The man who celebrated more than a dozen NASCAR Cup Series wins with Kevin Harvick has just secured a new opportunity. Veteran crew chief Gil Martin has landed a job as the director of competition for Silver Hare Racing.
The Trans Am Series team announced the news on April 19 with a press release. Silver Hare Racing confirmed that Martin will work with 15-year-old rising star Connor Zilisch and three-time TA2 Masters champion Maurice Hull, who co-owns the team. Zilisch is a member of Harvick’s KHI Management, and he drew the attention of the team during a trip to the Charlotte Roval.
Please join us in welcoming veteran #NASCAR crew chief Gil Martin to the Silver Hare Racing family as our new Director of Competition! #GoTransAm t.co/1v1vGTbjqg
“We are truly delighted to welcome Gil to the Silver Hare Racing family as we continue building our team with an eye on establishing ourselves as an elite road-racing organization,” said Laura Hull, who also serves as Silver Hare Racing’s team manager. “The wealth of knowledge Gil brings to our team and his decades of experience competing at the highest levels of racing, with some of the biggest names in motorsports, will be instrumental in helping develop young racers like Connor and for making our overall program stronger.”
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Martin Has Extensive Experience Across NASCAR Series
GettyKevin Harvick & Gil Martin celebrate a win at Michigan International Speedway.
Martin is no stranger to success in motorsports. He has 656 races atop the pit box, including 475 in the Cup Series. Martin also made history as the first crew chief to guide drivers to a win in each of the three national series.
Martin kicked off his tenure as a crew chief with Jeff Burton during the 1992 Xfinity Series season — then the Busch Grand National Series. He continued working with Burton in both Xfinity and Cup in 1993, resulting in a trip to Victory Lane at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
Martin worked with a wide variety of drivers across all three series while contending for wins. The list includes Robby Gordon, Kenny Wallace, Clint Bowyer, Dave Blaney, and Austin Dillon among others. This run includes two trips to Victory Lane with Bowyer and another with Gordon. Though Martin achieved the most success with Kevin Harvick.
Harvick and Martin worked together for 176 Cup Series races, and they celebrated numerous wins together. They won 13 total races, including four in Harvick’s final season with Richard Childress Racing. Martin also guided the California driver to a 2002 win at Phoenix during their lone Truck Series start together.
Silver Hare Racing Also Focuses on ‘Arrive & Drive’ Programs
While Silver Hare Racing has two primary entries for Zilisch and Maurice Hull, the team also has another focus. The team has built up its “arrive and drive” program that provides seats for aspiring drivers and tenured professionals so they can focus on gaining experience at the various road courses around North America.
Silver Hare Racing has fielded entries for multiple NASCAR drivers in recent years with this program. This list includes William Byron, Daniel Suarez, Harrison Burton, and Christopher Bell, who all have spent time preparing for Xfinity or Cup Series races.
“With NASCAR having so many more road-course races, it’s our goal for Silver Hare Racing to be the preferred team for drivers to get that road-course experience,” Hull said. “We want to be that important step in the ladder for the young, up-and-coming drivers like Connor. The addition of Gil into the mix is undoubtedly a huge step in the right direction for us, and we’re excited about the prospects of where his knowledge and experience can take us.”
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Kevin Harvick’s Former Crew Chief Secures New Opportunity