Trackhouse makes announcement on Connor Zilisch's NASCAR Cup Series future
Connor Zilisch is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series after Trackhouse announced that the 18-year-old will pilot the No.87 Chevy at Atlanta and Watkins Glen
NASCAR prodigy Connor Zilisch is set to return to the Cup Series lineup after Trackhouse announced the 18-year-old will drive the No. 87 Chevrolet at two upcoming races.
Trackhouse has confirmed that the full-time Xfinity Series driver, who is sponsored by Red Bull, is scheduled to make his third and fourth Cup Series starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 on June 28, and at Watkins Glen for Go Bowling at the Glen on August 10.
Zilisch, considered one of the top rising stars in the sport, made his Cup Series debut at Austin where he suffered an unfortunate wreck. He made his first oval appearance at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600, impressing after William Byron showed him a thing or two in the Xfinity race.
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Zilisch responded to the news of his extra races on social media, commenting, “So stoked. Two awesome tracks I get to experience in the cup car with @redbull!!”
The highly-touted youngster made his debut at Circuit of the Americas in March, qualifying an impressive 14th before falling down the order on lap one after being caught in a mass accident on turn one. Zilisch eventually worked his way back up the grid, only to be crashed into with 44 laps to go, with his No. 87 bursting into flames.
He returned to the Cup Series for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, qualifying 33rd and finishing 23rd.
“It was just a lot of attrition,” Zilisch told Frontstretch after the race. “We had damage after Jimmie [Johnson] had an issue and spun into us, and that kind of hurt us the rest of the day, but we still managed to stay alive and come home with a decent finish for my first oval race in the Cup Series.”
Atlanta will allow Zilisch to return to an oval for the second time in his Cup Series career in an effort to build upon a promising result in Charlotte, where he felt he learned a great deal. “As the race went on, I kind of started to learn more and more what I needed out of the car,” he explained.
“It drives so much differently, and it's really tough as well to figure out. So, yeah, laps are important, and 400 of them today was really good.”
Zilisch won’t be a total newcomer to either Atlanta or Watkins Glen, however, having raced at both previously. His ARCA Menards Series debut came at The Glen in 2023, qualifying and finishing second, before returning to claim the win a year later.
In 2024, Zilisch made his first-ever Xfinity Series start at The Glen, qualifying on pole and ultimately beating Justin Allgaier to the checkered flag. In doing so, Zilisch became the first driver since Ty Gibbs three years prior to win on their series debut.
As for Atlanta, the Xfinity Series’ second race of this season saw Zilisch qualify 10th at the 1.5-mile oval before crashing out from the mid-teens in a mass wreck with just 22 laps to go.
In the 11 races since Atlanta, Zilisch has put together an excellent season, with a win in Austin, two second-place finishes, and two further top tens.
