“Things have progressed really fast”: Connor Zilisch makes his feelings known ahead of his Cup Series debut with Trackhouse Racing 

Connor Zilisch recently shared his thoughts on debuting in the NASCAR Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing. The 18-year-old's 2025 season is turning out to be an eventful year as he is set to start the Rolex 24 at Daytona, followed by a rookie Xfinity season and a one-off race in NASCAR's premier division.

During a press conference at the Daytona International Speedway (via Motorsport), the NASCAR prodigy Zilisch shed light on starting a race in the Next-Gen car, driving the No. 87 Chevrolet for Justin Marks-owned Trackhouse Racing.

"The Cup car is a lot different. I definitely have a lot to learn there. It's just a whole different level in the Cup Series. Obviously, I want to get my feet wet as early as possible and get an understanding of what my future may look like. I'm really excited for that. It's going to be a lot of fun. Things have progressed really fast," Connor Zilisch said.

While Zilisch is no stranger to the NASCAR series, the North Carolina native made headlines when he won his debut Xfinity race at The Glen last year. He drove JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevy and is now set to run for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team full-time in the second-tier.

On the other hand, the American rapper Pitbull-owned organization Trackhouse announced its partnership with Red Bull, for select races in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season and will serve as the primary sponsor for Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch.

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"This is just a big moment for the sport of NASCAR": Connor ZIlisch's boss shares his thoughts on Red Bull's historic return

Following the announcement of Trackhouse's partnership with Red Bull, Justin Marks shared his thoughts on the return of the Red Bull after almost 13 years.

Speaking with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Marks said:

"This is bigger than Trackhouse, this is bigger than, you know, Red Bull alone, I mean, this is just a big moment for the sport of NASCAR, I mean, you know, it's influential and it's a big moment for all of us, for the fans, for the teams, the media partners, for everybody that, you know, Red Bull has made the commitment to dive back in, because I think everybody knows, you know, they don't do anything small..."

Marks continued:

"There's just nobody bigger or more influential than Red Bull, and, you know, they recognize where there's opportunities in all forms of motorsports to tell a really unique story and, you know, find partnerships that, you know, reflect their passion for motorsports, their creativity, their willingness to take risk, and, you know, all of us at Trackhouse are, you know, really thrilled and honored that they saw, you know, those attributes in the partnership with us."

Shane van Gisbergen's #88 Chevy will be backed by Red Bull at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 16), Sonoma Raceway (July 13), Iowa Speedway (Aug 3), Daytona International Speedway (Aug 23), and finally at Kansas Speedway (Sept 28).

Whereas the young sensation Connor Zilisch will be seen marking his Cup debut with the Red Bull colors at the Circuit of the Americas on March 2.