the way is Connor Mosack, driver of the No. 57 Silver Hare Racing/PRG Chevrolet Camaro who scored back-to-back third-place finishes in his first two TA2 Series appearances at Mid-Ohio in 2021 and 2022. The 25-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina will be pulling double duty this weekend, strapping into the No. 28 Chevrolet Performance PRG Camaro for Friday evening’s Zinsser Smartcoat 150 ARCA Menards Series race at Mid-Ohio. It’s the same entry former fulltime Silver Hare driver Connor Zilisch drove to his second consecutive ARCA victory in a Silver Hare-sponsored car last weekend at Iowa Speedway in Newton.
Saturday’s Mid-Ohio SpeedTour race, round seven on the 12-race campaign, will be Mosack’s third TA2 outing at the track. The first two resulted in third-place finishes in 2021 and 2022, the most recent from the pole.
Back with Silver Hare Racing this weekend is the 20-year-old Said and the No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro after the third-generation racer took part in festivities two weekends ago at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in honor of his father Boris Said’s 150th and final NASCAR race. The younger Said is ready to improve upon his TA2 career-best finish of sixth this weekend, scored in his previous outing at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut on Memorial Day weekend.
Meanwhile Drew, the 24-year-old from Fullerton, California and driver of the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro, will be making his sixth career TA2 start this weekend after posting top-10 runs in the previous five. The veteran of a half-dozen NASCAR Truck Series events in 2023 and a 23-race slate of ARCA outings from 2021 to 2023 that featured three road-course victories in 2022 narrowly missed a podium finish in his TA2 debut March 24 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, then qualified third and methodically raced his way to a second-place finish April 14 at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana. He finished 10th at World Wide Technology Raceway outside St. Louis on May 11 before his fifth-place run at Lime Rock on Memorial Day weekend. He crossed the finish line fourth two weekends ago at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex but was relegated to 10th after a postrace ruling that he engaged in avoidable contact.
This weekend’s Mid-Ohio SpeedTour, round seven of the 2024 TA2 campaign, kicks off with test sessions at 1:40 and 5:50 p.m. EDT Thursday, followed by Friday’s official TA2 practice at 12:05 p.m. and qualifying at 4:50 p.m. Race time Saturday is 12:40 p.m. and the 45-lap, 75-minute event will be televised live by series partner MAVTV, augmented by live-streaming video on the Trans Am and SpeedTour channels on YouTube. MAVTV will air a 60-minute race show at 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 27.
Silver Hare Racing leverages its Trans Am effort to promote its arrive-and-drive program, where aspiring racers and even tenured professionals hone their road-racing skills on some of the most revered tracks in North America. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Suárez, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Harrison Burton have all wheeled Silver Hare Racing-prepared cars to burnish their road-racing abilities in top-flight equipment.
The team offers six, professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing for both competition and private testing. Silver Hare Racing has a dedicated, fulltime crew and operates out of a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. At the track, two 53-foot Featherlite transporters serve as the team’s base, each outfitted with a lounge and smart TVs for data and video review, as well as for hospitality.
To further Silver Hare Racing’s driver development capabilities, the team’s race shop in High Point is now equipped with a SHOCKWAVE Simulator, a tool specifically developed for drivers to accelerate racetrack familiarity, improve car control and confidence, and build stamina. SHOCKWAVE has been involved in racing since 1965 and is currently actively participating in NASCAR, ARCA, Trans Am, Late Models, and Sprint cars. Its Trans Am package replicates a Howe Racing TA2 chassis, complete with cockpit controls and sounds.
“With NASCAR having so many more road-course races, it’s our goal for Silver Hare Racing to be the preferred team for drivers to get that road-course experience,” said Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing co-owner and team manager. “We want to be that important step in the ladder for the young, up-and-coming drivers. We want people to know we have an arrive-and-drive program, where for people who want to run this track or another, we provide the opportunity to do that and be successful.”
Connor Mosack, driver, No. 77 Silver Hare Racing/PRG Chevrolet Camaro:
It’s another double-duty weekend for you, but this time both races take place at the same racetrack. Overall thoughts about running Friday’s ARCA race and Saturday’s TA2 race at Mid-Ohio?
“I’ll be equally focused on both and I think we’ll be as prepared as we can be for both races. Mid-Ohio’s been a place where I feel like I’ve had speed in the past, so I’m looking forward to getting back and seeing how the new repave races. But it should be a pretty good weekend.”
You finished third in both your previous TA2 Series races at Mid-Ohio. Do you feel it’s a track that particularly suits your driving style?
“I’m really not sure what it is about the place. I know when I first learned the track, I learned it the right way and that helped a lot. It’s a track that I’ve been to more than a lot of other tracks between testing and the Truck Series race and, of course, the two Trans Am races. I think it’s just a combination of all those things. I’m not sure what it might be about the track or my driving style and what makes it fit there, but it just has seemed to work well.”
