Dale Earnhardt Jr. Backs Connor Zilisch as NASCAR’s Next Mainstream Breakout Star

Connor Zilisch never expected to waltz into the Cup Series and start bagging top five results from the get go, but it did prove to be a bit more difficult than anticipated. But has the belief in him faded for those who hailed him as the sport’s next big thing? Not by any means.

Zilisch’s best result of 2026 came at the Circuit of the Americas where he finished 14th, and that was seconded by his 18th place result in Darlington last Sunday. It was a commendable result considering he’s a rookie. It reignited the hype, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., insisted that he would make waves on and off the track.

NASCAR has seen its fair share of racing superstars come and go over the past few years. But none of them have been able to take it to new audiences around the world and grab their attention. Dale Jr. believes Zilisch can do that.

Dale Jr. said on SPEED with Harvick and Buxton, “I think he’s got the driving part covered. That is going to work out, right? What I’m excited about is what he might do for us off the track.

“We’ve got a lot of great personalities in the garage. But it’s been a while since we’ve had someone trigger the mainstream and get outside of our bubble, if you will. I really think he could do it,” the NASCAR Hall of Famer said.

By no means did Dale Jr. suggest that there aren’t great personalities in the Cup Series aside from Zilisch today. But it takes a special skill to draw in new audiences who are unfamiliar with stock-car racing.

Only time will tell if Zilisch is capable of that. For now, his focus is undividedly on improving his performances on the track.

Zilisch looks for a turnaround of luck in 2026

Six races into his rookie season, Zilisch has yet to secure his first top-10 result. One issue or another keeps popping up everywhere he goes to derail him from the path. He expressed his frustration when speaking to Bob Pockrass ahead of the race at Las Vegas, where he ultimately finished 32nd.

“I’ve definitely had a rough stretch of weeks with incidents and things out of my control,” he said. “As a race car driver, I have a hard time saying it’s bad luck when it’s four weeks in a row… It’s just been one of those years where you’re knocked down, and you keep trying to get up, but you keep getting knocked down.”

The result at Darlington, while not in line with his true potential, is still a positive one to take home. Hopefully, he will regroup with the No. 88 crew and bring a stronger performance to Martinsville this upcoming weekend. Being successful on the track is the one box that any driver needs to tick before trying to appeal to large fan bases.