Connor Zilisch had a fiery NASCAR Cup Series debut.
Literally.
The 18-year-old’s impressive weekend at the Circuit of the Americas ended early when he couldn’t avoid a spin by Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez early in the final stage Sunday.
The collision sent Zilisch hard into the tire barrier and the car caught fire as he climbed out.
It was a frustrating end to an otherwise impressive race for a youngster who hopes to become the youngest winner in Cup Series history. He started 14th, dropped back after early contact with another car, and had worked his way back to the top 15 before the wipeout.
“You did amazing buddy,” crew chief Darian Grubb told Zilisch on the team radio. “You did nothing wrong today. You did an incredible job driving way up through there.”
The crash spoiled his race, but Zilisch wasn’t about to let it spoil the overall experience of his race weekend. Zilisch won the Xfinity race Saturday and was among the Cup Series practice leaders.
“His race craft is really good for his age,” Trackhouse’s Shane van Gisbergen said before the race.
Had Zilisch stayed in Sunday’s race, he might have had a chance to push for the win.
“We had a really fast Red Bull Chevrolet,” Zilisch said. “I had so much fun preparing for this event. It was a lot of fun passing a lot of guys I used to watch on TV growing up.”
Zilisch has been pegged as a future star. He has won 16 races across seven different series since 2024, including a class victory at Rolex 24 at Daytona last year.
His Xfinity series win Saturday was his second in that series. He started on pole and was forced to the back because of a pit lane penalty. Then he dominated the field in getting back to the front for the win.
Zilisch is a development driver for Trackhouse. The team has not announced when he will race in the Cup Series again.
“Hopefully, I’ll get another chance to do this again,” Zilisch said. “I had an absolute blast driving through the field.”
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