The excitement is real. 2025 is expected to be a breakthrough year for Connor Zilisch, who is widely regarded as a ‘generational talent’ by the motorsports community. The hype surrounding the 18-year-old is justified, considering just how much he has achieved in his short, but illustrious career so far. Hailing from North Carolina, the youngster has already taken the Truck and Xfinity Series by storm and could dominate the Cup Series this year as well.
Expectations are high from Connor Zilisch. His NASCAR journey may have only just begun, but the young racer is already rewriting the history books with every passing race, and there is more to come in the year ahead.
Connor Zilisch could hit the ground running in the Cup Series
Connor Zilisch has had an unconventional route to success. While many aspiring American racers were plying their trade in domestic competitions, the North Carolina native was honing his skills in Europe, competing against the best in the world. His experience and talent shone through last year, as the youngster went on to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, along with five ARCA races and an Xfinity Series triumph at the Watkins Glen International on his debut. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of, and Zilisch is only getting started.
While the Cup Series represents an entirely new challenge for Connor Zilisch, NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp believes that the youngster could rise to the occasion. He said, “I’m not ready to predict an 18-year-old is going to win in his first Cup start but a top five is absolutely on the table.” Highlighting where the young racer could struggle, Estepp went on to say, “It’s the little things he may struggle with. He’s still young and inexperienced getting in and out of the pit road. Handling the physicality of restarts. That’s where I think Zilisch could struggle but the pace will be there. I think Connor Zilisch scores a top five in his Cup debut.”
The YouTuber has reason enough to be optimistic about Zilisch’s one-off appearance at Circuit of the Americas. It’s a track the 18-year-old is familiar with, having competed at the ‘Big Red’ on his Truck Series debut last year. He broke the track record on his debut during qualifying by seven-tenths of a second and went on to finish fourth after passing more cars than anyone at the 2024 XPEL 225. The Trackhouse Racing driver is already establishing somewhat of a reputation as a ‘road course king’, after winning at Watkins Glen International on his debut after qualifying on pole and leading 45 laps.
Connor Zilisch
It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Connor Zilisch could secure a surprising victory as well. After all, his Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen achieved the feat by winning the Chicago Street race on his Cup Series debut in 2023. The young racer will be competing in his rookie Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports this year and will aim to use the invaluable experience he gains in Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team to eventually make the jump to the highest level.
NASCAR insider makes bold Zilisch prediction for 2025
It’s no secret that Connor Zilisch is being touted as NASCAR’s next superstar. The young racer has proven in his short time in stock car racing why he’s a force to be reckoned with, and his rookie season in NASCAR’s second tier will have many fans tuning in to witness his racing prowess firsthand. However, the most exciting race the North Carolina native will be competing in will be his Cup Series debut in the 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
Competing at NASCAR’s highest level will give the youngster a rare opportunity to compete against the sport’s heavyweights, and Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass believes Zilisch will live up to the expectations. Speaking on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, the respected journalist said, “The way he won Watkins Glen in his first Xfinity race [impressed me], and I know it’s a huge jump from Xfinity to Cup … [but] he’s really good on road courses. I’m not going to say he’s going to go out and win COTA his first one, but I think that he will win a Cup race.”
The prediction is indeed a bold one, but not an outlandish opinion by any means. Connor Zilisch certainly has the talent to go wheel-to-wheel against the very best NASCAR has to offer, but his lack of experience may hurt him on his debut. However, the 18-year-old is not your average rookie and has even been described as a “once-in-a-generation talent” by none other than Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks. All things considered, it’s not hard to see why Pockrass is so confident in his ‘bold’ opinion.
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