NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch is widely recognized as a generational talent who could one day become the new face of the Cup Series. Before a busy weekend at Watkins Glen, Zilisch is set to be part of a major announcement this week.
On Monday’s episode of Door, Bumper, Clear, it was said that Zilisch “has some news coming this week, that will be pretty exciting for him” and he’ll be on the podcast next week following the announcement.
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- Connor Zilisch stats (Xfinity Series): 772 points, 5 wins, 13 top-10s, 11 top-5s, 4 poles, 487 laps led, 7.238 average starting position, 9.905 average finishing position in 19 races
Zilisch, who turned 19 years old on July 22, is pulling triple duty this week at Watkins Glen International. He’ll be in all three races on the NASCAR schedule this weekend: driving the No. 45 truck for Niece Motorsports on Friday, taking his usual seat in the No. 88 car for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, and then getting behind the wheel of the No. 87 for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series race on Sunday.
The announcement is the worst-kept secret in NASCAR. Zilisch, who is widely regarded as one of the best prospects in the sport since Kyle Larson and Joey Logano, will be taking Daniel Suarez’s spot in the No. 99 for Trackhouse Racing next season as a full-time driver.
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Earlier this year, Zilisch became the youngest driver (19 years old) to make his Cup debut since Logano in 2008. Next season, he will immediately become one of the favorites to win on road-course races as his track record compares extremely favorably to Shane van Gisbergen.
Expectations should still be tempered for Zilisch’s rookie season. Ty Gibbs won seven Xfinity Series races with 16 top 5s as a 19-year-old. Since becoming a full-time driver at Joe Gibbs Racing at the Cup level, Gibbs hasn’t won a race in over 100 attempts.
As for Suarez, his future is uncertain. The 33-year-old has stated he doesn’t want to return to the Xfinity Series, where he was champion in 2016 after winning Rookie of the Year the season prior. However, with very few options available, going back down and dominating at the Xfinity level and then coming back up when there are more open seats for 2027 might be his best option.
