There has been a lot of chat surrounding Kyle Larson’s claims of being a more versatile driver than Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen, with several personalities from both the NASCAR and F1 worlds putting their views forward. The most recent person to add to the debate has been former Cup Series driver turned broadcaster Kevin Harvick.
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‘The Closer’ recently talked about how Connor Zilisch, an up-and-coming talent in the world of motorsports has made a name for himself in stock car racing circles at just the age of 18. Despite not having run a single full-time season in any of the three nationwide series, Zilisch’s part-time endeavors in the sport have seen him win in the Xfinity Series, and no less than on his debut at Wakins Glen last weekend.
The Trackhouse Racing development driver has been through the ranks of European karting championships and has heaps of road racing experience and race craft owing to his childhood racing overseas, along with his prior drives in the sportscar world.
Cheers to @ConnorZilisch, @JRMotorsports and the 88 team. pic.twitter.com/MRJ5a2Ibqx
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) September 18, 2024
Harvick touched on how this experience compared to Larson’s sprint car background works in favor of the young 18-year-old if he were to lend himself in open-wheeled racing.
“We found Connor in karts because Keelan was racing against him and they had just a few different karters and himself and Brent Crews that came out of there at a high level. Those two at a different level than most of the kids. Because Connor went to Europe and was successful in the karts, won races, and competed over there several times, he realistically is one of those kids who could have succeeded at F1,” opined Harvick on his podcast.
He added, “I know we talk about Larson and the things that he can do in the car. But this kid is actually a kid that went to Europe, went through that system, beat a lot of their kids, and never had the opportunity to go through that F1 route.”
While Harvick elaborated on how Zilisch’s past has been in racing, another Cup Series veteran chimed in on what he thought was best for the young driver in stock car racing.
“He’s definitely going to be in the Cup Series someday”
Two-time NASCAR Cup champion and driver of the #22 Ford for Team Penske, Joey Logano was also all praises for Connor as the most recent winner in the postseason opined on the young driver during an appearance on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel.
However, Logano also touched on the importance of building up a young driver’s experience level before he/she graduates to the highest echelon. “I think it’s important for Connor to be able to get his time racing in Xfinity and not get thrown in there too quickly.”
Touching on how a driver needs to excel at several different types of track in the sport while going up against the best drivers at the topmost level, Logano felt Zilisch needed more oval experience under his belt before joining the Cup Series as a complete package.
Shane van Gisbergen seems to also be following the same route as he will be seen full-time in Cup next year after cutting his teeth during the entire 2024 Xfinity Series season. Meanwhile, the postseason battle heads to Bristol this weekend as drivers prepare to compete one last time during the round of 16 on Sunday.
