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Former driver and owner Michael Waltrip took to X to talk about Connor Zilisch's "bright future" in NASCAR. Despite his challenging debut in the Cup Series at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix 2025 in Austin, Waltrip hailed the highly rated driver's talent.
Zilisch drives full-time for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series and is signed with Trackhouse Racing for the Cup Series as a developmental driver. The 18-year-old marked his introduction to top-tier stock car racing at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) with a DNF.
Michael Waltrip came in support of Connor Zilisch, who had reshared a post that highlighted how past Cup Series winners had a difficult time on their Cup Series debuts. Waltrip added his own words of encouragement, replying:
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"Your future is bright."
Connor Zilisch's first Cup Series race at COTA was highly anticipated, but the race did not go as planned for him. Starting the race at COTA from 14th position, Zilisch quickly showed his pace early on. However, his race took a turn for the worse on the first lap of the last stage with contact from the Trackhouse teammate, Daniel Suarez.
Suarez hit a curb and spun into Zilisch as he was steering past Turn 19 on Lap 50. This left Zilisch with nowhere to go, sending him into the tire barriers. This ended his eventful and promising debut of the Trackhouse No. 87. Zilisch’s brief performance at COTA did not go unnoticed, as the NASCAR world was full of praise for the raw talent.
"We didn't get to see a lot of it. That drive in stage 2 upto 14th. He was coming and though it would not have been linear to top 10. It was fun to watch. His car just seems to be in all the right positions, hard to believe this is his first start in a next gen car," said commentator and former crew chief Steve Letarte. (via NASCAR.com)
Connor Zilisch won in the Xfinity Series at COTA
Just a day before his Cup Series debut, Zilisch made headlines with a remarkable victory in the Xfinity Series at COTA. His triumph in the Focused Health 250 showed his ability to handle pressure as he beat seasoned drivers like William Byron. The win made him only the fourth racer with multiple Xfinity Series wins at 18 years of age, solidifying his reputation as a driver well-suited for NASCAR’s upper tiers.
A commitment line violation forced Zilisch to the back of the field, restarting 32nd after the first stage break. Undeterred, he carved his way through the pack, eventually taking the lead from JR Motorsports teammate Carson Kvapil on Lap 56.
He held off William Byron at the closing stages of the race. Given this track record, Connor Zilisch remains a driver to watch in the coming years.
