Every Sunday, Connor Zilisch has Stefan Parsons in his ear as his NASCAR Cup spotter, but this duo have switched roles for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville.
Parsons is driving the No. 4 Niece Motorsports entry in his first start of the year, and Zilisch will be his eye in the sky, watching from the roof and guiding him through the race.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun experiencing something new," said Zilisch ahead of the race weekend. "I’m glad that Stefan trusts me to do it. There’s a lot of guys who could probably do it better than me but it’s going to be cool to do that and learn what it’s like from a new perspective. I’ve spotted on road courses and at the Cup race at Indy but leading the charge at the truck race at Nashville is going to be different.”
On the key to being a good spotter, Zilisch said it's all about "not being panicked and staying calm, and feeding the information when I can without talking too much. I feel like I have a good understanding of what I need to do. I hope I’m able to relay the information that I need to throughout the good situations and the bad. Stefan is a really good dude and helps me a lot as a driver in the Cup Series with the notes that he takes.”
Stefan is the son of NASCAR Cup Series race winner Phil Parsons and the nephew of 1973 NASCAR Cup champion Benny Parsons.
This will be his 29th start in the Truck Series, as he hopes to secure his fourth career top ten finish.
Feeling a little nervous
"Don't make too much fun of me!"
That's what Zilisch asked the broadcast with a smile just before his 'debut' race as a spotter, as it's something he has never done before.
On Friday night, he also had to wait a bit due to rain delaying the start of the race. During the wait, Zilisch spoke with Fox Sports 1 from atop the Nashville roof, admitting that he was getting a bit nervous while also excited.
"I feel a little more nervous than when I'm behind the wheel," said Zilisch. "I have the fate of Stefan's day in my hands. I'm really excited for it, trading in the steering wheel for a headset. I enjoy getting different perspectives on race day.
"Today I'm spotting, tomorrow I'm broadcasting, and Sunday I'm racing. It's going to be a fun weekend doing things I'm probably not very comfortable with, but I'm looking forward to it."
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