Dale Jr.’s NASCAR prodigy Connor Zilisch gives an elated reaction to the “best day of the year” 

NASCAR prodigy Connor Zilisch has been making a name for himself in the motorsports world. After signing full-time with the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned JR Motorsports, the 18-year-old was added to the Trackhouse Racing lineup for the team's debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

In a recent Instagram stories post, Zilisch shared his excitement ahead of the endurance race by writing:

"Best day of the year. Daytona 24 hour race day👊🏼"

via Connor Zilisch's Instagram

Connor Zilisch will join Trackhouse star Shane van Gisbergen, IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin, and SportsCar veteran Ben Keating in the No. 91 Chevrolet Corvette for the famed endurance race at Daytona International Speedway.

Apart from his Rolex 24 attempt, Justin Marks-owned Trackhouse Racing also announced its plan to field an extra entry for Zilisch in NASCAR's premier division. Moreover, this will mark Red Bull's return to the sport, and it will serve as the primary sponsor to ZIlisch's Chevy and Gisbergen's No. 88 in select races of the 2025 Cup Series season.

Following Trackhouse and Red Bull's announcement, Zilisch shared his thoughts in a post on Instagram and wrote:

"I never thought I’d get the opportunity to race in the @nascar Cup Series, let alone debut at 18 years old. I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by great companies like @redbullusa and @teamtrackhouse. COTA is only 38 days away, let’s go!👊🏼"

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"Champions have gone through that building": Connor Zilisch opens up on his rookie season with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports

After running select races in the Truck and Xfinity Series, Connor Zilisch's debut win in the second-tier with JR Motorsports stood out the most among the NASCAR community. Furthermore, with the Chevy roster, Zilisch secured two top-five and one top-15 finish last season.

Dale Jr.'s Xfinity team, JRM, is one of the most successful teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, having served as the launching pad for Cup Series drivers such as Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, and Noah Gragson.

In a conversation with Frontstretch, Zilisch made his feelings known on bagging a full-time ride with JRM which has been the gateway for championship-caliber drivers on the NASCAR circuit. He said:

“So excited for this year, JR Motorsports. Obviously, it's a great place to be. You know, a lot of champions have gone through that building. So, I'm excited to get that chance to race with them and looking forward to it." [6:10]

Connor Zilisch will join reigning Xfinity champion Justin Allgaier (#7), Carson Kvapil (#1), and Sammy Smith (#8) as teammates for the upcoming NASCAR season.

Meanwhile, NASCAR season will be back in action for the season's exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 2. This will be followed by the first points-paying race Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16.