Connor Zilisch has started his weekend spectacularly, snatching the pole position for the Xfinity COTA race. Soon, he’ll be behind the wheel of the #87 Red Bull Chevrolet Camaro for Trackhouse Racing for the Cup race, marking his third NASCAR series debut within a year. The 18-year-old has enlisted Shane van Gisbergen, another Cup debut victor, to guide him through the nuances of his inaugural Cup race.
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Having won his Xfinity Series debut race at Watkins Glen International last year with JR Motorsports, Zilisch is under the spotlight again as he endeavors to achieve what would be a remarkable victory in his first Cup Series race.
SVG, who himself won his first Cup outing in the Chicago Street race over one and a half years ago, has been mentoring Zilisch through this phase of his career.
In a pre-race interview, Zilisch shared some insights about his Trackhouse Racing teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, stating,
“I didn’t know him six months ago — well, six to 12 months ago. I didn’t even know who he was, and I feel like now we’re pretty good friends… It’s really cool to have those guys that, you know, give me and show me respect. You know, I appreciate it a lot, and he’s a guy that I’ve definitely leaned on and hung out with and been able to get a friend out of it.”
As he gets ready for a rousing weekend in the Cup race, Zilisch must also hone his focus on his first full-time stint in the Xfinity Series this season.
Following his impressive part-time performance last year, where he consistently finished in the top 10 in all but one of his four races, this season has begun with less fortune, marked by back-to-back DNFs at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Zilisch’s realistic expectations of his debut Cup race at COTA
During a recent conversation on Jeff Gluck’s 12 Questions segment, Zilisch fielded a query from Chase Briscoe about his potential to outstrip the entire Cup field in his debut, along with his general expectations for competing at the Cup level. Zilisch, the fresh addition to Trackhouse Racing, responded with a grounded perspective, “Do I think I can wear out the field? No!”
According to him, several road course specialists come into the Cup — aside from Shane van Gisbergen — like former F1 drivers, and they don’t just come in and dominate.
He expressed his goal to be competitive and aim for a top-10 finish but dismissed the notion of completely outclassing the field. Reflecting on the counsel he’s received, Zilisch noted that his friends keep him grounded by warning him that Cup racing is a whole different beast.
For instance, Noah Gragson, who bagged eight or nine wins in Xfinity, had to face challenges maintaining top-10 placements in the Cup.
Yet, Zilisch’s abilities on road courses — from his victory at Watkins Glen in his Xfinity debut to his impressive fourth-place finish at COTA in the Truck Series — fuel his enthusiasm for the upcoming race at COTA, where he’s eager to showcase his skills against the seasoned field.
