Trackhouse Racing announce NASCAR promotion with 2026 lineup uncertain

Trackhouse Racing have announced a NASCAR Cup Series promotion for a racing star, amid uncertainty over their 2026 driver lineup.

The team recently announced that 18-year-old Connor Zilisch will make two further Cup Series appearances in 2025 at Atlanta and Watkins Glen.

Zilisch has already competed in two Cup Series events in 2025, where he failed to finish the race at COTA and placed 23rd at the Coca Cola 600.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series star will get behind the wheel of the No. 87 Chevrolet in June and August, with the Red Bull-backed driver hailed as one of the sport’s most promising young talents by the likes of Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.

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Who will compete for Trackhouse Racing in 2026?

Zilisch’s promotion places increased pressure on Trackhouse’s current drivers - Daniel Suarez, Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen - with the team only in possession of three charters for full-time Cup Series entries.

If Trackhouse want to promote the young 18-year-old full-time, one of their three current drivers will have to make way for Zilisch at the team.

Suarez recently opened up on contract negotiations with team co-owner Justin Marks, but admitted that uncertainty over the deal was an ongoing distraction.

“I’m going to be quite honest with you: I wish I didn’t have to have these conversations, and I didn’t have these distractions, but it’s part of life, right?” he said to the media ahead of this month’s Cup Series race in Mexico.

“Sometimes you have to do several things at the same time. But I’m trying not to think about it too much and trying to work in my job and push as hard as possible for competition and trying to help the team slowly get better and better.”

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