Connor Zilisch Bio
Connor Jackson Zilisch (born July 22, 2006) is an American professional racing driver competing in NASCAR’s top tiers. He currently drives full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing. He also runs part-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, piloting the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports. Known for a quick rise through karting, sports cars, and stock cars, Zilisch has been widely regarded as one of the top young talents in American motorsports.
Early Life and Background
Connor Jackson Zilisch was born on July 22, 2006, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and raised in nearby Mooresville, a town long associated with NASCAR. He began competing in go-karts at the age of five in 2011 and spent ten years developing his craft before transitioning to cars in 2021. As a youth, he raced primarily in the United States before traveling to Europe in 2017, when he won the Mini Rok World Championship in South Garda, Italy, against more than 160 competitors from 33 different countries.
Zilisch continued racing in Europe in the FIA OKJ class from 2018 through 2020 and reached the A Final at the OKJ World Championship in both 2019 and 2020. In 2020, he became the first American ever to win the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, a three-race international series contested on identical equipment. Off the track, Zilisch is the youngest of three children, and his mother, Janice Kerr, was a former Canadian national team gymnast and a standout collegiate athlete at the University of Florida.
Path to NASCAR
Zilisch made the jump from karts to cars in 2021, racing Spec Miata cars with the Sports Car Club of America and setting three track records while earning podium finishes. He placed third at the SCCA Run-Offs in Indianapolis and was named the Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year. Later that year, he won the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout, earning a $110,000 scholarship that funded his 2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup campaign. He also sampled the Trans Am TA2 class at Virginia International Raceway, taking pole position and shattering the track record before a mechanical issue ended his run early.
In 2022, Zilisch won four Mazda MX-5 Cup races and finished second in the championship, taking the series Rookie of the Year award. He added Late Model Stock Car starts with Carroll Speedshop and a Pro Late Model victory at Orange County Speedway, building a versatile résumé across road courses, ovals, and stock cars. On January 11, 2024, he signed a multi-year developmental contract with Trackhouse Racing that encompassed the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, the CARS Tour, Trans-Am, and IMSA, formally launching his national NASCAR path.
Connor Zilisch Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Zilisch’s early car career centered on the Mazda MX-5 Cup in 2022, where he recorded four wins and finished second in the standings after a controversial post-race penalty at Road Atlanta cost him the title. He also raced Late Model Stock Cars and Pro Late Models, scoring victories at Hickory Motor Speedway and Orange County Speedway with Carroll Speedshop and Setzer Racing and Development. In 2023, he returned to Late Models and made his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen International, where he led 34 of 42 laps and finished second after a last-corner pass.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Zilisch made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on August 10, 2024, at Watkins Glen International, leading the most laps and saving fuel through two overtime restarts to win in his first start, the first driver in more than three years to do so. On August 7, 2024, JR Motorsports announced that Zilisch would drive the No. 88 full-time in 2025. Following a slow start, he reeled off wins at Circuit of the Americas, Pocono, Sonoma, Dover, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Portland, and Gateway, tying Sam Ard and Noah Gragson for the most consecutive Xfinity Series victories with four straight. He also set the series record with eighteen consecutive top-five finishes and clinched the 2025 Regular Season Championship with nine regular-season wins. He added a tenth win at the Charlotte Roval in the playoffs and finished second in the final standings after being passed late at Phoenix Raceway. He was named the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2024–2025)
Zilisch debuted in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Circuit of the Americas in 2024, winning the pole in his first start and recovering from a first-lap off to finish fourth for Spire Motorsports. His initial three-race schedule was expanded mid-season, and he has since added additional starts with Spire Motorsports and Niece Motorsports, including entries at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval. Across his Truck Series appearances, he has compiled five top-ten finishes and two pole positions without a victory.
NASCAR Cup Series Debut (2025)
Zilisch made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in 2025, driving the No. 87 for Trackhouse Racing with Red Bull sponsorship. After an incident with teammate Daniel Suárez ended his debut race early, he returned at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and recorded a career-best 11th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. On August 23, 2025, Trackhouse Racing announced that Zilisch had signed a multi-year contract to drive for the team, and on November 7, 2025, the team confirmed he would pilot the No. 88 in the Cup Series.
Trackhouse Racing Era (2026–Present)
Zilisch enters 2026 as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver for Trackhouse Racing in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, sharing the Trackhouse lineup with Shane van Gisbergen in the No. 97. He continues to run part-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with JR Motorsports in the No. 1, sharing the car with Carson Kvapil. His promotion comes after consecutive record-breaking Xfinity Series campaigns and a strong Cup debut, marking him as a cornerstone of Trackhouse’s long-term plans.
