Connor Zilisch and Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Cup Series teammates at Trackhouse Racing, are going to be making an extra stop this weekend on the way to Darlington, competing in Friday’s zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car event at Florence Motor Speedway.
While the presence of two NASCAR Cup Series drivers is already a massive deal for the regional short track series, the drivers are also bringing along a major partner for the 150-lapper on Friday, in energy drink conglomerate Red Bull.
Zilisch will get behind the wheel of the No. 8 Red Bull Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports, while Van Gisbergen will join forces with Hettinger Racing to pilot the No. 51 Red Bull Chevrolet Camaro.
Friday’s Late Model Stock Car event will mark a return to the CARS Tour for Zilisch, who between 2023 and 2024 competed in 13 events and went to Victory Lane once at Hickory Motor Speedway, while driving for Pinnacle Racing Group.
As for Van Gisbergen, who has seemingly been able to find a little bit of a stride when it comes to the short tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series, Friday’s event will mark his debut in the Late Model Stock Car division in a second entry for Hettinger Racing.
Neither Zilisch nor Van Gisbergen qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Chase for The Championship. Van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion, was extremely close to making it, but fell victim to a win from Ryan Preece that just bumped him outside the top-16.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. typically runs the Late Model Stock No. 8 for JR Motorsports, but instead, this weekend, will run the Pro Late Model event for GMS Race Cars, driving the No. 23, reuniting with Tony Eury, Jr. and Sr.
“We put a car together and we’re going to give it a shot,” Earnhardt said on the Dale Jr. Download. “I think Tony [Eury] Sr. is going to come out. Kind of like a family reunion. He said ‘what do you want it to look like’ and I said don’t care and don’t even put my name on it, let’s just show up and drive it.”
The 100-lap Pro Late Model event at Florence Motor Speedway will take place on Friday, with the 125-lap Late Model Stock Car event to follow. Coverage will be on FloRacing.
PHOTO: Rory Malloy
