Trackhouse Racing’s 17-YO Prodigy Sides With F1, Reveals NASCAR’s “County-Fair” Approach Ruining Fan Experience

The NASCAR vs. F1 debate is something that has been going on for a long time but has confused several fans. When it comes to fame, money, and the overall motorsports event experience, F1 is far ahead. NASCAR can’t emulate that, at least at the moment.

But there are some things that the stock car racing organization can try to do like their global competitors and that is to have a fan experience that’s as premier as it gets for anyone who wants to pay that kind of money. That’s what 17-year-old Trackhouse Racing developmental driver Connor Zilisch believes.

The premium F1 fan experience is out of this world

There might not be a lot of different winners or battles for the lead in Formula One but the premium fan experience one can purchase is unlike anything in the world of motorsports. Connor Zilisch believes that, compared to that experience, the NASCAR fan experience falls woefully short. This premium experience is also one of the reasons why bigger stars attend F1 races than NASCAR more often. There may be logistical and financial challenges, but it’s certainly something that can be looked at and worked on.

“I went to an F1 race in 2020, and that made us (NASCAR) look like we were going to the county fair, almost. It was crazy how much money goes into every event in F1. I don’t think it’s really possible to do that for us just because … NASCAR isn’t F1. But a lot of the hospitality stuff that they do, making it truly a fan experience, giving the people that are willing to spend that kind of money to come to the races and have that kind of experience, giving them somewhere to go would definitely be helpful. I don’t know the logistics of it all. I don’t know if it’d be possible for us to do—and I doubt it would—but that was definitely an eye-opening experience for me,” the Trackhouse Racing driver said as per Autoweek.

It must be noted here that the teenage motorsports sensation did not compare the actual racing in the two forms of motorsports. However, he grew up with more of an affinity towards Formula 1 than NASCAR. Until he met a certain Cup Series champion.

How Connor Zilisch became a NASCAR driver from a Formula One fan

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It’s easy to see why Formula 1 would appeal to a kid more than NASCAR. The glitz and glam, the twisty circuits, the 1000-hp plus cars with incredible liveries, and the global superstar status of each of the drivers. When it comes to popularity, Formula One truly is the pinnacle of motorsports. NASCAR brings something different to the table and Connor Zilisch had to take Kevin Harvick‘s help to see that.

“I wasn’t the biggest NASCAR fan growing up. I kind of grew up watching Formula 1, and all of the big sports car races. I never was too big of a NASCAR fan until I met Kevin (Harvick) and kind of got a more in-depth sense of the NASCAR community and what it’s like on this side of things in the racing world,” he added.

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Today, the racing, the rivalries, and the storylines are much more interesting in NASCAR than in Formula 1. They might never become as big as their competitors but the sense of community, the door-to-door racing action, and the down-to-earth drivers are unmatched. And besides, if a NASCAR race feels like a country fair, then it’s got to be the best country fair of all time.

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