IMSA and Sports Car Career (2024–2025)
In 2024, Zilisch won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 class, both in his first attempts at the endurance classics. He joined Trackhouse Racing and TF Sport for the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GTD Pro class alongside Shane van Gisbergen, Ben Keating, and Scott McLaughlin in a Corvette Z06 GT3.R, finishing ninth in class. On December 16, 2025, he was confirmed for the GTP class with Cadillac Whelen at the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona, where he and co-drivers Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti finished second overall, 1.5 seconds behind the winning Porsche Penske Motorsport entry.
Driving Style and Strengths
Zilisch is widely noted for his smooth, calculated driving style, blending patience with aggressive late-race pace. He has shown particular strength on road courses and Watkins Glen-style circuits, where his karting background translates into precise braking and cornering. His ability to save fuel, manage restarts, and capitalize on late-race opportunities has defined many of his signature victories, including his Xfinity Series debut and his record-setting 2025 campaign.
Notable Races and Milestones
Zilisch’s most iconic moments include his debut Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen in 2024 and his four consecutive Xfinity Series victories in 2025, which tied a series record. He also earned JR Motorsports their 100th career Xfinity Series victory with his win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and clinched the 2025 Regular Season Championship at Gateway. His runner-up finish in the 2025 Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix Raceway capped one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent NASCAR history.
Connor Zilisch Career Wins
Connor Zilisch has built an extensive and varied win list across karting, sports cars, and stock cars. His breakthrough came in karting with the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy in 2020, followed by the Mazda MX-5 Cup Scholarship in 2021. In 2024, he added the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 class, plus a win in his very first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Watkins Glen. His 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season produced ten wins, the Regular Season Championship, and Rookie of the Year honors.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
Zilisch has thirteen career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories, thirty-one top-ten finishes, and ten pole positions. His first win came at Watkins Glen International in 2024, and he has since added multiple wins each season, including ten victories during his 2025 Rookie of the Year campaign. His 2025 season included a record-tying four consecutive wins and a series-record eighteen straight top-five finishes.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his Xfinity Series success, Zilisch has five ARCA Menards Series wins, four ARCA Menards Series East wins, and one ARCA Menards Series West victory. He also captured Late Model Stock Car and Pro Late Model wins at Hickory Motor Speedway and Orange County Speedway, along with four Mazda MX-5 Cup victories in 2022. In endurance sports car racing, he owns class wins at both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 13 | 31 | 10 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| ARCA Menards Series West | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Connor Zilisch Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Connor Zilisch was raised in Mooresville, North Carolina, the youngest of three children. His mother, Janice Kerr, was a member of the Canadian women’s national artistic gymnastics team and competed at the 1983 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She later starred at the University of Florida, winning the NCAA Southeast Region all-around title in 1987 and 1988, and was named the Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1990.
Personal Life
Zilisch is unmarried and focuses much of his time outside the cockpit on mentoring younger drivers, particularly in the karting ranks. He was a client of KHI Management from 2021 until parting ways with the company in early 2023. He also serves as a spotter for fellow NASCAR drivers, including Stefan Parsons and Ross Chastain, and runs the YouTube channel Shake N Bake Sports with drivers Jesse Love and Daniel Dye.
2025 Season Performance
Connor Zilisch’s 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign was a historic rookie season. After early struggles at Daytona and Atlanta, he reeled off ten victories, including a stretch of four straight wins that tied the series record held by Sam Ard and Noah Gragson. He also set the series record with eighteen consecutive top-five finishes and clinched the Regular Season Championship at Gateway with nine regular-season wins.
His season was not without adversity. A back injury at Talladega forced him to miss the Texas race, where substitute Kyle Larson won, and a broken collarbone from a fall in victory lane at Watkins Glen forced him out of the next race at Daytona, with Parker Kligerman taking over and earning the win in his place. Crew chief Mardy Lindley was suspended for one race for unsecured lug nuts, prompting team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. to serve as a substitute crew chief at Pocono, where Zilisch won.
He capped the year with a tenth win at the Charlotte Roval, advanced to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway, and finished second in the final standings after being passed late by Jesse Love and Aric Almirola. Zilisch was named the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year, was announced as a part-time No. 1 driver at JR Motorsports for 2026, and signed a multi-year Trackhouse Racing contract to drive the No. 88 full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2026.
