CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Trackhouse by TF Sport Transcript
Trackhouse by TF Sport drivers Ben Keating, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch along with TF Sport team owner Tom Ferrier and GM Executive Director of Global Motorsports Competition Dr. Eric Warren met with members of the media at Daytona International Speedway to discuss the program’s effort in this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona with the No. 91 WeatherTech Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GTD PRO. Full transcript:
Eric, how significant is it for Chevrolet to be a part of this project and with five Corvettes for this race and considering Chevrolet’s history at the Daytona 500?
DR. ERIC WARREN: “This is a great project that I’m sure we’ll talk about more. The exciting part for me is having Tom and TF Sport come over and work with the IMSA group and Pratt Miller. There are so many intersections across all our series here. It’s exciting not only to bring an additional Corvette with the history and opportunity, but across IndyCar, NASCAR, sports cars and even Supercars… that’s the relationship part of this. Particularly with Ben and Tom running this year in the WEC, this is a great opportunity. It fell into place and there are a lot of great things from a competition point of view with the great road-racing experiences that these guys have and the history we have here in all our other competitions. There are so many parallel things that I couldn’t be more excited. The car looks great, on top of all that.”
For Tom, exciting to start TF’s second year with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R as part of this program and this group?
TOM FERRIER: “Definitely with this group, for sure. We had a great year last year, and we got stronger and stronger throughout. We ended it really well in Bahrain with a double-podium. We definitely felt like we were ready to kick off 2025 in a good, strong way. As Eric said, it’s a lovely combination to have. We have Been with us in WEC this year, and it’s great to get going with him. Obviously these three guys (McLaughlin, van Gisbergen and Zilisch) are pretty special to work with as well. We’re really looking forward to it and are excited about this.”
For Connor, how the LMP2 win last year at Rolex 24 set the stage for where you are now.
CONNOR ZILISCH: “It was a big confidence-booster for one and opened up so many opportunities for me on this side of the paddock. I felt like I had to make a name for myself before I got the opportunity to jump into a GT car and race with a team like TF Sport and race with Corvette. It’s definitely something that I could use to prove myself in this style of racing. That race was incredible last year here. Everything about it and the emotions… everything I learned racing in the WeatherTech Championship last year was so beneficial for me in every series I race in. It made me such a better driver. Working with Era Motorsports last year was so beneficial for me as a person and a driver. I learned so much from that, and that has opened doors for me.”
For Scott, what’s it been like to transition to this car and with this group?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: “It’s nice to have a roof over my head in some ways! I’ve missed it. When Eric said the opportunity was going to happen with (Connor, Shane and Ben) and now knowing TF Sport and how they work, it was awesome. I’ve been having a blast and had a lot of fun this past weekend. But for us, we aren’t looking at it as fun or an exhibition. We want to go out there and win and do our best for Team Chevy, Corvette and their whole program. I’m having a blast teaming up with my old buddy here (van Gisbergen) and getting to know Connor, who is a superstar in his own right, is very cool. I’m not taking any of this for granted, for sure.”
Shane, talk about coming into this race as a NASCAR driver this year after coming in originally as a star in Australian Supercars.
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: “It’s been awesome to come back to this race. I’ve missed GT3 cars quite a bit. There are certainly a lot more buttons and dials on the dash than a (stock) car, that’s for sure. It’s been fun teaming with these guys, as they’ve touched on, and TF Sport and Team Chevy. It’s been a blast so far. I miss GT racing and the team aspect of it. The car has to suit all four drivers. There are little compromises but thankfully we’re liking the same things. It’s just been fun so far and I’m sure it will be fun in the race. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. So far it’s been an awesome experience to be back here.”
Ben, you’re pulling double duty this weekend. How is it going so far?
BEN KEATING: “So far, so good. I was excited to get the opportunity to get to do a qualifying sim just now, and pretty happy with those results. I’m grateful to drive this morning.”
What is Justin Marks like as a team owner?
