Connor Zilisch lines up alongside the likes of Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson every race weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series, so it is only natural for the 19-year-old to feel nervous among such titans. But he has learned to channel that feeling into focus, pushing his limits as he finds his footing on the sport’s biggest stage.
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Three races into the 2026 season, Zilisch, a Cup Series rookie, has yet to secure his first top-10 result. But the level of skill he possesses became evident during last Sunday’s race at the Circuit of the Americas as he overcame two spins to finish in 14th place. The youngster is now deep enough to note down the differences between the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Cup Series.
Zilisch was asked to comment on the same during a media advance ahead of the visit to Phoenix, and he made some notable points. He said, “On Saturdays, I feel like every guy races you hard for every spot, even if you’re a second faster. I can’t say the restarts are any less aggressive in Cup because I got taken out twice last Sunday. The Cup guys are all really smart.”
The Trackhouse Racing driver feels like the Cup Series drivers are extremely intelligent and that they work to put other drivers in bad spots. He has found it hard to make up positions in such moments. Zilisch also noted that the drivers he races with now aren’t unnecessarily aggressive. They just let a competitor be if they aren’t as fast. But that’s not the case in the O’Reilly Series.
Zilisch’s crew chief expresses strong confidence in him
Randall Burnett used to work as the crew chief for two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. But Trackhouse Racing tapped him this season and has made him handle things in Zilisch’s No. 88 team. Following the race at Atlanta, Burnett said on NASCAR Crew Call with Todd Gordon and Steve Post that his driver is fully equipped to make it at this level.
He categorized the results at Daytona and Atlanta as unfortunate outcomes and said that what matters most is how Zilisch handles setbacks. In his words, “I thought he did a great job in Daytona and Atlanta. Just some unfortunate circumstances kind of didn’t get the finish that we needed.”
A driver of this age cannot make it to the Cup Series on a fluke. There is no question that Zilisch is a talented driver. But several drivers with such caliber have come and gone without ever making a significant mark. Which path he goes down relies a lot on his ability to endure and overcome mental challenges.
