Connor Zilisch became a hot topic shortly after he entered the NASCAR Truck Series as a part-time driver. He registered his maiden entry for Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series at the Circuit of The Americas. Moreover, it was announced in March that Zilisch will also field part-time entries for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports, beginning at Watkins Glen International, a quick rise for the then-17-year-old boy.
That being said, will Zilisch live up to the hype and shape the future of JRM? We'd say yes and here's why.
The North Carolina native put an impressive display during his debut Truck Series run, bagging a pole position and finishing the race in fourth. Zilisch exhibited a more solid performance in his Xfinity Series debut, claiming the pole and securing his maiden win at Watkins Glen.
Furthermore, from four National Series races, Zilisch has claimed three top-5s and three top-10s, averaging a P5.3 finish. He had a short but dominant season making him a hot prospect.
Even Denny Hamlin, the 54-time Cup Series race winner, was affirmative about Connor Zilisch's NASCAR prospects. He expressed clear thoughts about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s upcoming rookie, highlighting his competitiveness against seasoned drivers, and a threshold concerning Zilisch's potential Xfinity Series wins.
"I'd say it's probably a sure-fire thing, just because he's got enough experience on ovals. He still did quite a bit of oval racing as well, and certainly, if you look at the results in the competitive series that he's run, he's still not as fast over the field when we go to ovals, but he's still competitive, competing against veterans that have been doing it quite some time," Denny Hamlin said (07:35).
The JGR driver painted a picture of what Zilisch's rookie Xfinity campaign could look like.
"So, will he go win 12 races next year in Xfinity? No, I don't think so. But I mean, could he win four or five? Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a very feasible goal considering, you know, the car he's in and what he's going to be capable of," he added.
Zilisch will drive the #88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to begin his debut rookie race at the Daytona International Speedway.
Denny Hamlin highlights Connor Zilisch's supremacy over Shane van Gisbergen
While 2024 was Connor Zilisch's debut year to shine, Shane van Gisbergen did the same in 2023 and continued it this season. The New Zealander, a three-time Supercars Champion, debuted in the Chicago Street Race, NASCAR's first in 75 years, and bested the field to emerge victorious. A promising performance followed in the next race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he finished 10th.
This past season saw SVG collect three wins; all on road courses. However, the Trackhouse Racing driver couldn't be as fast in Oval racing.
Denny Hamlin believes Zilisch is a better driver than van Gisbergen on the Ovals because the former boasts more experience. However, he said that both drivers are equal at road courses, considering Zilisch's sole NASCAR win came at Watkins Glen's road course.
"I think Connor's got a leg up on (SVG), if you had to ask me to pick one of the two. Connor, just because I think he's more versed in the ovals than what SVG is." (09:39).
"But I think when you look at what their capability is on road courses, I consider them equals right now. This is just my opinion right now," Hamlin said.
Hamlin acknowledges Zilisch's capabilities, but do you think Dale Jr.'s rookie would live up to the expectations created by his 2024 campaign?