At just 18 years of age, Connor Zilisch is already being touted as a future superstar in motorsports. Barely out of high school, he is a part-time driver for the biggest teams in NASCAR. He drives for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series, for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, and is also a part of Dale Jr.’s CARS Tour.
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Although the racing prodigy is living the dream life, Zilisch does not have a lot of friends in his age group. The gap in mindset or relatability he faced with many of his peers outside motorsports has led to him developing new friendships within the NASCAR fraternity.
Jesse Love is one of his best friends, revealed Zilisch in a recent episode of the Rubbin is Racing podcast. He added that people like Love, and other fellow racers he has gotten close to have similar tastes as him and understand his lifestyle better. He then spoke about his early teens, and how he ended up going to public school only till Grade 7 before switching to online schooling.
“I didn’t get the high school experience, but I am not upset about it. I don’t think I have anything to complain about when it comes to my life,” Zilisch said.
“One thing I have told people is that it is hard for me to connect with kids my age because not many kids have a professional career at the age of 18 or have meetings during the week about their job,” he added.
At the end of the day, Zilisch is also a kid deep inside. He spends his summer time at Lake Norman with his friends and has a blast typical of teenagers.
However, that jovial nature changes the moment Friday comes around when it is time to put on the racing helmet. The ability to compartmentalize with efficiency has helped him manage his young racing career better.
Zilisch runs riot in his debut NASCAR season
The youngster has started six races in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports so far. Zilisch won once and had two top-10 finishes. He recorded two top-20 finishes as well.
In the Cup Series, he was set for a top-order finish at the Circuit of the Americas. Unfortunately, he had to retire following a crash with his teammate Daniel Suarez.
The world of motorsports is keenly watching the extraordinary talent Zilisch possesses. His credentials and potential will continue to be uncovered with each race he undertakes in NASCAR.
Love, his best friend, is currently a full-time Xfinity driver for Richard Childress Racing. The 20-year-old is as much a phenomenon as Zilisch. He won the season-opening race at Daytona and has secured four top-10s since.
Going by sheer talent, it appears that these two friends could end up battling each other for the title in the near future.
