Could Connor Zilisch do what Kyle Larson couldn’t? The 19-year-old’s recent admission at Phoenix Raceway is all set to excite his fans. But the one person it’d excite and delight the most could turn out to be his NASCAR boss, Justin Marks.

Connor Zilisch leaves the door open for Justin Marks to fulfill his dream

Ahead of Sunday’s Cup race at Phoenix Raceway, Connor Zilisch confessed his desire to run in the Indy 500 one day. Zilisch was being interviewed by FOX Sports while the IndyCar race was happening in the background at Phoenix.

According to journalist Steve Taranto, when Zilisch was asked by a reporter whether he’s interested in the Indy 500, he said, “he ‘definitely’ wants to race the Indianapolis 500 one day. Mentions he’s busy with NASCAR at the present moment, but Indy is on his bucket list.”

Already a very successful and accomplished driver for his age, Connor Zilisch’s desire to run in the Indy 500 could further his popularity and his prestige in the motorsports world. This is especially an interesting prospect because last year, Trackhouse Racing‘s owner Justin Marks expressed a strong desire to field an entry in the Indy 500 and, naturally, a Double.

“I would love for Trackhouse to be involved in the Indianapolis 500 someday. That’s a huge event, and if we could ever be part of something like the Double, that would be amazing.”

Marks also mentioned that one of the drivers of his choice to lead the program would be Connor Zilisch. However, Marks suggested that he would want to ‘do it the right way’ and also avoid doing that in Zilisch’s rookie year. This means the next possible opportunity for Zilisch to do the Double would be in 2027.

The last NASCAR driver who attempted the Double was Kyle Larson. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has made two Double attempts in 2024 and 2025. But his first attempt was tainted by the rain, and in his second, he couldn’t finish either of the races.

In fact, the only NASCAR driver to have finished the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 is Tony Stewart. But given Zilisch’s talent and ability, he could very well join the super-rare club.

Is Zilisch interested in racing F1?

While Connor Zilisch has a history in ARCA and stock car racing, he has also raced in other forms of racecar driving. Zilisch competed in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, Trans-Am TA2 Cup, IMSA Sports Car Championship, and go-karting.

And just like he has expressed his desire to race in the Indy 500 one day, he also expressed his desire to race in the ‘pinnacle of motorsports,’ F1.

“That’s something I dreamed of as a kid,” Zilisch said as per Motorsport. “If I have a very successful first few years in NASCAR, it’s not something I wouldn’t say no to.”

Having said that, Connor Zilisch emphasized how much he loves NASCAR even though he has a special spot for F1. Zilisch claimed he gets to race on the biggest stage in the country. He emphasized that his focus remains on NASCAR for the duration of the season, which makes one wonder:

Should Connor Zilisch be planning to race in so many forms of racecar driving instead of being focused and settled in NASCAR? Let us know in the comments below.