Connor Zilisch has chance at NASCAR history
Can Connor Zilisch repeat what his Trackhouse Racing teammate was the most recent to complete?
Making his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series Sunday at Circuit of the Americas, Connor Zilisch has the opportunity to become the eighth driver in the 77-year history of the NASCAR Cup Series to win in his debut.
Zilisch will pilot the No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet with sponsorship from Red Bull and 2011 championship-winning crew chief Darian Grubb atop the pit box.
Oddsmakers think Zilisch must have a chance to win, because his opening odds are at +750, only behind prior COTA winners William Byron and Tyler Reddick at+600, and Trackhouse teammate Shane Van Gisbergen at +550.
“I’m really excited to see what Sunday is all about and learn from all the guys who are so seasoned and professional,” Zilisch said Friday. “There’s a lot of cool guys that I’m getting to race against and learn from this weekend. So, excited for that.”
Zilisch has won in his debut before in a NASCAR-sanctioned race, winning at Watkins Glen in September 2024 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Additionally, in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at COTA last year, he won the pole and finished fourth after overcoming a sway bar arm issue and a flat tire.
As far as expectations, Zilisch said veteran drivers may try to exploit his inexperience in the Cup Series. He is focused on trying not to let that happen.
“I’m going to try and treat this like any other race,” Zilisch said. “And, you know, I feel like I’ve not been exploited on these road courses to this point. It’s different on ovals, but I feel like I have a good feeling of what I need to do come Sunday.”
Zilisch will become the 2,994th different driver to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series points race.
As for winning in their debut, the feat was accomplished five times across NASCAR’s first three seasons; twice in 1949 and 1950, and once in 1951.
The next driver to record a victory in their debut was Johnny Rutherford in February of 1963, winning in a Daytona 500 qualifier race.
It took 60 years for the next instance to happen, when Shane van Gisbergen piloted Trackhouse Racing’s No. 91 to victory in June 2023 at the Chicago Street Course.
The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday, March 2, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
DRIVERS WHO WON IN THEIR NASCAR CUP SERIES DEBUT
Jim Roper (Charlotte Speedway, 1949)*
Jack White (Hamburg Speedway, 1949)
Harold Kite (Beach & Road Course, 1950)
Leon Sales (North Wilkesboro Speedway, 1950)
Marvin Burke (Oakland Stadium, 1951)
Johnny Rutherford (Daytona International Speedway, 1963)
Shane Van Gisbergen (Chicago Street Course, 2023)
*first ever NASCAR Cup Series race
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.