Do you feel being able to turn laps on the track in the ARCA car will help your effort this weekend in the Silver Hare Racing Camaro for the TA2 race, and vice versa?
“Maybe. In the race, once you get side-by-side, you can see where you can make passes and see where you can defend if you need to. I think those kinds of things might apply. I do think the Trans Am track time will help me get up to speed in the ARCA car before we practice and qualify probably more than the other guys in ARCA that won’t have that track time.”
Have you been taking extra measures to prepare for the extreme heat forecast for race day?
“Heat’s definitely something that can be challenging, and usually I welcome it because I feel like I prepare better than some other guys. But sometimes it sneaks up on you and you still feel pretty good. I’ve definitely been focusing on hydrating leading into the weekend, and between sessions it’ll be important to stay on top of that. Obviously, some sauna stuff, some running outside at the hottest part of the day, anything you can do to really get your core temperature up and maybe your heart rate up with it, which is part of my regular routine, that’s the best way to acclimate to that.”
Boris Said Jr., driver, No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:
You’re heading to Mid-Ohio for your second career TA2 Series start there. Overall thoughts?
“I was there last year and we had problems all weekend. But I like the track a lot, so I’m excited to drive there. The second part of it is fun. There’s no straightaway, really, which is kind of cool, just a lot of corners. It is hard to pass but it’s a good layout, it’s fun. It was super slippery last year, but they’ve repaved it so I’m interested to see what kind of an effect that will have on the racing this weekend.”
Have you done anything special to prepare for the expected heat and humidity on race day Saturday?
“For me, the hot weather doesn’t really bother me. I’m in pretty good shape and I don’t really mind the heat. I’ve driven in it before and I like it. I think it bothers me less than other people. I train a lot every day of my life, so it’s sort of standard. I know I live on the Southern California coast, but I’ve done a lot of off-roading in the desert, too, so I know what it’s like to have to push yourself in those conditions.”
How was your experience at Sonoma two weekends ago to see your dad’s final career NASCAR race?
“It was pretty cool to see Dad’s NASCAR farewell and to spend time with the HendrickCars.com folks. I thought it was great for them to make that possible for him. He had a ton of fun. While I was out there, I kept an eye on what the Silver Hare team was doing in Pittsburgh. I really wish I could’ve been there, too, because it looked like a really nice facility, and the track looked like a lot of fun.”
Jake Drew, driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:
Yet another brand new track for you in your sixth career TA2 race. What have you learned about racing at Mid-Ohio?
“I’ve looked to some friends who have some past experience there to help build my notebook coming into this weekend. I do have a little bit of sim experience for Mid-Ohio. I actually did some coaching on the sim for one of the Truck Series drivers last year, so I feel a little more prepared than for some of the other tracks that I hadn’t been to, yet. I’m looking to utilize what I learn from iRacing, reaching out to other drivers, and the notebook I’ve been building as much as I can before I show up, then take the first session lightly to come to grips with the track and build upon it with each lap. I look forward to another strong race.”
What has stood out to you about getting around Mid-Ohio during your preparation?
“I think the last section of the racetrack before coming onto the final straightaway can be a little technical with these heavy TA2 cars. That’s probably what stands out the most. But, overall, I look forward to getting my first laps at Mid-Ohio and learn how to get through the technical sections and try to do the best I can. I look forward to working with my Silver Hare team. They’ll try to give me as much advice and help me learn as fast as we can, as we have these previous five races. I think we’ll have a strong car, we keep getting better and better every race, and we’re getting closer right now. And we’re all just going to keep our heads down and stay focused and see if we can get on the podium again, or stand on the tippy top of it.”
Heat has been one of the primary topics as the series heads to Mid-Ohio this weekend. What is your history having to race in hot conditions?
“It’s going to be hot. Back home (on the West Coast), I’ve definitely have had days at the go-kart track where it’s 100, 110 degrees, but it’s a different kind of heat, it’s much drier. The humidity on this side of the country can get pretty brutal. To prepare, I just try to stay in as good shape as I can and stay as hydrated as possible and relax up until it’s time to hit the track. I spent a day running a go-kart in the heat earlier in the week. And I actually got a taste of the kind of heat we’re going to have when I was wrenching for a team in Cincinnati last week. I think the TA2 cars run a bit warmer than my ARCA car was. As far as the Truck Series stuff I’ve driven, they’re quite warm, but I’m not too concerned. It should be the hottest conditions I’ve ever raced in, but we’ll just take it as it comes and rely on all the preparation that’s gone into it.”
About Hendrick Automotive Group:
Representing 131 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 94 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit HendrickCars.com.
About HendrickCars.com:
HendrickCars.com is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop thousands of new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
About Silver Hare Racing:
Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the TA2 division of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. 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, please call 336-870-5151 or visit SilverHareRacing.com.
