Connor Zilisch
BornConnor Zilisch
(2006-07-21) July 21, 2006
Mooresville, North Carolina, U.S.
AchievementsFirst American to ever win the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy
2020 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy Winner
2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup Scholarship Winner
Awards2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
Car no., teamNo. TBA (Trackhouse Racing)
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
Truck no., teamNo. TBA (Trackhouse Racing)
ARCA Menards Series career
ARCA no., teamNo. TBA (Trackhouse Racing)
First race2023 General Tire 100 at The Glen (Watkins Glen)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
Statistics current as of August 15, 2023.

Connor Zilisch (born July 22, 2006) is an American professional stock car racing driver and driver coach. He currently competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 28 Chevrolet SS for Pinnacle Racing Group, part-time in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, driving the Nos. 57 and 98 Chevrolet Camaro's for Carroll Speedshop, part-time in the CARS Pro Late Model Tour, driving the No. 25 Chevrolet SS for Rackley WAR, full-time in the SCCA Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli, in the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro for Silver Hare Racing, and part-time in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, in the No. 72 Mazda MX-5 for Hixon Motor Sports.

Racing career

Early career

Karting

Zilisch started competing in Go-Kart's at the age of 5 in 2011, he would spend 10 years racing karts before moving up to cars in 2021. Zilisch karted primarily in the United States until 2017 when he won the Mini Rok World Championship in South Garda, Italy competing against more than 160 other competitors from 33 different countries. He returned to Europe to race primarily in the FIA OKJ class in 2018–2020 and made the "A" final in the OKJ World Championship in both 2019 and 2020. In 2020 he also became the first ever American to win the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, a three race series where competitors from all over the world all race on identical equipment.[1]

Mazda MX-5 Global Cup and Trans-Am

Zilisch began racing cars in early 2021 with the Sports Car Club of America in the Spec Miata class and quickly began showing strong results, setting 3 track records and reaching the podium multiple times. At the SCCA Run-offs in Indianapolis that year, Zilisch finished 3rd out of ~ 90 cars in the competitive Spec Miata class and shortly thereafter was named the SCCA Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year. Zilisch also competed in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout competition, in late 2021, winning the $110,000 scholarship which would fund his participation in the series in 2022. In late 2021 Zilisch also ran his first Trans Am TA2 race at Virginia International Raceway earning pole position while shattering the track record as a rookie driver. He led the race early until a mechanical issue forced him to retire early, however, his performance in the race led to his being invited to race TA2 full-time for Silver Hare Racing in 2022.

In the Mazda MX-5 Cup series, Zilisch recorded 4 wins on the season and nearly won the championship in the last race of the season at Road Atlanta. In that race, Zilisch needed to finish at least 3 spots ahead of Jared Thomas to win the $250K championship prize and on track he did that, finishing 6th to Thomas' 9th place finish, however a post-race penalty to Alex Bachoura (who finished in between Zilisch and Thomas) ended up moving Thomas up one position and handing him the championship. Zilisch won $85K for second place and was also named the Mazda MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year for 2022.[2]

Late Models

Pro Late Models

In June 2022 Zilisch would make his Pro Late Model debut in the No. 4 for Setzer Racing and Development at Orange County Speedway with the Carolina Pro Late Model Series where he would win the pole, and lead all the laps en route to his first career victory in an Asphalt Late Model overall and Pro Late Model.[3]

For 2023 Zilisch would return to the No. 25 for Rackley WAR running select events in the CARS Pro Late Model Tour. He would win at Ace Speedway in his 2nd start of the season holding off Caden Kvapil to do so.[4]

Late Model Stock Cars

In 2022 Zilisch began racing late model cars to prepare him for a potential path to NASCAR. He would start to run Late Model Stock Cars in the No. 57 for Carroll Speedshop. He would score 2 wins on the year both coming at Hickory Motor Speedway as well as 2 other podium positions.

For 2023 Zilisch would return to the No. 57 for Carroll Speedshop on a part-time basis in the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour. At Hickory Motor Speedway during the Throwback 276 in 2023 Zilisch would run a throwback to the No. 98 Dogecoin car driven in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 by his current driver coach Josh Wise.

