Connor Zilisch did not have to deal with Shane van Gisbergen in his rookie Xfinity season because SVG was already in Cup. That luxury is gone. In 2026, Zilisch joins him in the top series, where the two will finally go head to head against the sport’s best. With van Gisbergen dominating road courses by winning five of six in his rookie Cup year, Kyle Larson has a simple request for the newcomer: take the fight to the Trackhouse star.
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Zilisch’s rivalry with SVG already has a pulse. The SVG-Zilisch pair locked horns three times this year in the Xfinity Series, each encounter more charged than the last. At The Loop 110 in Chicago, they went door-to-door on the final restart. SVG edged ahead, seizing the win with nothing left to lose.
A week later at Sonoma, the 19-year-old turned the tables. He muscled past with calculated aggression, taking the checkered flag while SVG settled for second. The rubber match came at Watkins Glen, where tempers flared and contact sent SVG pounding the outside wall in Turn 7. The hit ended his day, while Zilisch again went on to win the race.
Larson, speaking on the Rubbin is Racing podcast, said he’s eager to see how the rivalry evolves. Appreciating the young talents, Larson stated, “I think NASCAR is in great hands here lately. I think there’s a lot of young talent coming up, and Connor, especially, and Corey Heim; those two dominated.”
Speaking about how he wants Zilisch to outpace SVG, though, the #5 driver added, “Connor Zilisch is going to win cup races and do it quickly. So, I’m pumped because he’ll hopefully be able to give SVG a run for his money courses because none of us can.”
SVG‘s debut Cup season had all the fireworks but fell short in the playoffs. Despite making the field, the Kiwi bowed out in the first round, undone by the oval-heavy schedule that exposed his learning curve on American tracks. Zilisch, by contrast, has proven adaptable on both fronts.
He’s as sharp on ovals as he is smooth on the left and right circuits, a dual threat that could make for a riveting rivalry when they meet again under the Cup banner.
SVG will double down on mastering the ovals, while Zilisch looks ready to test his teammate’s mettle on the very tracks where the Kiwi built his reputation. If their Xfinity clashes were any indication, NASCAR’s next great rivalry is already idling on the grid.
