Connor Zilisch, a 17-year-old rising star beginning his climb through the ranks of NASCAR, is set to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in next weekend’s XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on March 24.
The Mooresville, North Carolina-native will join forces with race-winning team Spire Motorsports to pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado at the 3.41-mile road course in Austin, Texas, as well as the series’ sole remaining superspeedway event at Talladega Superspeedway in October, following his 18th birthday in July.
In addition to his two-race program in the No. 7 Chevrolet, Zilisch will also compete in a third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, at Homestead-Miami Speedway, in an entry coordinated by Spire Motorsports, who has won two of the season’s first three events. No details surrounding the entry have been released at the time of the announcement.
The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, through the generosity and support of Hixon Motor Sports, will serve as Zilisch’s primary marketing partner in all three events.
“I can’t wait to make my NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at Circuit of the Americas, as well as other select races with Spire Motorsports this year,” said Zilisch. “Spire has obviously had a lot of success already this year, so I know that I’m getting into winning equipment. I’ve been doing a lot of preparation for COTA, and I feel that it’s a track that suits my style. I can’t wait to get to work with these guys and hopefully get my No. 7 Austin Hatcher Foundation Chevy Silverado to Victory Lane.”
The Austin Hatcher Foundation is a leading nonprofit organization committed to helping families impacted by childhood cancer at no cost, for the entire family’s entire lifetime. The Foundation provides comprehensive, coordinated care through evidence-based therapies, counseling, family programs, grief groups, educational resources, and more, fostering resilience and hope for families. The Foundation’s focus not only assists families in coping in the present but also helps them thrive in the future following a childhood cancer diagnosis.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Spire Motorsports in a couple different ways,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. “We’re thrilled to have Connor Zilisch drive the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado this season, but separately, we’re looking forward to working closely with our friends at Chevrolet and Trackhouse Racing to help Connor get some vital seat time. Connor is an exceptionally talented young racer whose credentials speak for themselves. It’s almost hard to get your arms around how accomplished he really is, given that he’s just 17 years old. Based on what he’s done already, we expect Connor to be a key contributor as we race for a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series owner’s championship.”
At 17 years old, Zilisch is an accomplished karting and road racer who, most notably, was part of Era Motorsport’s LMP2 class win at the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, making him the second-youngest driver, ever, to win the iconic race. He is a 10-time Trans-Am TA2 class race winner and a central component of Trackhouse Racing’s driver development program.
Last Summer, Zilisch made his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen International, dominating the event before getting passed late by Jesse Love, who went on to score the victory. That venue will serve as the first race in a four-round Xfinity Series program for JR Motorsports in 2024, where he’ll pilot the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro.
