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Chevy Racing–Nascar–Daytona–Justin Marks & Connor Zilisch


NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 23, 2025
 
Justin Marks, Founder and Owner of Trackhouse Racing; Connor Zilisch, driver for Trackhouse Racing; and Dr. Eric Warren, Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for GM Motorsports; met with the media onsite at Daytona International Speedway to announce that Zilisch has signed a multiyear agreement to drive for Trackhouse Racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026. 
MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Press Conference Quotes: 
Justin Marks: “We’re here to shock the world with an announcement that nobody saw coming. It’s a thrilling moment, humbling, an exciting moment for Trackhouse Entertainment Group to officially announce and welcome Connor Zilisch, who’ll be our third driver next year in a multi-year deal in the NASCAR Cup Series. He’ll join Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen as his teammates. I don’t have to say how special he is and how humbled and excited that we are to have Connor join us at the Cup Series level. A number of years ago, when we started kind of thinking about the three-year, five-year and the long-term vision of this company, it became apparent as we got established in this series that we needed to start making investments in our future and start cultivating our future. And Connor really stood out. I watched him raise the Trackhouse Motorplex, watched him as he went to Late Models and then Trans Am, and then got an opportunity to be his teammate in the Trans Am race at VIR just to sort of see how he operates, and he won that race by about 45 seconds over the field. It was really kind of that moment that we felt like making an investment in Connor, giving him the tools and the opportunity to develop, was something that we really needed to do at Trackhouse. So, we’re really excited that Red Bull and WeatherTech are both going to anchor the program on his car next year, and we’re working very, very hard to give all three of our guys an opportunity to win, make our race cars fast, make our company competitive and a leader in the garage. I think if we do that, we’ve got a bunch of guys that that can win a lot of races, including Connor in his rookie year. So, Connor Zilisch, welcome, my friend.” Connor Zilisch: “Thank you. I’m honored to be joined by you two on the stage. You two believed in me before a lot of people did and gave me this opportunity to be sitting here today and have the opportunity to make that jump to the Cup Series. So, first of all, thank you to Eric and Justin. I was sitting in the Dick’s parking lot across the street earlier today and just kind of reflecting on the last 15 years of my life and what’s led to this moment and got me to this point. I never thought I would make it anywhere in racing. My parents have been behind me since day one, through every moment, the good, the bad. There were many times I questioned why I left school, left my friends, to make this commitment to go to the Cup Series and try and chase a dream of racing in motorsports. I never knew what was ahead of me. There were times, five years ago, where I thought I was just going to go to college and live the life of a normal kid and Kevin Harvick asked my dad, what’s your plan with this kid? And my dad was like, ‘Well, he’s going to race for another year two and then he’s going to go to college.’ And Kevin told my dad, ‘You can’t do that.’ So, thank you to Kevin. There are a lot of people that have been a part of this journey with me. I have way too many people to thank. Junior Motorsports, first of all, for giving me this opportunity this year to race with them. Dale, Kelley, you guys have given me a great home for the last six to 12 months and I’m very grateful for that. Pinnacle Racing Group, my ARCA team, they took a chance on me to put me into the national series in NASCAR and let me race in the ARCA Series with them. Silver Hare Racing before that in Trans Am gave me my first ride in a stock car. Back to even my karting days when I was with Gary Willis. We spent months in Europe together. He was basically my father for a good portion of my life. So, today is a really, really special day for me. I never thought this day would come, and that it certainly feels good.” Eric Warren: “I look at Connor now, he’s 19, I look at him like he was 14, the first day we talked to him. I specifically remember his father, Jim, and him sitting in with us, and it was just really inspiring to see his commitment, even at that point. And Josh Wise, I give him a ton of credit, Josh and his group with us have developed a lot of great young people and Connor from the very beginning, Josh was like, ‘This kid’s going to do something nobody else has ever done.’ And, so far, that’s been true. There’s been a lot of things that really inspired, not just us, but Connor is the one that’s done the work. If you look at what he’s done and everything he puts it. I see him every day at our Technic Center working out and couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it, honestly. