Motorsports prodigy Connor Zilisch just keeps impressing everyone as he enters NASCAR. First, it was Trackhouse’s Justin Marks who signed him to be a developmental driver. Then Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently signed the youngster to pilot the #88 car full-time in the Xfinity Series in the 2025 season.

After JR Motorsports, now it is Red Bull!

The Red Bull team has recently announced a partnership with 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, taking him under their prestigious banner. The Trackhouse star, who is set to make his Xfinity debut, will now join his teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, who’s also under the Red Bull banner. The energy drink brand will feature on Zilisch’s helmet at the upcoming Xfinity Series races, the same as it did for SVG in the Cup Series’s Chicago Street race.

Connor Zilisch is now on the esteemed Red Bull roster

Red Bull is perhaps the most esteemed name when it comes to motorsports or sports in general. Having the leading team in Formula One piloted by 3-time F1 champion, Max Verstappen. The esteemed roster includes Verstappen’s teammates, Sergio Perez, Scott Speed, and Mattias Ekström. This is a big achievement for the youngster, as he spoke about it being a dream come true. Zilisch took it to X to share the news and his excitement.

He wrote, “So stoked to be joining the @redbull family as a Red Bull athlete! This has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid and I couldn’t be more pumped. Let’s go!!!”

Ahead of his ARCA race at Watkins Glen, Connor Zilisch showed why he’s the next big thing in stock car racing. After a tough loss last year, the 18-year-old dominated this time, pulling a 15-second lead by the mid-race break and winning by 12.7 seconds over William Sawalich. He also left veteran Brandon Jones, an eight-time ARCA winner, trailing by 17.5 seconds in third place.

Riding high on this victory, Zilisch is set to compete in four Xfinity Series races before his full 2025 season, starting at Watkins Glen. There, he’ll face off against road course ace Shane Van Gisbergen, who, as a Trackhouse teammate, was excited to see Zilisch join Red Bull. SVG also took to X to welcome Zilisch and wrote, “Congrats @ConnorZilisch! Welcome to the @redbull” family.

At just 18, Connor Zilisch is already racking up impressive wins. Trackhouse Racing, recognizing his talent, signed him to their development program, putting him behind the wheel in Xfinity, Craftsman Truck, IMSA, and ARCA, with hopes for a Cup Series future. Before his recent ARCA victory, he had five starts in the series, winning four races and narrowly missing a fifth at Milwaukee with a P2 finish.

In his Truck Series debut at Circuit of the Americas, Zilisch qualified on pole and finished an impressive fourth. Now, with Zilisch on the team, could Red Bull be considering a NASCAR comeback, reopening doors they closed in 2011?

Can Red Bull make a NASCAR comeback as the primary sponsor?

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It really makes one wonder that the team with so much Motorsports presence, the most dominant team in Formula One, has no presence in NASCAR. However, that wasn’t always the case.

• Back in 2007, the Red Bull Racing Team forayed into NASCAR with Toyota as their manufacturer. It was a two-team operation, as they signed Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers.
• The team did get some initial success when, in 2009, Vickers got the team’s first victory. This was supposed to lay a foundation for the team to build a future in NASCAR. However, their dreams were shattered after their ace driver, Vickers, was forced to retire in the next season owing to a blood clot. Over time, things just kept getting worse. Both their drivers were ranked below the top 20.
• And finally, in 2011, the team decided to exit NASCAR after they failed to sign Clint Bowyer in an attempt to revive their chances.

Despite their Formula One success during the time, when they won the 2010 championship, the team failed to replicate it in NASCAR. Perhaps because of the vast differences in stock car racing and open-wheel racing. Another reason was failing to build a strong driver lineup. Many believed they were just a decade too early for NASCAR’s evolving landscape. However, for whatever reasons or costs, it no longer was worth it to owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the Red Bull brand to continue in NASCAR.

Maybe with Connor Zilisch on board, Red Bull can look to make a comeback.

What do you think about the Zilisch-Redbull partnership?