"There’s a lot of cool guys that I'm getting to race against": Connor Zilisch makes his feelings known on his NASCAR Cup Series debut

Connor Zilisch has expressed excitement about debuting in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend. The 18-year-old looks forward to racing against drivers from NASCAR's top series at the Focused Health 250 on Saturday (March 1).

Zilisch is slated to drive the No. 87 Red Bull Chevrolet Camaro for Trackhouse Racing at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

During a media interaction at COTA, Connor Zilisch said he's excited not only to race but also to learn from the Cup drivers.

“Yeah, it's going to be a really cool weekend for me, getting to make my Cup Series debut with Red Bull back in NASCAR," Zilisch said (via Speedway Digest).

He added:

Yeah, I'm really excited to see what, you know, Sunday is all about and learn from all the guys who are so seasoned and professional. There’s a lot of cool guys that I'm getting to race against and learn from this weekend."

The North Carolina native also hoped to put on a good show in the Xfinity Series as a full-time driver of the No. 88 Chevy for JR Motorsports.

"So, excited for that and excited to hopefully, you know, have a really good run in the Xfinity car and maybe lock ourselves into the playoffs in our Weather Tech Chevrolet," he concluded.

Connor Zilisch drives the No. 88 Chevrolet full-time in the Xfinity Series - Source: Imagn

Connor Zilisch will debut in the premier series alongside teammates Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain. Shane van Gisbergen, who raced with Zilisch in the 2025 Rolex 24, will also champion the Trackhouse Racing brand with him at COTA.

Speaking of which, NASCAR will run a shorter 2.3-mile track configuration this weekend. The league has removed turns seven through 11, eliminating the long straightaway where the pack is usually separated.

The 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA will be held on March 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The 95-lap event is the first road course of the season and the only scheduled Cup race for Zilisch.

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Connor Zilisch looks to gain respect from veteran NASCAR Cup drivers at COTA

While Connor Zilisch aims to win his Cup debut race at the Circuit of the Americas, the young driver also hopes to earn respect from veteran drivers. During the same interaction, he told the media that he would race within his boundaries to earn respect as early as possible.

The last thing Zilisch would want is to lose the respect of the veterans, which he believes would be tough to get back. The Chevrolet pilot said:

“Yeah, it's really important to gain respect from those guys, you know, as early as possible. You don't want to go out and make a fool of yourself because once you lose respect of all the veterans, it's really tough to get it back. So, you definitely want to race them the right way at first and, you know, show them that you're going to race them with respect. I think if you do that, they'll give it back to you. So, that's definitely the plan."

Connor Zilisch won the 2024 Mission 200 at The Glen - Source: Imagn

Zilisch may be young but he's known to show up big time in debut races.

The 18-year-old made his NASCAR debut (Craftsman Truck Series) in the 2024 XPEL 225 at COTA and finished fourth in the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado after securing the pole position. He also won his debut race in the Xfinity Series at Watkins Glen last year.

If the driver wins at COTA, he will become the youngest Cup race winner in the sport's history.