The Connor Zilisch NASCAR Cup Series era is here and Trackhouse is ‘flipping the switch’

Connor Zilisch might be the most exciting thing in NASCAR in 2025, and he figures to become an even bigger storyline in 2026.

‘Godzilisch’, still just 19 years old, has been spectacular this year, claiming nine Xfinity Series wins, but next year he will step into the biggest league of all as he becomes a fulltime Cup Series driver.

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The excitement is palpable at Trackhouse Racing - the team knows it has a potential superstar on its hands, now it must build around him to lay the foundations for success.

Team owner Justin Marks says 2026 will be a reset for the team, with Zilisch’s arrival on the Cup Series scene having the potential to take things to a whole new level.

Trackhouse plans for Zilisch and 2026

Speaking on the Kenny Wallace Show, he admitted: “There’s a lot of positive energy in the building - we know what’s coming. A new driver is not the only change that we’re gonna have next year. We’re gonna have a lot of new people, new processes and tools and procedures. Totally flipping the switch and restarting this business to get it retooled for success in the future.

“But being able to have all that going on in the background - all day, every single day - and then be able to turn the TV on on Saturdays and watch Connor doing what he’s doing is just incredible.

“There’s a lot of buzz in the building, Chevrolet, the partners - everybody’s super super excited. Because it’s been so long I think since we’ve seen somebody with his level of talent and execution and just getting the job done at his age and level of experience. Where you just know that the ceiling is so, so high for him.”

Building around 'Godzilisch'

While Trackhouse is excited about the potential Zilisch boasts, Marks says it also brings pressure to help maximize that potential.

“It’s a lot of excitement but it’s a huge responsibility on us at Trackhouse to make sure we’re doing everything we can today so that when a talent like him gets here, that he’s got all the opportunities to succeed that he could ever want.

“So we’re working hard on our plans for next year and making sure he’s got fast cars - and Ross [Chastain] and SvG [Shane van Gisbergen] - but it’s pretty special. We knew he was gonna be good but watching him go out there and learn as fast as he is, and executing as well as he is, it’s very exciting for everybody in the company.”

Marks also spoke in depth about why he believes Zilisch is the real deal, and it doesn’t just come down to speed. There is much more to it than that.

Why is Zilisch so good?

“It’s like there’s a lot of fast people - obviously Connor’s speed and his talent is special - he’s an outlier.

“But what I’ve been saying is there’s a lot of fast people - there’s a lot of fast kids who are 18 or 19 years old. What makes the difference is rate of adaptability, maturity and approach, it’s making sure that the approach to work during the week is such that he can compete at a very high level when it comes time to do that on weekends.

“Whether it’s just innate ability or the way that he was raised or the environment that was put around him when he was growing up racing at the racetrack, he’s just really got a handle on that stuff.”

Now of course the stakes get a whole lot higher, and the level of competition becomes all the more ferocious as Zilisch steps up the cauldron that is Cup Series racing. But Marks believes his teenage phenom has all the attributes to succeed on the biggest stage of all.

Cup Series a whole new level of competition

“It’s tough as you know. If you’re in last place you’re racing somebody that’s won Cup Series races before. It’s very very difficult racing, it’s a grind, very data-intensive, they’re long races, they’re hot races. You’ve gotta be fit, you’ve gotta be focused - all that stuff.

“With what he’s demonstrated so far in his ability to prioritize what elements of preparation make the most difference and show up the most on a race weekend, he’s really leaned into those.

“He’s a 19-year-old kid, let him be a 19-year-old kid. But also, balance that with the fact that ‘look, you’re a professional athlete at the top level of the game right now’, it’s our job to put the resources around him to put him in a position to succeed.”

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