Kevin Harvick Applauds Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Successor for Snubbing Formula 1 for NASCAR

Connor Zilisch is the talk of the town at the moment. Why wouldn’t he be? The 18-year-old has already made a name for himself in the NASCAR community, despite not having raced full-time in any of the three national series. He recently began a part-time Xfinity Series adventure for JR Motorsports and went on to win his debut race at Watkins Glen International. Despite coming from a background of road racing and developing his skills at European karting championships, the North Carolina native has adapted to stock car racing seamlessly, showing signs of a true racing prodigy.

Given his talent, it’s fair to say that Zilisch could have competed in any motorsport format he wished to. That’s why Kevin Harvick has praised the youngster for choosing to compete in NASCAR, instead of what would have been the more logical choice given his background, a career in Formula 1.

Harvick compares Connor Zilisch to Kyle Larson

Dominant. That’s the best way to describe Connor Zilisch’s weekend at ‘The Glen’. He won his fifth ARCA Menards Series race at the 2.45-mile road course with 12 seconds to spare and went on to make history in the Xfinity Series. Not only did he finish on the pole while driving his No. 88 Chevy on his debut, but Zilisch also drove with maturity and experience beyond his years, overcoming a penalty, multiple restarts, and fuel conservation to secure a triumph in the 90-lap race. While he knows that the Watkins Glen International played to his strengths, having raced at road courses from an early age, one can’t help but feel that Zilisch will be quick to adapt to the oval tracks as well.

Speaking about his racing background, Kevin Harvick couldn’t help but compare Connor Zilisch to Kyle Larson, claiming that the 18-year-old is better suited to open-wheel racing than the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Speaking on the Happy Hour podcast, Harvick said, “I know we talk about Larson and the things he can do in the car but this kid is actually a kid that went to Europe, went through that system. Beat a lot of their kids that are going through their carting system and through their open wheel ranks and just never had the opportunity to go and go through that F1 route.”

Harvick went on to express his gratitude towards Zilisch for choosing to compete in NASCAR, despite having the opportunity to participate in any motorsport discipline he wished to. The 48-year-old said, “I’m glad he’s in NASCAR but definitely one of those kids that could have went in any direction that he wanted to because of his ability and especially on a road course.” The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver is not wrong, as Zilisch has already won the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring earlier this year, a testament to his versatility and talent as a racing driver. If that’s not enough to open doors in different motorsports avenues, what is?

Zilisch will be competing for JR Motorsports as a full-time Xfinity Series driver in 2025, but that doesn’t mean his NASCAR adventure is over this year. To get him up to speed with the rigors of stock car racing, the 18-year-old will be competing at three other races before the season comes to a close. His next appearances will be at Kansas Speedway, followed by Homestead-Miami, and will end at Phoenix Raceway, which is also the final race of the calendar. Was his victory at Watkins Glen a case of beginner’s luck, or will he enter Victory Lane once again? Time will tell.

Zilisch outlines reasons for Formula 1 snub

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For a driver who has competed in European karting championships, it’s natural to wonder why Connor Zilisch didn’t pursue a career in Formula 1. After all, his skillset is more suited to open-wheel racing as compared to NASCAR, and he has the talent to pursue a career in the sport. The North Carolina native has also enjoyed tremendous success in European racing, defeating some of the brightest prospects in the continent such as Kimi Antonelli, who is rumored to take over Lewis Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes in 2025.

When asked if he was disappointed at not pursuing a career in Formula 1, Zilisch candidly replied, “I wouldn’t really say it’s disappointment; it’s maybe a little bit of regret for not chasing it harder. I just lost hope. I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m gonna make F1.’ You need billions of dollars and it just almost isn’t even possible. But if I was over there right now, with the hype around F1 in America, I probably would have a different mindset about it.”

At just 18 years old, the door isn’t fully closed for Connor Zilisch to pursue a career in Formula 1. However, the racing prodigy has already expressed that his dream is to become the youngest Cup Series winner in history. Keeping his young age under consideration, Zilisch would be wise to not rush through his NASCAR progression, given his limited experience in stock car racing. His talent is undeniable, but the youngster needs to develop as a racing driver with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, before attempting to make a jump to the sport’s highest level.

Do you think Connor Zilisch is ready to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series? Let us know in the comments!