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, but it’s honestly the work and the things that people don’t see. It’s not just a talent. He puts in the effort and really, really works at it. That’s really where his success comes from. So super happy for this day and look forward to what we’ll see in the future.” Connor Zilisch: “I do have to give a big shout out to Josh Wise. I joined the Chevy program in 2021 or 2022. And in the last three years, I’ve completely changed as a human in life, on the racetrack and off the racetrack. Josh has taught me so much, and I definitely owe a lot to him. So, yeah, very grateful that that. He took the chance to start that that program with Chevrolet and bring in those five young drivers and very fortunate that I was one of those five. That kind of kick-started and led to where I am today.” It’s rare for someone to start their full-time Cup career as young as 19 years old. What is it that sets Connor apart from other big racing prospects?Justin Marks: “I think it’s what everybody sees. It’s the level of maturity, the approach, the ability to deliver in big moments. When I get asked, which is sort of weird, but I get asked sometimes by young people, ‘What can I do to get noticed or to get an opportunity in racing?’ And I tell them it’s just you have to just win. You have to just have the ability to get it done when you got a fast racecar and when you have a winning opportunity you got to be able to close the deal. Connor’s done it. Just every car, he’s gotten in, he’s figured out a way to win.  I think another one is the rate of adaptability. This sport won’t wait on somebody to figure things out. It’s such a fast-paced sport. You have to be able to get in a car, understand it right away, find its limits right away, and go deliver right away. And I think you saw that at Watkins Glen last year, first time in an Xfinity car and won the race. Earlier that year in the truck at COTA, first time in the truck, and put the thing on pole by a lot. Just to be able to get in and figure it out quickly. That’s really what it’s all about, because the Cup Series is a different sport than the Xfinity Series. Every week is such a challenge, and he’s going to be going to a lot of racetracks that he’s never seen in a Cup car before and with such a limited practice. He’s going to have to be able to figure out how to go fast really quickly. And he’s demonstrated the ability to do that so much in his career. And I think the other part of it, like I said, when I touched on is just maturity. Emotional maturity, approach, organization, and paying attention to the things that are important to success in his career. All of those things together, he’s demonstrated in a way that I’ve never seen a teenager be able to do it before. So, when you recognize that you’ve got that in a package, you know you have to run with it. And we’ve seen it. You know, Max Verstappen, and there’s been other drivers that that have gotten sort of thrown into the top level at a young age, and all those guys kind of demonstrate the same thing. So, we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think that he was successful, if we didn’t think that he’d be able to win as a rookie. So, we’re thrilled to be able to have him.”
You’ve known this day was coming for a while, so I’m curious did you come in here trying not to cry or did this all of a sudden come up on you?Connor Zilisch “It’s cool. I knew the whole world knew already, but still to be able to say it and have my name next to the word Cup Series is really cool. So, I wasn’t going to try and hide from it, but it’s just a day that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time and I’m not going to let that kind of the idea that everybody already knows take away from the moment.” Are you lobbying for a number? Is there a number that you want?Justin Marks: “We’ve got some announcements that we’re going to make over the next couple of weeks. Obviously, there are questions around the program people, numbers, kind of all of that, and we’re going to have those moments when we can really celebrate them. But, right now, it’s about Red Bull, WeatherTech and Connor.”Connor Zilisch: “To add to that, Red Bull and WeatherTech this year has been a staple on my car and been such a big part of getting me to this point and making Justin signing me and putting me in the best equipment possible. So, yeah, to the entire WeatherTech family, it certainly means a lot to have their support. And I’ve been a Red Bull athlete for almost a year now, and probably the coolest sponsor. You watch videos of guys jumping from stratosphere and, you watch those YouTube videos as kids and you one day dream of being as cool as them and being a part of that legendary club, of being a Red Bull athlete.  I’m really excited to have two of probably some of the coolest sponsors in our sport on my car next year.” Is there a point in your career when you realized you had made it or maybe to this moment come just right now sitting on this stage?Connor Zilisch: “I still haven’t made it to where I want to be, right? This is the start. I wanted to get to this point and give myself the opportunity to win championships at the highest level, but I wouldn’t say I’ve made it. But I’ve made it farther than a lot. So, that’s something to be proud of. And, yeah, it’s going to be grueling. The Cup Series is no joke, and that jump from Saturday to Sunday is bigger than probably any other sport in our country. So, yeah, I’m excited for the challenge and looking forward to just going out and learning and every Sunday giving my best effort and seeing where I stack up. