Racing with the JRS Auctions OSCAAR Hot Rods last season, Connor Ellis showed speed despite facing some adversity along the way with a heat win and two feature top-five’s. As he prepares for the upcoming 2024 campaign, he shared his thoughts with SHORT TRACK MUSINGS.

What are your thoughts as you look ahead to the upcoming 2024 race season?

Well, I’m definitely looking forward to having a better piece of equipment than I’ve had the previous two years, if not the best piece of equipment I’ve ever had. Hoping for a good strong start, but usually my luck normally doesn’t come into the end of the year.

So in other words, we should find a rabbit’s foot or horseshoe for the new car for you.

Yes, very much.

Despite being bit by the bad luck bug last season more so than rightfully deserved, what are your thoughts as you look back on 2023?

It was a rough season for us, as a team, but we’re hoping that everything we learned over the past year and help we got that we can come back and show it wasn’t pointless, and it’s all for a good cause in the end.

What track are you most excited to get back to this season?

Personally, I am extremely excited to go back to Sunset (Speedway).

I can’t argue against that, as that’s my home track…

A bunch of my friends live up that way and race there, so I can’t wait to go back and race them again.

What do you feel that you and your team need to work on to continue to build this program stronger as you inch closer to your first feature win?

We need to work on understanding the car better, and what adjustment does specifically and not just overall.

Why did you want to get involved with the Hot Rods to begin with?

Well, I watched Tyler Hawn race them back when I was a kid at Sunset, and I watched him go from the back of the field to the front twice in one race, and I decided right then and there that I wanted to race again. One day, I want to beat him.

If you could pick any body style that you could run for the series, what’s that dream look that you’d love to go with one day?

I finally made the decision on that. it’s a 1958 – late 50s, early 60s Chevrolet Belair.

Who do you consider your racing hero?

My racing hero would probably be Bill Zardo. Just seeing how dedicated he was to racing his whole life, it was quite amazing to see. I want to be like him when I grow up.

I know right now you’re having a blast with the hot rods, but is there another division that you would like to try?

There’s many divisions that I’d like to give a try. I’d like to try the dirt thunder stocks at Ohsweken – or anywhere on dirt for that matter. I’d also like to try a late model at some point, and I’d love to try a Legend car, personally.

We see a lot of people like you did in bone stocks and then move up to other divisions. What’s the biggest thing that you learned from those years that you’ve been able to carry forward with you?

More or less my spacial awareness around the cars would be one of my better traits, as well as my ability to hear what’s going on behind me without having to look in the mirror or have my spotter tell me as well. I learned those tricks from when I was racing Jr Late Models.

What would be a piece of advice to the next person out there looking to get started?

You’ll have a rough season here and there, but you always have to continue working and working and working – never give up on it. If you truly want to make it somewhere, you can’t just walk away.