To some, Connor Zilisch is the second coming of a NASCAR Jesus, a prodigy sent from above to shake up stock car racing as we know it. The 18-year-old has been tearing through the lower series like a bat out of hell, grabbing poles in his debuts and, on Saturday, delivering a miracle worthy of the highlight reels—charging from the back of the field like Moses parting the Red Sea to snag his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series win.
With that kind of momentum, expectations for his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Circuit of the Americas were, to put it mildly, through the roof. And for a brief, glorious moment, he delivered. Firing off from 14th on the grid, Zilisch came out swinging, showing zero hesitation in mixing it up with the sport’s best. But then he got a proper welcome to NASCAR’s top tier—courtesy of Denny Hamlin.
On the opening lap, Zilisch and Hamlin came together, leaving Hamlin’s Toyota looking like it had gone through a demolition derby without an invite, its right front fender missing in action. Zilisch’s Chevrolet didn’t escape unscathed either, the left front tire shredded. Limping back to pit road, he got a fresh set of tires and rejoined the fight—albeit from the back of the pack.
Most rookies in that situation would be rattled, spending the rest of the race playing it safe, grateful just to survive. But Connor Zilisch isn’t most rookies. By the halfway point, he had clawed his way into the top 15 and was knocking on the door of the top 10, proving that his meteoric rise through the ranks wasn’t just hype.
And then, the racing gods said, “Not today.”
Lap 51. Turn 19. Daniel Suárez, with an overzealous right foot, clipped the grass coming out of Turn 18 and spun. Zilisch, full throttle and charging through the smoke like a man possessed, suddenly had nowhere to go. His teammate’s out-of-control car slid right into his path, and with a sickening crunch, half of Trackhouse Racing’s entries were done for the day.
“All I saw was a cloud of smoke, and by the time I saw him (Daniel Suárez), it was way too late to do anything,” Zilisch said. “I saw him spinning off to the left and I thought he was going to keep going in that direction or stay there. I guess he flipped back right and he started coming towards me. Really unfortunate way to end my Cup Series debut.”
Zilisch’s car came to rest deep in the Turn 19 tire barrier, flames licking at what was left of his mangled machine. He climbed out unscathed, but no amount of divine intervention was going to get that car back on track.
Despite the carnage, Zilisch still managed a grin afterward.
“I’ve had so much fun preparing for this event,” he said. “That second stage, driving from outside the top-30 to 14th, was a lot of fun. I was passing a lot of guys that I used to watch on TV growing up. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to come back and do this again. I had an absolute blast driving through the field, and I wish it didn’t end early.”
If his performance at COTA was any indication, it’s not a matter of if he’ll be back—but when. And when he does, expect more fireworks. The kid’s got something special, and he’s just getting started.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" 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, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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