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I’m just excited to be a part of the Cup Series. Have I made it? No, but I made it way farther than I thought I would.” The Cup Series, all the pressure, and all the commitments and all that stuff. How important is it to you to try to keep the person you are now?Connor Zilisch: “You get to Sunday and all of a sudden this becomes a job and you’re finishing position determines if you’re going to stay in the sport or not. And obviously that adds pressure and makes things more difficult, and it certainly adds to the fact that this is no longer all about having fun, but that’s what I’m going to try and do my best to keep every Sunday is to make sure that I’m enjoying it and enjoying the ride. This stuff, you can’t travel 38 weeks a year around the country and be miserable and expect to do well. So, yeah, you have to enjoy it. The good days are going to be special, and the bad days are you being a part of it. And that’s kind of just what you got to understand from the get-go. And, yeah, I’ll do my best. But there’s nothing that can really prepare you for this jump and only time will tell how it affects me. But I’m going to do my best to stand on my ground and stay true to who I am.” With Connor now and then SVG. Do you expect to win every road course race next year?Justin Marks: “Well, you can never expect to win. I mean, this series is very, very difficult. I would say that when we pull into the racetrack, everybody unloads feeling like they need to beat Trackhouse. I think the goal for us is to continue to invest in this sort of transition I’ve been talking about as a company. So that’s the case, all 38 weeks of the year. I mean, the goal for this business is to be a championship-winning organization, and we’re making a lot of moves internally right now to get ourselves there, because we’re competitors, we’re racers and we want to win every single week. I will say that the road courses are near and dear to my heart because it’s what I came out of, racing a bunch of years in IMSA and road racing. We’ve obviously got somebody that has demonstrated an incredible amount of skill at the road courses in SVG, but now we got two bullets in that gun, so I think it bodes well for us on the road courses. But we want to be able to do it every single week.” You’ve waited on this announcement. Were there any loose ends, or was it this just seemed like the right time for you to make this announcement?Justin Marks: “Well, obviously it takes time to get to get a deal done, right? So, we spent time in kind of getting to a place that we were both happy with. And as far as now, I don’t know if there was any real kind of rhyme or reason to it. It makes sense to do it at Daytona, just because it’s such an important part of the sport. Last year we sat right here in this room on this day and announced that Shane van Gisbergen was going to be joining the team. So, I came through the tunnel here when I was 19 years old for the 24 Hours of Daytona and Daytona’s been a huge part of my life ever since then. It’s been a huge part of, I think, everybody’s life that’s sitting in this room right now. So, it’s great to do it at the World Center of Racing and great to do it right in NASCAR’s backyard.” Do you view Connor as basically being a cornerstone of this team going forward?Justin Marks: “Yeah, I hope so. I think he represents a huge opportunity because of his maturity, because of his talent, and because of the fact that he’s got potential to be a champion in this sport, a multi-time champion in this sport. We have to do our job as a company. I mean, we have to put fast cars on the racetrack, we have to give him and his teammates an opportunity to go fast in the sport. So, I think as long as he stays focused and brings it every single week and we do our job building fast racecars and putting the right people around him, I think we’ll experience success together. I think we both would like for that to last a really, really long time. But it’s a very, very difficult sport. And, right now, Trackhouse is going through, like I said, this sort of transitional period where we’re looking at the company and envisioning kind of what the future looks like because it’s hard to beat Penske and Gibbs and Hendrick. But we want to be the team to do it. So, if we do our job and he does his job, I don’t see why we can’t have a lot of success together for a long time.” For somebody who’s still super young and still has such an early career, what’s some of the hardships and challenges that you’ve faced and overcome?Connor Zilisch:  “It started probably 2020, 2021, when I was getting out of go karts and trying to make the jump into racing, full size cars, and my dad basically told me, ‘Look, I can get you to this point, but from here, you’re on your own.’ And it was tough to accept that. There were kids that I watched around me that had parents that could get them to the next level and I kind of had to go out and win races and find my way on my own. I always had their guidance and help, but at some point, you got to pay for this stuff somehow. I’m just very glad and fortunate that I had people around me who helped me. That’s why I say yes to every opportunity I get almost from the time I was 15 to 17. I never turned down an opportunity to get behind the wheel, whether it was racing on dirt, racing a Miata, racing Trans Am, Late Models. I always wanted to just be behind the wheel and get myself in front of more people because you never know who you’re going to meet, and that’s exactly how kind of things went with Justin and I. Someone came to me and asked me if I wanted to race a Trans Am car at VIR, and I said, yes, and you know, next thing I know I was teammates with Justin. That’s where things kind of started for us. So, it’s kind of been just who I am since I got out of a go kart, and I’m very glad that I had to work for it and I had to win races to get to the next level, because it makes sitting here today that much sweeter.”Justin Marks: “I think there’s a good lesson in that because one of the things that we talk about is taking advantage of the opportunity, delivering in the big moments. And when you’re in a position where you just you have to just let your talent speak for it, he delivered in that, and we looked at it and said, ‘You know, we’re going to make a commitment here, we’re going to make a financial commitment, we’re going to make an asset commitment.’  Eric Warren and Chevrolet did the same thing. They made a commitment because they just saw that there was something special here, because he just delivered so much. So, it’s great to be in this moment because the investment that we made, the investment that Chevrolet has made, we’ve seen that paid dividends with all the wins this year in Xfinity and we see the opportunity to do the same thing on Sundays.”
 

NASCAR CUP SERIESDAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPTAUGUST 23, 2025
 
Justin Marks, Founder and Owner of Trackhouse Racing; Connor Zilisch, driver for Trackhouse Racing; and Dr. Eric Warren, Vice President, Global Motorsports Competition for GM Motorsports; met with the media onsite at Daytona International Speedway to announce that Zilisch has signed a multiyear agreement to drive for Trackhouse Racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026. 
MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Press Conference Quotes: 
Justin Marks: “We’re here to shock the world with an announcement that nobody saw coming. It’s a thrilling moment, humbling, an exciting moment for Trackhouse Entertainment Group to officially announce and welcome Connor Zilisch, who’ll be our third driver next year in a multi-year deal in the NASCAR Cup Series. He’ll join Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen as his teammates. I don’t have to say how special he is and how humbled and excited that we are to have Connor join us at the Cup Series level. A number of years ago, when we started kind of thinking about the three-year, five-year and the long-term vision of this company, it became apparent as we got established in this series that we needed to start making investments in our future and start cultivating our future. And Connor really stood out. I watched him raise the Trackhouse Motorplex, watched him as he went to Late Models and then Trans Am, and then got an opportunity to be his teammate in the Trans Am race at VIR just to sort of see how he operates, and he won that race by about 45 seconds over the field. It was really kind of that moment that we felt like making an investment in Connor, giving him the tools and the opportunity to develop, was something that we really needed to do at Trackhouse. So, we’re really excited that Red Bull and WeatherTech are both going to anchor the program on his car next year, and we’re working very, very hard to give all three of our guys an opportunity to win, make our race cars fast, make our company competitive and a leader in the garage. I think if we do that, we’ve got a bunch of guys that that can win a lot of races, including Connor in his rookie year. So, Connor Zilisch, welcome, my friend.” Connor Zilisch: “Thank you. I’m honored to be joined by you two on the stage. You two believed in me before a lot of people did and gave me this opportunity to be sitting here today and have the opportunity to make that jump to the Cup Series. So, first of all, thank you to Eric and Justin. I was sitting in the Dick’s parking lot across the street earlier today and just kind of reflecting on the last 15 years of my life and what’s led to this moment and got me to this point. I never thought I would make it anywhere in racing. My parents have been behind me since day one, through every moment, the good, the bad. There were many times I questioned why I left school, left my friends, to make this commitment to go to the Cup Series and try and chase a dream of racing in motorsports. I never knew what was ahead of me. There were times, five years ago, where I thought I was just going to go to college and live the life of a normal kid and Kevin Harvick asked my dad, what’s your plan with this kid? And my dad was like, ‘Well, he’s going to race for another year two and then he’s going to go to college.’ And Kevin told my dad, ‘You can’t do that.’ So, thank you to Kevin. There are a lot of people that have been a part of this journey with me. I have way too many people to thank. Junior Motorsports, first of all, for giving me this opportunity this year to race with them. Dale, Kelley, you guys have given me a great home for the last six to 12 months and I’m very grateful for that. Pinnacle Racing Group, my ARCA team, they took a chance on me to put me into the national series in NASCAR and let me race in the ARCA Series with them. Silver Hare Racing before that in Trans Am gave me my first ride in a stock car. Back to even my karting days when I was with Gary Willis. We spent months in Europe together. He was basically my father for a good portion of my life. So, today is a really, really special day for me. I never thought this day would come, and that it certainly feels good.” Eric Warren: “I look at Connor now, he’s 19, I look at him like he was 14, the first day we talked to him. I specifically remember his father, Jim, and him sitting in with us, and it was just really inspiring to see his commitment, even at that point. And Josh Wise, I give him a ton of credit, Josh and his group with us have developed a lot of great young people and Connor from the very beginning, Josh was like, ‘This kid’s going to do something nobody else has ever done.’ And, so far, that’s been true. There’s been a lot of things that really inspired, not just us, but Connor is the one that’s done the work. If you look at what he’s done and everything he puts it. I see him every day at our Technic Center working out and couldn’t be more proud to be a part of it, honestly. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, but it’s honestly the work and the things that people don’t see. It’s not just a talent. He puts in the effort and really, really works at it. That’s really where his success comes from. So super happy for this day and look forward to what we’ll see in the future.” Connor Zilisch: “I do have to give a big shout out to Josh Wise. I joined the Chevy program in 2021 or 2022. And in the last three years, I’ve completely changed as a human in life, on the racetrack and off the racetrack. Josh has taught me so much, and I definitely owe a lot to him. So, yeah, very grateful that that. He took the chance to start that that program with Chevrolet and bring in those five young drivers and very fortunate that I was one of those five. That kind of kick-started and led to where I am today.” It’s rare for someone to start their full-time Cup career as young as 19 years old. What is it that sets Connor apart from other big racing prospects?Justin Marks: “I think it’s what everybody sees. It’s the level of maturity, the approach, the ability to deliver in big moments. When I get asked, which is sort of weird, but I get asked sometimes by young people, ‘What can I do to get noticed or to get an opportunity in racing?’ And I tell them it’s just you have to just win. You have to just have the ability to get it done when you got a fast racecar and when you have a winning opportunity you got to be able to close the deal. Connor’s done it. Just every car, he’s gotten in, he’s figured out a way to win.  I think another one is the rate of adaptability. This sport won’t wait on somebody to figure things out. It’s such a fast-paced sport. You have to be able to get in a car, understand it right away, find its limits right away, and go deliver right away. And I think you saw that at Watkins Glen last year, first time in an Xfinity car and won the race. Earlier that year in the truck at COTA, first time in the truck, and put the thing on pole by a lot. Just to be able to get in and figure it out quickly. That’s really what it’s all about, because the Cup Series is a different sport than the Xfinity Series. Every week is such a challenge, and he’s going to be going to a lot of racetracks that he’s never seen in a Cup car before and with such a limited practice. He’s going to have to be able to figure out how to go fast really quickly. And he’s demonstrated the ability to do that so much in his career. And I think the other part of it, like I said, when I touched on is just maturity. Emotional maturity, approach, organization, and paying attention to the things that are important to success in his career. All of those things together, he’s demonstrated in a way that I’ve never seen a teenager be able to do it before. So, when you recognize that you’ve got that in a package, you know you have to run with it. And we’ve seen it. You know, Max Verstappen, and there’s been other drivers that that have gotten sort of thrown into the top level at a young age, and all those guys kind of demonstrate the same thing. So, we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think that he was successful, if we didn’t think that he’d be able to win as a rookie. So, we’re thrilled to be able to have him.”
