Connor Zilisch is set to join Trackhouse Racing as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026, taking over the No. 88 Chevrolet. Team owner Justin Marks has highlighted Zilisch’s remarkable progression, drawing direct inspiration from the Kyle Larson NASCAR adaptability when evaluating his new driver’s ability to succeed at the sport’s highest level.
Connor Zilisch’s Journey From Karting Prodigy to NASCAR Cup Series Seat
Zilisch’s promotion to the Cup Series comes during a significant team reshuffle at Trackhouse Racing. With Daniel Suarez moving to Spire Motorsports and Shane van Gisbergen sliding into the No. 97, Connor Zilisch will fill a critical role in Trackhouse’s lineup, alongside Ross Chastain, who remains in the No. 1 car. This opportunity follows one of the most dominant rookie years in Xfinity Series memory—Zilisch captured ten race victories and ended his campaign second in the final points standings.
Justin Marks, the team owner, has followed Zilisch’s career since his earliest racing days, first observing him at Trackhouse Motorplex and later witnessing his winning drive in a Trans Am race at just 15. These experiences convinced Marks of Zilisch’s potential and triggered deeper comparisons to other top NASCAR talents. In fact, Marks cited traits like work ethic, maturity, and especially adaptability as the defining characteristics that he seeks in prospective drivers.
“There’s just so many kids coming up, there’s so much talent out there that it’s sort of like how do you find the unicorns? How do you find the outliers in that group? And I’m starting to recognize… a big part of it is the work ethic, maturity, approach, focus. But to me, the big thing is rate of adaptability. I think how fast you can learn, experiencing new things, figuring it out, understanding it, and deploying it right away. I saw it with Kyle Larson,” Marks said while speaking on Racers Unchained with Paul Tracy (29:14 onwards).
Marks elaborated on an early encounter with Kyle Larson, who became known for quickly grasping new racing formats. He described watching Larson drive a two-stroke 125 go-kart for the first time and nearly matching the speed of the fastest regulars after only a few sessions.
“When Kyle came to the go-kart track, raced a two-stroke 125 for the very first time. My partner Eric and I were sitting there watching, and we’re watching go out there and… Eric looked at me and goes, ‘He’s never driven a go-kart before.’ I was like, ‘No.’ We’re watching him figure it out for the first time. And in a matter of two or three sessions, he was within a few tenths of the fastest guys that we have,” he said.
According to Marks, Zilisch demonstrates a similar rapid learning ability, handling transitions from karts to sports cars and, most recently, excelling in Xfinity before tackling the Cup Series. This distinguished adaptability—modeled in part after Kyle Larson—has guided Marks’s strategy for developing young talent at Trackhouse Racing.
Managing Anticipation and Expectations for a Rising Star
Connor Zilisch’s ascent began well before his NASCAR debut; by the age of 15, he was already capturing wins in the highly competitive Trans Am series. His sports car achievements exploded in 2024, when he notched a class win at the Rolex 24 and later triumphed at the 12 Hours of Sebring, making him one of the youngest class winners on record at these iconic events.
This early success set the stage for Zilisch’s rapid progress in stock cars, where he dominated as an Xfinity rookie and earned the series’ Rookie of the Year award at just 19. Despite the intensive momentum and expectations surrounding him, Justin Marks stressed the importance of nurturing Zilisch’s career with a measured perspective and preparation for stiffer competition at the Cup level.
“It’s a big part of how I’m viewing working with Connor, is nothing but success. Everything he’s driven win, win, win. And you sort of build this ecosystem around you, where the narrative becomes, like, you’re the guy, you’re the next whoever, name the name. The Cup series, it’s an order of magnitude more difficult than the Xfinity series… for Connor, it’s really about managing the expectations of his environment and his ecosystem and making sure that we’re setting him up for success and not risking failure,” Marks added in the interview (32:00 onwards).
Zilisch has acknowledged that even drivers who excel in the Xfinity Series, such as Ty Gibbs and Cole Custer, have struggled to immediately replicate their success in the Cup ranks. Justin Marks cited examples like Joey Logano, who also required time before hitting his stride in the top NASCAR division. The step up to Cup is significant, and even for those with impressive resumes, adaptability and resilience remain paramount.
The Lasting Impact of Adaptability on NASCAR’s Next Generation
Kyle Larson’s gift for adapting rapidly between different disciplines continues to influence how emerging drivers like Connor Zilisch are evaluated and developed. Marks’s focus on spotting rapid learners has reshaped the recruitment process, emphasizing drivers who can overcome new challenges and find speed quickly in unfamiliar situations.
Trackhouse Racing’s investment in Zilisch signals a renewed commitment to nurturing adaptable, hardworking competitors. As the team prepares for its next era in the NASCAR Cup Series, Zilisch’s habit of conquering steep learning curves—much like the example set by Kyle Larson—positions him as one of the organization’s most compelling young talents. Fans and observers alike will watch with anticipation to see if Zilisch’s rapid progression and relentless drive can pay dividends on stock car racing’s biggest stage.
