The third time was definitely not the charm for Connor Zilisch. Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas marked his second NASCAR Cup Series start at the Texas road course, and if you thought experience would help, think again. A year ago, his debut ended almost before it began—Zilisch swept up in the first-lap Turn 1 chaos, limping his Chevy to the pits with a flat tire and dreams of glory dashed before most fans had even gotten comfortable in their seats.
Fast forward to 2026, and hope was high. Zilisch, now in his first full-time Cup season, had a chance to show that the hype wasn’t just hot air. And early on he delivered. But after a restart at the end of Stage 1, disaster struck again when Daniel Suarez shoved him into a spin at— where else but Turn 1— sending him to the back of the pack. Most drivers would have thrown in the towel. Most drivers aren’t Connor Zilisch. By lap 65, he had clawed his way to fifth and had the fastest car on the track. Suddenly, the script looked different. Suddenly, the kid from Red Bull Racing seemed capable of turning this cursed Texas track into his personal playground.
But the universe apparently has a sense of humor. With 17 laps to go, on a restart that promised chaos, Zilisch found himself on the outside of a five-car accordion heading into—you guessed it—Turn 1. The result? Another spin. Another setback. Another reminder that COTA may not be ready for Zilisch. When the checkered flag finally waved, he was 14th, a number that barely hints at the drama that had unfolded.
“Our No. 88 Red Bull Chevrolet was really fast all day,” Zilisch said, sounding more measured than a man who had just been twice demolished by the same corner. “We were putting ourselves in a spot there at the end at that last caution to have a chance to go win the race and got wrecked again in Turn 1. I don’t know if I need to do something different, but it was just one of those days. It was good to drive up through the field again. As a racecar driver, I’m not satisfied, but I proved that I could do it.”
There’s the brilliance of Connor Zilisch: undaunted, unfazed, and audaciously fast. He doesn’t sulk. He doesn’t whine. He spins, he battles, he climbs, he shows glimpses of sheer potential—and he keeps showing up, ready to try again. A 14th-place finish might look modest on paper, but on a track that seems determined to eject him at every opportunity, it’s practically heroic.
If there’s one thing to take away from Zilisch at COTA, it’s this: he belongs here. And Turn 1? It had better watch its back.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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