18-year-old Connor Zilisch has been regarded by many as the next big star on the NASCAR ladder since his debut in COTA last month. The Trackhouse Racing development driver drove for Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series and finished in a commendable 4th place. With top stars like Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain backing his abilities, he was recently interviewed by veteran reporter Jeff Gluck when he made some interesting revelations.
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Zilisch was mistakenly placed on the hot seat recently for supposedly saying that Formula 1 made NASCAR look like the county fair. He later clarified that his comments were about the fan experience and not the racing. With this little snag in the hindsight, Gluck asked the youngster about a sentiment that he has which NASCAR fans don’t.
He responded by stating that he had a strong affinity for road racing and that not a lot of stock car fans do so. “A lot of the fans don’t see it the same way I may see it. It is well-liked throughout the garage and the guys enjoy it,” he said. “The guys who don’t enjoy it are the ones who maybe aren’t quite as good at it. But the diversity and being able to race in different scenarios is what makes a really good race car driver.”
Notably, Zilisch’s first love when it came to racing was Formula 1. He raced karts in Europe as a youngster but eventually turned to North American motorsports with the aid of circumstances and an intervention from the racing icon Kevin Harvick. Once here, NASCAR was the obvious choice. “I feel like it’s (NASCAR) the biggest form of motorsports in North America. I feel like that’s what makes it appealing to me,” he told Autoweek in an interview.
Zilisch explains what is needed to be successful in NASCAR
Continuing the conversation, he was asked what fans don’t realize about his line of work. He replied by providing a short glimpse into the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes in NASCAR, even for him, who is not a Cup Series driver yet. Reiterating that it wasn’t just about showing up on race weekends and driving a car, he said, “There’s a lot of responsibilities drivers have that people don’t see.”
“Even the crew guys — these guys are away from their families 38 weekends a year, and they’re at the shop every day. It’s a straining lifestyle, and it’s definitely not easy on relationships and the people around you, but it’s what’s needed to be successful.”
Following his debut in the Truck Series, Zilisch will be driving in the Xfinity Series this year as well. His next NASCAR appearance will be behind the #88 JR Motorsports car.
