August 18, 2023 – Fresh off a winning weekend at Watkins Glen that featured multiple podium results in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires (MX-5 Cup) series, Hixon Motor Sports (HMS) is taking to the track yet again next weekend. Bringing eight drivers to the fast and flowing VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), Connor Zilisch will return to the HMS stable providing another threat for the top step of the podium.
“It is great to have Connor back as he provides another element to our winning program,” expressed Bryan Hixon. “Watkins Glen was a big weekend for the team! The last event at Road America did not go to plan, but that happens sometimes in racing. Coming into VIR, we have assembled an eight-driver roster that I am confident will be at the pointy end of the grid throughout the weekend.”
Winning two of the first six races and standing on the podium on four different occasions, Zilisch took a planned hiatus from the MX-5 Cup schedule but returns this weekend to bolster the talented and hungry squad. Selin Rollan enters the weekend third in the championship standings in his farewell tour as Thomas Annunziata is just inside the top-ten in ninth, but second amongst the Rookie-of-the-Year candidates. Fellow HMS driver and Mazda MX-5 Cup rookie Jonathan Neudorf is just behind Annunziata in Rookie-of-the-Year honors as he looks for a solid weekend in Virginia to put pressure on the duo in front of him. A late addition to the roster, Ethan Tyler will be back behind the wheel of the #80 Hixon Motor Sports entry at VIR.
Team newcomers Bailey Cruse, and Julian DaCosta will be behind the wheel of HMS-prepared machines as Cruse prepares for his second MX-5 Cup event while DaCosta embarks on his MX-5 Cup debut. Rejoining HMS for his fourth event of the season is Farhan Siddiqi as he rounds out the eight-driver entries.
Hixon added, “For Road America, the best view of that event is in the rearview mirror, and it is time to aim 100% of the focus on success this weekend at VIR. When you are up there with the best of the best teams and rival drivers in MX-5 Cup and you have an off-and-unlucky weekend, all HMS can do together is bring a winning attitude and put on our best performance in all of the many roles that fall under the team to regain our position back on top in the team, driver and rookie championship rankings. For things down to the millimeter and strategies that we can control, we will excel. For things out of our control, we just hope we have said farewell to all of the bad luck and significant crash damage for the season.”
Set to hit the 3.27-mile, 16-turn facility next Friday for a pair of practice sessions, it all becomes serious Saturday when qualifying and the first wheel-to-wheel racing action hit the track. Sunday will be the home for race two as the penultimate weekend will come to a close. Stay tuned to the Hixon Motor Sports social media pages for news, information, photos, and results throughout the event weekend.
Watch the 45-minute sprint races live on IMSA.TV or Racer.com Eastern time:
Race 1 @ 1:10PM on 8/26/2023; and
Race 2 @ 10:25AM on 8/27/2023