“When you recognise that you’ve got that in a package, you have to run with it. We’ve seen it. I mean, Max to happen and there’s been other drivers that have gotten sort of thrown into the top level at a young age and all of those guys kind of demonstrate the same thing.” It was Trackhouse Racing’s Justin Marks who couldn’t help but compare his future employee and racing star Connor Zilisch to the four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen. And it is no secret that Zilisch is enamored by the world of F1, even expressing that one day he would like to race in the open-wheel series.

Verstappen made his F1 debut in 2015 at the age of 17. He won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix at the age of 18 years, 228 days, becoming the youngest ever F1 race winner. And Zilisch seems to have the same recording DNA with his 10 wins this season alone. But amid Texas dinners with RedBull’s F1 champion, the jump to the Cup series will be harder than expected for the Xfinity ace as he hesitates to lean on the Verstappen parallel.

With a background in open-wheel racing, Connor recognizes the difference in the cars and believes that F1 is more reliant on car feedback than the driver’s ability. He said, “Obviously, Max Verstappen is a once-in-a-generation talent, and it’s hard to say, yeah, I’m going to be like him and have as successful as a jump to the highest level as he did, but obviously I know the jump to the Cup Series is nothing easy, and it’s going to be tough no matter what and no matter who you are, and I feel like just the way he was brought up, it might be a little bit easier for him, and especially in F1 with how car-dependent it is, I feel like it’s easier to rise to the occasion.”

By the age of 28, Verstappen‘s dominance has shone through, with him winning titles from 2021 to 2024. But Zilisch is sounding weary of his Cup dominance as he constantly gets compared to his hero.  Justin Marks wasted no breath in signing Connor for the vacant Trackhouse Racing seat, amid Daniel Suarez’s departure, for the 2026 season. And the 19-year-old’s relationship with Shane Van Gisbergen only strengthens their bond as they become full-time teammates next year. And maybe SVG can play a leader and help out Zilisch when it is needed.

And Zilisch has already gotten a taste of the Cup car this year. Zilisch made his Cup Series debut in March at the Circuit of The Americas, driving the No. 87 Chevrolet for Trackhouse. He was involved in a crash mid-race and finished 37th. However, his run at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte proved to be better. He finished 23rd after being caught in a multi-car wreck on lap 113.

Zilisch is used to finishing at the front of the grid, but the reality of the Cup cars and racing against NASCAR veterans only made Zilisch realize that the Cup series is a different ballgame altogether. But with Connor Zilisch’s road course mastery, many can see the clash amid the team, with SVG already breaking records this year. The three-time Supercars champion has also recently sounded off on his road course plans amid Zislich’s joining next year.

He added, “In NASCAR, I feel like, you know, when you go from XFINITY to Cup, the car completely changes, and the way you drive it, and everything out at the, you know, independent rear suspension, the gearbox, there’s just a lot of differences, so I think it is going to be a bit of a harder jump than, you know, maybe a guy like Max Verstappen going to F1, but, you know, it’s definitely possible, and I get confidence from a guy like him who was able to do it at my age. I feel like there have been guys in the past who, at the jump, really struggled, but I just hope that I’m able to kind of adapt quicker, and I feel like my background and all the different cars help with that transition.” 

Moving to the Cup Series is definitely no joke. Take Joe Gibbs Racing‘s No. 54 driver, Ty Gibbs, for example. Fresh off an Xfinity Series title in his first full season in 2022, he jumped full-time into the Cup Series the following year. He hasn’t yet translated the dominance into a cup. As of the 2025 season, he may have taken home $1M, courtesy of the in-season challenge, but he has yet to win a point-paying Cup race despite multiple top tens and flashes of competitiveness.

But with new rules and regulations regarding an increase in horsepower and the playoff format changes, next year could easily become Zilisch’s playground amid seasoned veterans. However, for now, Zilisch has a more important ambition weighing on his shoulders.

Connor Zilisch’s Xfinity championship hunt gets real

The playoffs are a whole different beast, and Zilisch understands that better than anyone. A 57-point cushion above the cut line heading into Las Vegas Motor Speedway might look reassuring on paper, but seasoned NASCAR fans know how fast that kind of safety net can vanish.

One flat tire, one small collision, or a single pit call gone wrong can turn a comfortable advantage into a nightmare, leaving your title hopes fading in the rearview. What adds to the intrigue is that Zilisch’s limited track time at the venue is ahead. Back in March in Las Vegas, he started third and came home ninth. At Talladega, he was a lap away from victory lane before a blue crash nearly ended his season.

Then there was Martinsville, a master class early on with a hundred laps led from pole, only for bad luck to relegate him to 28. But this is where contenders become champions. By turning scars into lessons, every lap, every misstep, every tough break has been shaping Zilisch for this moment, the four-race stretch that will define his season.