AUSTIN, Tex.—Connor Zilisch has high expectations as he makes his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Circuit of the Americas.
The 18-year-old Xfinity Series racer will perform double duty this weekend. On Saturday, he will pilot the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. On Sunday, he makes his NASCAR Cup Series debut No. 87 Red Bull Chevy for Trackhouse Racing on Sunday.
Zilisch, who turns 19 on July 22, wants to become the youngest driver ever to win a Cup race. Three-time Cup champion Joey Logano currently holds the record at 19 years, 35 days.
“They wanted to do it later in the season, but honestly, I want to get in as early as possible,” Zilisch said. “I kind of told them, ‘Hey can I do a race track that I’ve already been to in a NASCAR-sanctioned event?’
“I think it’s good for me to get the experience in the Xfinity car the day before and be able to race on Sunday and already have a race under my belt that weekend. Also, I want to try and you know 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 I wanted to at least give myself a shot at that. So that was definitely part of my thinking.”
Zilisch has four more opportunities to accomplish the feat, if he’s not victorious at COTA. The NASCAR Cup Series runs in Mexico City on June 15, on the Chicago Street Course on July 6, at Sonoma Raceway on July 13, and at Watkins Glen on August 10. Zilisch won from the pole in his Xfinity Series debut last summer at the Glen.
Zilisch will have veteran crew chief Darian Grubb calling the shots for his Cup coming-out party.
The North Carolinian was classically trained on road courses in Europe against aspiring Formula 1 racers. At 11, he won the Mini Rock World Championship. Three years later, Zilisch captured the 2020 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy. No American had ever won either title.
After transitioning to sports cars last year, Zilisch finished first in the LMP2 class in both the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He scored five wins in eight ARCA starts, including at Watkins Glen—for the ARCA/Xfinity sweep.
“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 added. “Obviously, when I go to race on an oval at some point, it’s going to be a little different.
“But I think for racing on road courses on Sundays, I feel like I can go out and compete and perform. I wouldn’t want to go do a race that I don’t think I can compete and perform and race against those guys.”
Last spring, in his truck series debut at COTA, Zilisch won the pole and finished fourth on the then 3.41-mile track. NASCAR has since trimmed the course to 2.4-miles with 17 turns instead of 20.
“Honestly, I feel really comfortable going to COTA,” Zilisch said. “It’s a great track for me and especially with the new layout, it changes a little bit for everybody.
“So I feel like it’s at least a little bit more of an even playing field, even if it’s just a little bit.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
