Trackhouse Racing announced back in January that it had signed 17-year-old Connor Zilisch as a development driver in its roster and that he will drive in select fixtures across multiple series in 2024 and 2025. Before that contract could be seen through, the youngster had already proved his worth to the degree that JR Motorsports has now signed him up as a full-time Xfinity Series driver.
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Zilisch recently shot to nationwide fame after winning his debut Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen. But his skills were recognized even earlier by Dale Earnhardt Jr. who made the call to bring him on as a driver for the No. 88 car come 2025. The icon said in a team release back in July, “Connor is such an impressive driver at this young age. We’re excited for him to get behind the wheel full-time next season.”
His performances have been such that the racing world has just accepted the fact that he could skip the Craftsman Truck Series altogether and still make his mark in the second tier. He collected five wins in the ARCA Menards Series, scored pole position in his Truck Series debut in COTA, and won the 2024 Rolex 24 at the Daytona International Speedway. One could go on listing his achievements.
Although his rise has been a very quick one, Zilisch hasn’t yet planned out a path to the NASCAR Cup Series. He is comfortable with the pace at which things are proceeding and has decided to take things as they come. He told the press, “I feel like I’m in a really good spot with a lot of great people around me that’ll help guide me in the right direction as I get into the Xfinity Series next year.”
Justin Marks, the top man at Trackhouse Racing, and other key figures in Zilisch’s career agree that there is no rush to move him up to the Cup Series. He is just 18 and spending time in Xfinity under the mentorship of skilled drivers like Dale Jr., and Justin Allgaier will polish him into a mature racer capable of taking on the bigger sharks in the premier tier someday.
Not surprisingly, JR Motorsports wasn’t the only entity interested in his services. Kaulig Racing and Richard Childress Racing were possible landing spots but then looking at the Cup Series who’ve come through the doors of JRM made things a lot simpler. He will next drive the No. 88 car in Kansas, Homestead-Miami, and Phoenix before gearing up for his maiden full-time NASCAR season.
