Plant disease resistance proteins (R‐proteins) detect specific pathogen‐derived molecules, triggering a defence response often including a rapid localized cell death at the point of pathogen penetration called the hypersensitive response (HR). The maize Rp1‐D21 gene encodes a protein that triggers a spontaneous HR causing spots on leaves in the absence of any pathogen. Previously, we used fine mapping and functional analysis in a Nicotiana benthamiana transient expression system to identify and characterize a number of genes associated with variation in Rp1‐D21‐induced HR. Here we describe a system for characterizing genes mediating HR, using virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) in a maize line carrying Rp1‐D21. We assess the roles of 12 candidate genes. Three of these genes, SGT1, RAR1, and HSP90, are required for HR induced by a number of R‐proteins across several plant–pathogen systems. We confirmed that maize HSP90 was required for full Rp1‐D21‐induced HR. However, suppression of SGT1 expression unexpectedly increased the severity of Rp1‐D21‐induced HR while suppression of RAR1 expression had no measurable effect. We confirmed the effects on HR of two genes we had previously validated in the N. benthamiana system, hydroxycinnamoyltransferase and caffeoyl CoA O‐methyltransferase. We further showed the suppression the expression of two previously uncharacterized, candidate genes, IQ calmodulin binding protein (IQM3) and vacuolar protein sorting protein 37, suppressed Rp1‐D21‐induced HR. This approach is an efficient way to characterize the roles of genes modulating the hypersensitive defence response and other dominant lesion phenotypes in maize.