In the past year, Trackhouse Racing has been very busy…first they expand to a three car team, owner Justin Marks has announced that his Series 91 program will continue, and now Trackhouse Racing is entering the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
NASCAR drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch will be joined by IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin and Ben Keating in the number 91 Corvette as a part of the GTD (Grand Tour Daytona) Pro Class for the 24 hour endurance race next month.
Owner Justin Marks spoke on entering the Rolex 24 saying, “participating in the Rolex 24 has been a dream since the inception of Trackhouse Racing.” Marks himself is a Rolex 24 veteran who first drove in the 2001 race and was a winner in the 2009 race.
He added, “we wanted to make sure we could enter with a top-notch partner in Chevrolet and TF Sport, as well as a driver lineup that could compete for the victory. We feel like this group we have put together can compete for the trophy.”
Trackhouse expanded in 2024 when they joined MotoGP. Marks added, “we set out to become an international company with a global brand and we took a big step in 2024 adding MotoGP. Today marks another step as Trackhouse enters one of the most prestigious motorsports races in the world with two Americans (Zilisch and Keating) and two New Zealanders (van Gisbergen and McLaughlin) behind the wheel.”
Speaking on his choice of drivers for the 24 Hours race, Marks said, “we wanted the best partners because we know how difficult this task will be. We are racing against some of the best sports car teams and drivers in the world.”
Before joining the field for the Rolex 24, the Trackhouse team will participate in the Roar Before the Rolex 24 January 17-19. The Rolex runs the following weekend on January 25 and 26.
The four drivers spoke on running the 24 Hour race with Shane van Gisbergen saying, “this is a dream come true to get to drive alongside Scotty, Connor and Ben. I love the 24 Hours of Daytona and it’s awesome to do this with this team. Justin, Chevrolet and TF Sport have done a great job putting this all together.”
Ben Keating continued, “I’m really excited for this. I’ve won Le Mans in a Corvette and won a world championship in a Corvette. I’m thrilled to be back with TF Sport, a team that I know very well and one where we won a lot of races and a championship together. I’m teaming with some phenomenal Chevrolet drivers in Shane, Scott and Connor, which should be a lot of fun. This will be a big challenge but one that I know we are all looking forward to and are up for.”
Scot McLaughlin added, “when the opportunity came up from General Motors to run with Ben, Connor and Shane, I jumped at it straight away. I’ve always wanted to run an endurance race in a Chevrolet Corvette, and I could not imagine a better group to join. I am confident we have a real chance of winning a Rolex with this team. Shane and I have so much history racing against each other, including some time as teammates. He is one of the best racers I’ve ever competed against, so it’ll be great to be on his side again for Daytona. Connor is a young star who’s going to be around for a long time, and Ben has won Le Mans and a world championship in a Corvette. We’re going to have some fun.”
Connor Zilisch concluded, “I can’t wait for the 24 Hours this year. This will be cool and I really think we can win this race. I love my Rolex (watch for winning in 2024), and if I can get another one, I might wear one on each wrist. It takes so much to win this race, and I think everyone in this group brings something to the table that will help get us to victory lane. I know our Corvette will be fast.”