Connor Zilisch Reflects on Walking the Fine Line Between Earning Respect and Standing His Ground After Atlanta Cup Race

Connor Zilisch made the third Cup Series start of his career at the EchoPark Speedway on Saturday. Following an action-packed event that stretched 260 laps, the 18-year-old brought his No. 87 Chevrolet Camaro across the checkered flag in 11th place. The youngster was beyond thrilled with how the experience went and did not hold back on expressing the same to the press.

Notably, he had won the Xfinity Series race at Pocono last weekend and finished fourth in the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta on Friday. The continuous stretch of positive results has him on cloud nine. But he is also aware of the mutual respect required when racing among the big boys in the premier tier.

Zilisch said that it will take time for him to command respect among his competitors considering how young and new to the scene he is. He added, “They don’t trust me enough to push me and that’s been the same everywhere I’ve gone and in every series I’ve raced. I was just trying my best to be as respectful out there as I could be and leave people space.

“I want to build that respect. So yeah, I’m trying not to be too nice and make everyone think I’m a scaredy-cat. But at the same time, I don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers.” 

Zilisch is still too young and inexperienced to already be making enemies on the field. Fortunately, he understands this and is maintaining a good balance on that tightrope.

Zilisch delighted with his result in Atlanta

Zilisch’s debut in the Cup Series came at the Circuit of the Americas early this year. He was unable to finish the race due to a mechanical issue. His second race was the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. He finished the crown jewel event in 23rd place and gave some reason for optimism. His parallel performances in the Xfinity Series were making a strong case to believe in his abilities.

And now, Zilisch has taken another big step towards being a Cup Series winner. The Quaker State 400 was filled with chaos from start to finish. He told the press that it was the craziest race he had ever run, adding, “Runs were forming everywhere. Our car was on the edge the whole time. It was wild. I was death-gripping the steering wheel for 260 laps. I am gonna sleep well tonight.”

Zilisch was rather pleased with the fact that he did not spin out when so many others around him did and was able to see the end of the race. The importance of such results is paramount, considering he could potentially replace Daniel Suarez in the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro next season.