Trackhouse makes call on Connor Zilisch’s NASCAR – Sports News
NASCAR prodigy Connor Zilisch is set to return to the Cup Series lineup after Trackhouse introduced the 18-year-old will drive the No. 87 Chevrolet at two upcoming races.
Trackhouse has confirmed that the full-time Xfinity Series driver, who’s sponsored by Red Bull, is scheduled to make his third and fourth Cup Series begins at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Quaker State 400 on June 28, and at Watkins Glen for Go Bowling on the Glen on August 10.
Zilisch, thought of one of the highest rising stars within the sport, made his Cup Series debut at Austin the place he suffered an unlucky wreck. He made his first oval look at Charlotte within the Coca-Cola 600, impressing after William Byron confirmed him a factor or two within the Xfinity race.
Zilisch responded to the information of his further races on social media, commenting, “So stoked. Two awesome tracks I get to experience in the cup car with @redbull!!”
The highly-touted teen made his debut at Circuit of the Americas in March, qualifying an spectacular 14th earlier than falling down the order on lap one after being caught in a mass accident on flip one. Zilisch finally labored his means back up the grid, solely to be crashed into with 44 laps to go, along with his No. 87 bursting into flames.
He returned to the Cup Series for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, qualifying thirty third and ending twenty third.
“It was just a lot of attrition,” Zilisch instructed Frontstretch after the race. “We had damage after Jimmie [Johnson] had an issue and spun into us, and that kind of hurt us the rest of the day, but we still managed to stay alive and come home with a decent finish for my first oval race in the Cup Series.”
Atlanta will permit Zilisch to return to an oval for the second time in his Cup Series profession in an effort to construct upon a promising end in Charlotte, the place he felt he realized a great deal. “As the race went on, I kind of started to learn more and more what I needed out of the car,” he defined.
“It drives so much differently, and it’s really tough as well to figure out. So, yeah, laps are important, and 400 of them today was really good.”
Zilisch gained’t be a complete newcomer to both Atlanta or Watkins Glen, nonetheless, having raced at each beforehand. His ARCA Menards Series debut got here at The Glen in 2023, qualifying and ending second, earlier than returning to say the win a yr later.
In 2024, Zilisch made his first-ever Xfinity Series begin at The Glen, qualifying on pole and in the end beating Justin Allgaier to the checkered flag. In doing so, Zilisch turned the primary driver since Ty Gibbs three years previous to win on their sequence debut.
As for Atlanta, the Xfinity Series’ second race of this season noticed Zilisch qualify tenth on the 1.5-mile oval earlier than crashing out from the mid-teens in a mass wreck with simply 22 laps to go.
In the 11 races since Atlanta, Zilisch has put collectively an wonderful season, with a win in Austin, two second-place finishes, and two additional high tens.
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