VAN GISBERGEN: “It’s unreal. He’s such a forward-thinking, open guy. I got to have him in New Zealand a couple of weeks ago on the last few days of my holiday. I hung out with him a bit and got to know him as a person. Just an awesome guy. As a boss he’s great, too, with how he thinks about this stuff. I had some drives that I was trying to get. I really wanted to come and do this race, and had some good potential drivers and he said, ‘No wait a bit. I’m working on something that you’ll like.’ It’s amazing how he makes things come into fruition. Even when he told me that he was going to make me come over here… it’s exploded, the program that I thought I’d be doing. What an amazing person.”
ZILISCH: “I can relate to what Shane said. He’s so innovative and creative with everything he does. It’s been a blast to be part of Trackhouse and get to know Justin and everyone who works at Trackhouse. It’s a great place to be. Everyone loves what they do at the shop. It’s a very positive building to work inside of. Justin does such a great job not only running the business and making sure he does things different. But also making sure it’s a great atmosphere to be in. I do truly feel at home at Trackhouse.”
Eric, what’s it like working with Justin compared to some other owners in general?
WARREN: “From the beginning when he first came into NASCAR, I was having a lot of conversations with him. So I’ve known him for quite a while and watched him race when he was in (the) Xfinity (series). From a sports car point of view, he’s always had that as his heart. He raced in sports cars and he sees himself as a sports car racer. So I knew that passion was always there. We always talked about different opportunities. It’s exciting because he is thinking about a lot of different things. We’re very fortunate with Team Chevy to have long-standing relationships with Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske… all those people that you see. Creating those intersections for Justin and those individuals and all the different series, it’s great to see him mature as an owner, let’s call it, and all the excitement around the Trackhouse brand. Watching that come together is great. You feel like you’re a part of it. It’s been exciting, and this project has been super-exciting.
“To tell a funny story about Connor and Justin, I think it was at VIR and we had had Connor as a development driver for awhile. Justin won the TA1 race and he called me saying on the first lap that Connor was two seconds a lap faster in that car. He was asking how we are going to get him signed up. From that moment there’s always been all these relationships and intersections that you see develop. That’s been exciting.”
Eric, you mentioned all these drivers getting signed, and Justin (Marks) has kind of gone the way of Zak Brown with having all these drivers with nowhere to go. Connor (Zilisch) is on lease to JR Motorsports. TRD has run into that problem often. How do you handle that as a manufacturer?
WARREN: “As a manufacturer, our objective is to win. We’re in it to win. We want to learn. You develop relationships with teams. You see opportunities with teams and drivers by having multiple teams. You look several years down the road. Unfortunately, at the top level of motorsports, there’s going to be situations where you don’t end up with a seat. Sometimes that’s situational, sometimes that’s competitive. The good thing about Justin (Marks), he’s part of the driver development program we have which has been a little bit organic. We’ve been trying to learn and Connor’s (Zilisch) has been a great example of that as others are on the NASCAR side. It’s hard to say that’s a negative. To be able to sign other drivers, look at Shane (van Gisbergen) coming in. You don’t get access to the talent, you don’t learn. Until you put people in situations, you don’t identify the talent of the driver versus the situation of the team.”
Do you worry about losing some of these young kids you develop?
WARREN: “As far as at Chevrolet and GM Motorsports, we feel like if we’ve built the most competitive program, they’re going to come back, right? And we see that all the time. We try to get people to a point where they know that GM Motorsports is the place to be. Situationally, let’s say we can’t, we lose one. There are plenty of times when we know where they’re hearts are at. That’s where we’re at. We’re the hearts, the minds, of our fans and customers, so I don’t lose too much sleep over it because I know at some point in time, I’ll get them back.”
With NASCAR’s new rules specifically for the OEMs and what happened at Martinsville, what thoughts or talks have gone into how you guys will race at the Daytona 500?