You’ve known this day was coming for a while, so I’m curious did you come in here trying not to cry or did this all of a sudden come up on you?Connor Zilisch “It’s cool. I knew the whole world knew already, but still to be able to say it and have my name next to the word Cup Series is really cool. So, I wasn’t going to try and hide from it, but it’s just a day that I’ve been dreaming of for a long time and I’m not going to let that kind of the idea that everybody already knows take away from the moment.” Are you lobbying for a number? Is there a number that you want?Justin Marks: “We’ve got some announcements that we’re going to make over the next couple of weeks. Obviously, there are questions around the program people, numbers, kind of all of that, and we’re going to have those moments when we can really celebrate them. But, right now, it’s about Red Bull, WeatherTech and Connor.”Connor Zilisch: “To add to that, Red Bull and WeatherTech this year has been a staple on my car and been such a big part of getting me to this point and making Justin signing me and putting me in the best equipment possible. So, yeah, to the entire WeatherTech family, it certainly means a lot to have their support. And I’ve been a Red Bull athlete for almost a year now, and probably the coolest sponsor. You watch videos of guys jumping from stratosphere and, you watch those YouTube videos as kids and you one day dream of being as cool as them and being a part of that legendary club, of being a Red Bull athlete.  I’m really excited to have two of probably some of the coolest sponsors in our sport on my car next year.” Is there a point in your career when you realized you had made it or maybe to this moment come just right now sitting on this stage?Connor Zilisch: “I still haven’t made it to where I want to be, right? This is the start. I wanted to get to this point and give myself the opportunity to win championships at the highest level, but I wouldn’t say I’ve made it. But I’ve made it farther than a lot. So, that’s something to be proud of. And, yeah, it’s going to be grueling. The Cup Series is no joke, and that jump from Saturday to Sunday is bigger than probably any other sport in our country. So, yeah, I’m excited for the challenge and looking forward to just going out and learning and every Sunday giving my best effort and seeing where I stack up. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I’m just excited to be a part of the Cup Series. Have I made it? No, but I made it way farther than I thought I would.” The Cup Series, all the pressure, and all the commitments and all that stuff. How important is it to you to try to keep the person you are now?Connor Zilisch: “You get to Sunday and all of a sudden this becomes a job and you’re finishing position determines if you’re going to stay in the sport or not. And obviously that adds pressure and makes things more difficult, and it certainly adds to the fact that this is no longer all about having fun, but that’s what I’m going to try and do my best to keep every Sunday is to make sure that I’m enjoying it and enjoying the ride. This stuff, you can’t travel 38 weeks a year around the country and be miserable and expect to do well. So, yeah, you have to enjoy it. The good days are going to be special, and the bad days are you being a part of it. And that’s kind of just what you got to understand from the get-go. And, yeah, I’ll do my best. But there’s nothing that can really prepare you for this jump and only time will tell how it affects me. But I’m going to do my best to stand on my ground and stay true to who I am.” With Connor now and then SVG. Do you expect to win every road course race next year?Justin Marks: “Well, you can never expect to win. I mean, this series is very, very difficult. I would say that when we pull into the racetrack, everybody unloads feeling like they need to beat Trackhouse. I think the goal for us is to continue to invest in this sort of transition I’ve been talking about as a company. So that’s the case, all 38 weeks of the year. I mean, the goal for this business is to be a championship-winning organization, and we’re making a lot of moves internally right now to get ourselves there, because we’re competitors, we’re racers and we want to win every single week. I will say that the road courses are near and dear to my heart because it’s what I came out of, racing a bunch of years in IMSA and road racing. We’ve obviously got somebody that has demonstrated an incredible amount of skill at the road courses in SVG, but now we got two bullets in that gun, so I think it bodes well for us on