Following Connor Zilisch’s underwhelming finish in his debut Cup race, Kyle Busch, who has bagged 63 NASCAR Cup race victories, two Cup championships, and numerous victories, offered words of encouragement. Busch, who didn’t have an auspicious start to his own Cup career, resonated with Zilisch’s experience following the race at COTA last weekend.
Advertisement
Recently, when Zilisch shared an update on X, lamenting that his car had an impressive speed on the track, and yet he crashed in Stage 3 through no fault of his own, Busch re-shared his post with a reassuring comment, “Your future’s bright,” and added a personal anecdote for encouragement, “I finished last in my Cup debut too.”
His own debut was notably brief and tumultuous, lasting just 11 laps, during which he famously hit the wall twice coming off Turn 4, sustaining too much damage to continue, and ultimately finished 41st, just ahead of two start-and-park cars but as the last among the competitors who were there to race.
Fans siding with Busch’s prediction stated, “I’d argue it was likely better to happen this way. Get the lesson of ‘this stuff is hard’ out of the way real quick. Now he has raw talent and will be more vigilant. Connor is gonna be a problem for the field for many years to come.” Another fan mentioned, “The has spoken – you have a greats future ahead.”
One fan lauding Busch‘s career commented, “Well that worked out pretty dam well for you didn’t it KB!” another giving Busch’s achievements a touch of humor writing, “Sh*t!!!! Does that mean he’s going to dominate the top three series for the next two decades?”
Where did the last 10 years’ NASCAR Cup champions finish in their debut race?
Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Cup championships in 2015 and 2019, joining a select group of seven drivers who have dominated the past decade of NASCAR Cup Series championships. Interestingly, the debut races for these champions were less than stellar; in fact, none managed to crack the top 30 in their first outings.
According to statistics released by NASCAR Classics on their official X handle, three-time Cup champion Joey Logano kicked off his Cup career in 2008 with a 32nd-place finish.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup champion, Ryan Blaney, debuted in the premier division of NASCAR in 2014, finishing 27th. Kyle Larson, who took home the 2021 Cup championship, began his Cup journey in 2013, landing in 37th place in his inaugural race.
Chase Elliott, one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers and the 2020 champion, commenced his championship journey with a 38th-place finish, while Kyle Busch started his career in 41st place.
Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 Cup champion who retired last year, debuted at 37th place. Meanwhile, seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson debuted in 39th place during his first NASCAR Cup start in 2001.
Responding to this intriguing pattern, Connor Zilisch, who finished 37th in his Cup debut at COTA, quipped on X, “Makes me feel not as bad about yesterday.” As he aligns his initial performance with those of the past seven Cup champions, only time will reveal whether he can emulate the success and stature of these esteemed drivers.