WARREN: “There’s a lot of discussion going on behind the scenes there. I think, we as an OEM, and I think that this is shared by others, we’re in it to win. We want to compete. Technology changes a lot. All these strategies and different communications in the sport changes a lot. There are certain types of tracks, and Daytona has kind of been that for a lot of years now, where just by the strategy of it, you have to pit together. Twenty years ago, there was no such thing as a two-car team. Now there’s multicar teams, and now there’s groups of multicar teams. The sport really changes because the manufacturer, the engineering, and the cost required to do simulators and simulation has become such a big part of it. It allows for the engineering and the planning, and the strategy comes from the manufacturers. Some of that kind of group work has been natural. Certainly, we work with NASCAR and all the series we work with, we try to figure out ‘okay, where’s the line?’ We want to keep progressing, make sure it’s clear, what is competing. The situations are so different. Every track there’s a spot where multiple people from the same manufacturer are using the same strategy tools and if the strategy tool says, ‘stay out,’ it could look to an uninformed observer that it was something that it wasn’t, right? It’s just the sport. So, we want to make sure that integrity is protected and understood, and it’s a constant evolution.”
Connor, with this morning’s NASCAR Cup Series announcement for your first start in the Daytona 500, do you have any planned after that?
“No, nothing yet. We’re going one race at a time and moving into it slowly. I’m still really young and have a long time to grow and progress in this sport. I definitely have trust in Justin (Marks) and what Trackhouse and GM are doing with me. Honestly, I’m very out of the loop on what goes on behind the scenes. They don’t tell me stuff until it’s done. I’m probably the wrong person to ask, but as of right now, I don’t think there’s anything else planned.”
This race is known for having a star-studded lineup. Who would you want to see in it?
KEATING: “I’d love to see Max Verstappen come out here and play around with us.”
ZILISCH: “I agree.”
VAN GISBERGEN: “I feel the same. I was just messaging (Max) about it before. I think he’d be good here.”
MCLAUGHLIN: “I don’t know. Valentino Rossi has been doing some GT stuff. It’d be cool to see him come here and try it.”
ZILISCH: “I’ve heard he’s really good, actually. I’ve talked to one of his teammates and said he’s really good on four wheels. Drivers drive.”
Have you decided who is going to qualifying the car?
ZILISCH: “I think I’m qualifying. The lightweight guy (laughs).”
With your great outcome last year, what you’ve been able to do in the sports cars has kind of helped you. You said a year ago you wouldn’t be where I was (without it), talk about how that has progressed…
ZILISCH: “With COTA being the third race of the year, it made sense to get a start in it early (on a road course) and get a feel for it. The (NASCAR) Cup car is a lot different. I definitely have a lot to learn there. It’s just a whole different level in the Cup series and I want to get my feet wet in it as early as possible and get an understanding of what my future may look like. So, I’m really excited for that. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
“Things have progressed really fast. It’s been… the last 16 months, 18 months have been quite a whirlwind but it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve just been trying to take a step back and enjoy it all because things happen fast and life moves fast, and you have to step back and enjoy the time. That’s my main thing is just trying to soak it all in, have fun, and not stress myself out too much about these big moments.”
Have you talked to Justin (Marks) about Project 91 or anything else on the NASCAR side?
MCLAUGHLIN: “No. I mean, I remember when Shane (van Gisbergen) got announced and that was all going on, I felt ‘you’ve got a great guy for that.’ So I was super excited (for him). I think it was going to be a great program that he’s got going on there. But no, I haven’t spoken to him on doing that.”
You said previously you didn’t like racing GT cars, but now you’re here. What’s changed?
KEATING: “As most of you know, I pay to be here by selling and repairing cars. I really enjoy racing what I sell. There’s nobody out there selling an ORECA or a Gibson to a retail customer. So, I’m excited to make that connection. The way GT3s have kind of taken over sports car racing around the world, I don’t know if there are any other options. I’m very excited to be back in a Corvette. I’m very excited to be able to represent Keating Chevrolet on the track and also be able to represent the Corvette brand in Houston at my dealership. There’s a lot of synergies there and having won the World Endurance Championship in 2023 with Corvette, it’s kind of like putting on an old shoe or a glove or something. It just feels great. We’ve won the World Championship with TF Sport in 2022. Everybody involved is kind of all in the family for me.”
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