the road courses. But we want to be able to do it every single week.” You’ve waited on this announcement. Were there any loose ends, or was it this just seemed like the right time for you to make this announcement?Justin Marks: “Well, obviously it takes time to get to get a deal done, right? So, we spent time in kind of getting to a place that we were both happy with. And as far as now, I don’t know if there was any real kind of rhyme or reason to it. It makes sense to do it at Daytona, just because it’s such an important part of the sport. Last year we sat right here in this room on this day and announced that Shane van Gisbergen was going to be joining the team. So, I came through the tunnel here when I was 19 years old for the 24 Hours of Daytona and Daytona’s been a huge part of my life ever since then. It’s been a huge part of, I think, everybody’s life that’s sitting in this room right now. So, it’s great to do it at the World Center of Racing and great to do it right in NASCAR’s backyard.” Do you view Connor as basically being a cornerstone of this team going forward?Justin Marks: “Yeah, I hope so. I think he represents a huge opportunity because of his maturity, because of his talent, and because of the fact that he’s got potential to be a champion in this sport, a multi-time champion in this sport. We have to do our job as a company. I mean, we have to put fast cars on the racetrack, we have to give him and his teammates an opportunity to go fast in the sport. So, I think as long as he stays focused and brings it every single week and we do our job building fast racecars and putting the right people around him, I think we’ll experience success together. I think we both would like for that to last a really, really long time. But it’s a very, very difficult sport. And, right now, Trackhouse is going through, like I said, this sort of transitional period where we’re looking at the company and envisioning kind of what the future looks like because it’s hard to beat Penske and Gibbs and Hendrick. But we want to be the team to do it. So, if we do our job and he does his job, I don’t see why we can’t have a lot of success together for a long time.” For somebody who’s still super young and still has such an early career, what’s some of the hardships and challenges that you’ve faced and overcome?Connor Zilisch:  “It started probably 2020, 2021, when I was getting out of go karts and trying to make the jump into racing, full size cars, and my dad basically told me, ‘Look, I can get you to this point, but from here, you’re on your own.’ And it was tough to accept that. There were kids that I watched around me that had parents that could get them to the next level and I kind of had to go out and win races and find my way on my own. I always had their guidance and help, but at some point, you got to pay for this stuff somehow. I’m just very glad and fortunate that I had people around me who helped me. That’s why I say yes to every opportunity I get almost from the time I was 15 to 17. I never turned down an opportunity to get behind the wheel, whether it was racing on dirt, racing a Miata, racing Trans Am, Late Models. I always wanted to just be behind the wheel and get myself in front of more people because you never know who you’re going to meet, and that’s exactly how kind of things went with Justin and I. Someone came to me and asked me if I wanted to race a Trans Am car at VIR, and I said, yes, and you know, next thing I know I was teammates with Justin. That’s where things kind of started for us. So, it’s kind of been just who I am since I got out of a go kart, and I’m very glad that I had to work for it and I had to win races to get to the next level, because it makes sitting here today that much sweeter.”Justin Marks: “I think there’s a good lesson in that because one of the things that we talk about is taking advantage of the opportunity, delivering in the big moments. And when you’re in a position where you just you have to just let your talent speak for it, he delivered in that, and we looked at it and said, ‘You know, we’re going to make a commitment here, we’re going to make a financial commitment, we’re going to make an asset commitment.’  Eric Warren and Chevrolet did the same thing. They made a commitment because they just saw that there was something special here, because he just delivered so much. So, it’s great to be in this moment because the investment that we made, the investment that Chevrolet has made, we’ve seen that paid dividends with all the wins this year in Xfinity and we see the opportunity to do the same thing on Sundays.”