“This kid has the runway to become a multi-time NASCAR Cup Champion,” Dale Earnhardt Jr said praising Zilisch and his performances. At just 18 years old, Zilisch is making big waves in the world of NASCAR and the world of motorsports. He has got the support of the racing fans and has the racing legends behind him. He is steadily building a reputation as the next big thing in the sport.

Connor Zilisch burst onto the NASCAR scene with a debut Xfinity Series victory at Watkins Glen driving the number 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, becoming the second youngest driver to win a NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Zilisch had a dream weekend at Watkins Glen, qualifying at the pole, winning Stage 1, and leading 45 out of 90 laps to come home with a comfortable victory.

Remember back when a baby-faced Chase Elliott burst on the NASCAR scene in Watkins Glen or when Joey Logano shocked the racing world as a teenager? These moments, once considered milestones and untouchable, are now being revisited and perhaps, can be redefined.

The 18-Year-Old Phenomenon scripting his NASCAR success story

Think of Chase Elliott and Joey Logano surpassing and rewriting the records set by the legends of sports like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the very guys they grew up watching. We were all nostalgic, but we cheered too when Chase Elliott snapped HMS’s Championship drought in 2020. Or when William Byron broke Gordon’s record to become the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500 multiple times. Or when the Busch brothers, back in 2002, made NASCAR implement a minimum age to race in the series.

Zilisch‘s rise in the racing world is nothing short of an extraordinary feat. The 18-year-old Red Bull athlete had his first career Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen back in 2024, driving for JR Motorsports, and becoming their first driver in 3 years (since Ty Gibbs in 2021) to win on his Xfinity Series debut. Now, less than even half a year later, he has added COTA to his win tally. Driving the number 88 Camaro for JR Motorsports, combined with part-time stints in the Truck series, shows a level of skill and maturity far beyond his age.

Connor Zilisch is now on the verge of making history and breaking the records set by NASCAR’s most successful drivers. With the win at COTA, he now joins an elite group of racers who have multiple wins in the Xfinity Series at 18 years of age – with Chase Elliott at the top with 3 wins, followed by Ty Gibbs with 3, and Joey Logano with 2 wins. Chase Elliott’s record of 3 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is well within Zilisch’s grasp with 2 wins already in the bag and 17 races left to go before he turns 19. With the momentum he has after his recent performances, two more wins do not seem impossible at all.

With Zilisch making his Cup Series debut at COTA last weekend, as per the development driver for Trackhouse Racing, another one of the sport’s standing records is under threat. This time the record is one that Joey Logano set back in 2009 when he became the youngest Cup Series winner at 19 years and 1 month. Starting 14th on his debut at COTA, Zilisch is within reach of breaking Joey Logano’s long-standing record. The anticipation of his Cup Series debut performance is palpable and everyone is eager to see if he can enter the history books as the youngest ever Cup Series race winner. 

“I want to try and become the youngest Cup Series winner, and to do that, I have to race as soon as possible and get it in before I turn 19. So, you know, I wanted to at least give myself a shot at that. So that was definitely part of my thinking. And honestly, I don’t feel like there’s anything that tells me that I’m not ready to race on a road course on Sunday,” Zilisch said before his Cup Series debut at COTA showcasing the hunger to succeed.

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From Xfinity to Cup:  Connor Zilisch embarks on an ambitious mission

Connor Zilisch is set to make the highly anticipated NASCAR Cup Series debut at COTA this Sunday, driving the number 87 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, a team known for their strong pace on the road courses. At just 18 years and 7 months, Zilisch is one of the youngest drivers to ever compete in a Cup Series race. But, competing in the Cup Series is whole another ball game when compared to the Xfinity Series. Knowing that he will be up against the odds starting in P14 Zilisch remains confident in his abilities and his race team.

“I go into this weekend with the same mindset I did the Xfinity debut,” Zilisch said regarding his debut at COTA. “I have no expectations. I don’t expect to go win. I just kind of go in expecting to learn and pick up as much as I can from the weekend. But there’s always a chance your car is really good.”

On the flip side, the teenager couldn’t out muscle or run riot like he did during the Xfinity Series race. In the Cup Series, he will have to tread carefully in roughing up his rivals. “I’ll try and stick by it as best I can. But it can be tough for us sometimes, you know, with pressure and just everything involved. It’s a lot tougher than people realize, but obviously the goal is to show those guys that I’m here to show them respect and, you know, not step outside my boundaries.” He added.

Zilisch going into this race has the unique opportunity to win on his Cup Series debut, a feat his mentor SVG achieved back in 2023. And looking at his growth trajectory the record held by Joey Logano could be well within his reach.