Connor Zilisch has been the talk of NASCAR this season. At 19 years old the North Carolina native has been fast, calm and collected like a veteran. He’s already got a full time Cup Series ride with Trackhouse Racing in 2026 and is one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory.
But while the hype around Zilisch continues to grow, NASCAR legend Richard Petty has weighed in. The 7 time Cup Series champion, recently shared what he thinks separates good drivers from great ones. And in his eyes Zilisch still has some learning to do.
Richard Petty’s View on Greatness
For Richard Petty, being dominant isn’t enough. Winning from the front is one thing; being able to come back from adversity is another, he told The Athletic in a recent interview.
“I’m very impressed in what he’s doing, but he’s in the No. 1 car, OK? He’s in winning cars. So he’s expected to win. In the races when he starts first or second, he stays there.”
That’s only one part of the picture. Greatness, in his view, is tested when things don’t go according to plan.
“You don’t see him back in 25th, working his way through traffic. So that’s where the real drivers come in. And you know, he’s still young enough that he’s going to learn all that stuff,” Petty added.
So the checklist of a great driver for Petty is: speed, resilience and consistency.
By those measures, Zilisch has the potential, but not the full resume yet. He’s shown speed and composure at the Xfinity level, but the Cup Series will be the tougher tests Richard Petty believes are required to prove greatness.
For Petty, in NASCAR, true greatness is measured not by how you win from the pole but by how you dig your way back. “The King” himself knows that better than anyone, and soon Zilisch will get his chance to show he does too as he’s moving to the Cup Series next year.
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