ARCA Menards Series

2023

On August 14, 2023, it was announced Zilisch would make his ARCA Menards Series debut in the No. 28 for Pinnacle Racing Group at that weekend's race at Watkins Glen.[5] Zilisch qualified 2nd behind Corey LaJoie and then went on to dominate the race, leading 34 out of the races 42 laps, and barely lost the race after getting moved in the final corner of the final lap from the lead by Jesse Love going on to still finish 2nd doing all this despite an ill handling car all race with a broken front sway bar.

NASCAR

On January 11, 2024, Zilisch signed a multi-year contract with Trackhouse Racing as a developmental driver. His developmental program in 2024 and 2025 consists of races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as well as ARCA, CARS Tour, Trans-Am, and IMSA.[6]

Personal life

Zilisch, when not driving himself, is a driver coach to younger drivers in the Karting ranks. He was announced as a client of KHI Management in 2021, but subsequently parted ways with the company in early 2023.[7]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NXSC Pts Ref
2024 TBA TBA Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO COA RCH MAR TEX TAL DOV DAR CLT PIR SON IOW NHA NSH CSC POC IND MCH DAY DAR ATL GLN BRI KAN TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO

Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NCTC Pts Ref
2024 TBA TBA Chevy DAY ATL LVS BRI COA MAR TEX KAN DAR NWS CLT GTW NSH POC IRP RCH MLW BRI KAN TAL HOM MAR PHO

ARCA Menards Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Menards Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 AMSC Pts Ref
2023 Pinnacle Racing Group 28 Chevy DAY PHO TAL KAN CLT BLN ELK MOH IOW POC MCH IRP GLN
2*		 ISF MLW DSF KAN BRI SLM TOL 68th 44 [8]

CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 CLMSCTC Pts Ref
2022 Carroll Speedshop 28 Chevy CRW HCY GPS AAS FCS LGY DOM HCY ACE MMS NWS TCM ACE SBO
Wth†		 CRW N/A N/A [9]
2023 57 SNM FLC HCY
8		 ACE
12		 NWS
36		 LGY DOM
9		 CRW
16		 ACE
11		 TCM WKS AAS SBO TCM CRW -* -* [10]
98 HCY
15
† – Entered but later withdrew from the race

CARS Pro Late Model Tour

(key)

CARS Pro Late Model Tour results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 CPLMTC Pts Ref
2023 Rackley WAR 25 Chevy SNM HCY
3		 ACE
1		 NWS
3		 TCM DIL CRW
6		 WKS HCY
6		 FLC SBO TCM CRW -* -* [11]

Carolina Pro Late Model Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

Carolina Pro Late Model Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 CPLMSC Pts Ref
2022 Setzer Racing and Development 4 Chevy SNM FCS HCY AAS DIL MMS OCS
1**		 CCS HCY HCY AND OCS HCY 30th N/A [12]

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key)(Races in bold indicate pole position. Races in italics indicate fastest race lap in class. Results are overall/class)

Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rank Points
2024 United Autosports USA LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 DAY SEB WGL MOS ELK IMS ATL

References

  1. ↑ "Inside Mazda MX-5 Cup: Connor Zilisch's rapid learning curve". RACER. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Connor Zilisch's Freshman Year". BFGoodrich. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  3. ↑ "FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE – 2022 Carolina Pro Late Model Series/Carolina Crate Modified Series At Orange County Speedway". Short Track Report. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Connor Zilisch Drives To First CARS Tour Pro Late Model Victory At Ace Speedway". FloSports. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Connor Zilisch to make ARCA debut at Watkins Glen with Pinnacle Racing Group". ARCA Menards Series. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Trackhouse Racing signs developmental driver Connor Zilisch to multi-year contract". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ "KHI Management". KHI Management. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  8. ↑ "ARCA Menards Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Connor Zilisch – 2022 CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Connor Zilisch – 2023 CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Connor Zilisch – 2023 CARS Pro Late Model Tour results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Connor Zilisch – 2022 Carolina Pro Late Model Series results". CPLMS. CPLMS. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
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