What better way to celebrate a first win than with a friend, as Zack Weisenfluh (right) found out. His buddy Connor Gross (left) rushed to victory lane at Action Track USA in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Weisenfluh had just won his first 600 sprint race. Gross had won the previous two weeks and finished third on this night.
“Connor was as excited as I was,” Weisenfluh, 24, of Taylor, Pennsylvania, said. “He told me, ‘If it couldn’t be me, I’d rather it be you. You’ve been working so hard for this win.’ It felt great to get his compliment.”
Weisenfluh met Gross two seasons ago.
“We became friends on the micro scene after we raced together,” said Weisenfluh. “We raced real tight, side by side, lap after lap, and then introduced ourselves to each other after the race while we were in the pits.”
While Gross has enjoyed success at several 600 sprint tracks, Weisenfluh still sought his first win. Last year, Weisenfluh asked Gross to drive his car during a test and tune at Hamlin Speedway in Pennsylvania. Both drivers race cars from Hyper Racing.
“Connor knows his stuff,” Weisenfluh said. “Everywhere he goes, he is a front-runner. He got into my car to help me work the bugs out. I thought it would be great to have a second driver give me an opinion on my car. We really liked his setup advice and took it.”
Last Wednesday at Action Tack USA, Weisenfluh had to battle Gross, among others, for the win.
“I got into the lead, and on a restart [Connor] was right alongside of me,” Weisenfluh said. “We battled to the end with Pat Bealer, and Connor finished third. [Connor’s] presence helped drive me to victory lane.”
Tonight, Zack Weisenfluh looks to emulate his friend Connor Gross, by going for two consecutive wins at Action Track USA.
“There will be stiff competition,” said Weisenfluh. “There are 40 to 60 micros there every week. All the heavy hitters will be there, including Connor. If I don’t win, I hope Connor does.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
