Connor Zilisch has accomplished what few drivers have in NASCAR. At just 19 years old, the former O’Reilly Auto Parts Series phenom signed with Trackhouse Racing and is currently running his rookie year with the team. However, he is learning just how unforgiving the Cup Series can be. During his 2-year campaign with JR Motorsports, including 5 races in 2026, Zilisch was the driver everyone feared because winning just seemed to come second nature to him.
During his O’Reilly career, he earned 13 wins, 25 top 5 finishes, 29 top-tens with an average start of 7.6 and finish of 8.0. Yet, in his Cup Series runs so far this season, he hasn’t been as lucky, with average starts of 25 and finishes around 25.5, including 2 DNFs. But his luck seemed to turn around Sunday during the All-Star race at Dover Motor Speedway, finishing P5 after a less-than-desirable P27 start despite an early pit-road penalty that pushed him to the back of the field.
It was an impressive finish, especially for a rookie, considering the unforgiving nature of Dover. He maintained grip in tight racing conditions, high banking, and on a surface known for chewing up tires. Zilisch recently took to social media, revealing his relief at taming the “Monster Mile” and posting a top-five finish in the Cup Series with two simple words: “Much needed.”
And “much-needed” is right, especially given the averages Trackhouse Racing has been putting up collectively. So far in 2026, the team, which also fields veterans like Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen, has won a single pole and a race, 3 top-5s, and 5 top-10s, with an average start of 20.8 and a finish of 21.3. So, the P5 finish, apart from Van Gisbergen’s masterful win at Watkins Glen, was huge for Zilisch and the entire team. For now, Zilisch must remain patient and keep pushing to find his groove in the Cup Series alongside crew chief Randall Burnett.
The rookie driver is also benefiting from learning the differences between the Next Gen car and the O’Reilly Series version. Which is smart because O’Reilly cars tend to be trickier to maneuver and run on smaller wheels, whereas Cup cars run larger ones, resulting in vastly different grip. There’s approximately 70% Horsepower separating the Next Gen from the O’Reilly, and airflow can be disrupted much more easily at high speeds in a Next Gen car, making it difficult to draft closely or get a good feel for the car’s aerodynamics.
Though he is still learning how every iota of the Next Gen car works compared to the O’Reilly Series car, and that patience is key in the Cup Series, Connor Zilisch still has his work cut out for him if he plans to be on par with his teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain. But if there’s anything NASCAR and Zilisch’s fans know from his stint in the O’Reilly Series, it’s that he knows how to persevere and keep consistent. So, once he finds the magic touch, there’s no denying he’ll be unstoppable in Cup too.
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