For the upcoming weekend, most NASCAR fans will be invested in two drivers. They are Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen – the racers most anticipated to create legendary and winning storylines. However, concerns are mounting for SVG, as the Kiwi road-racing genius has a point to prove at COTA. Now, his Trackhouse Racing teammate is already one step ahead – for Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race.

Shane van Gisbergen needs to buckle up

“Its great being with Rodney, having his experience, and everyone here on the JR Motorsports team. Its been a lot of fun getting back with these guys in the O’Reilly car. Love coming back and racing these cars, they’re a ton of fun. We got a fast Chevrolet for tomorrow. So, looking forward to it. Busy weekend for me, but great way to start it,” Connor Zilisch said in an interview.

The 19-year-old phenom dominated NASCAR’s qualifying grid for the Focused Health 250 at COTA. Driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, Connor Zilisch clinched the pole for the race. He turned a lap time of 1 minute, 37.740 seconds around the 2.4-mile Austin, TX road course. Shane van Gisbergen, who came second in more than two-tenths-of-a-second off Zilisch’s lap time, called him “that little bugger.”

Shane van Gisbergen has more reasons to worry than a faster qualifying lap. Circuit of the Americas remains the only road course that the Kiwi has yet to conquer. He was on a five-race winning streak on road courses in 2025, but COTA was the one that got away with Christopher Bell winning the Cup race. Moreover, drivers like Tyler Reddick and Kyle Busch rank higher than SVG in COTA statistics.

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So, Connor Zilisch getting a head start on the weekend must be worrying the New Zealand native. Zilisch becomes the youngest driver in O’Reilly Series history to win ten poles after cutting a right-front tire in practice. Moreover, he will be looking to defend his 2025 victory – setting the stage for a grand battle with SVG. Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen stood alone at the top as the only two drivers to dip under 98 seconds.

Although Connor Zilisch is confident for Saturday, he also has a point to prove on Sunday.

Looking for an encouraging break

Shane van Gisbergen will indeed be dominating fans’ attention. However, concerns are also rising around Connor Zilisch’s rookie Cup Series campaign. He finished outside the top-30 at both Daytona and Atlanta, with unfortunate accidents hurting every chance for the No. 88 Chevrolet. Adjusting to the Next-Gen car in the Cup Series is visibly taking time. But for the third race weekend of the year, Zilisch can look forward to reversing his trend of misfortune.

“Obviously, it takes a lot to win these races and compete at the very front and race against guys like SVG at the road courses. I’ve done it before in the (O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series,” Connor Zilisch said in a recent media conference. “I feel like it’s definitely capable now that I’m a full-time driver at Trackhouse. We got a really good road-course program, and there’s definitely a lot of confidence going into this weekend.”

Both Trackhouse Racing stars will be wielding the star power for COTA. We can only wait for the wonders that Shane van Gisbergan and Connor Zilisch will unravel.