Connor Zilisch has sparked speculation around Trackhouse Racing’s future after Daniel Suárez confirmed in July that he and the team would part ways at the end of 2025. Now, with the “Silly Season” announcement looming, most eyes have turned toward Connor Zilisch. Trackhouse owner Justin Marks framed Suárez’s departure as strategic, saying, “The role Daniel has played in the Trackhouse origin story and its first five years will remain a valued part of the company’s history forever.” That comment acknowledged a reset in the organization’s long-term plan. But sources suggest Zilisch’s meteoric rise has created both opportunity and disruption within the team’s structure.

Suárez released his “A Message to my amigos” statement shortly before the announcement, “Trackhouse and I have mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the 2025 season. I’ve had some of the best years of my Cup Series career at Trackhouse. We had great successes as a team, and I gained some incredible friends,” Suárez said. His most recent contract extension with Trackhouse was announced in August 2024, a one-year deal that kept him in the No. 99 Chevy for a fifth season.

And Zilisch signed a multi-year development deal in January 2024 with Trackhouse, partnering alongside JR Motorsports for a full Xfinity Series campaign this year. That blueprint echoed the one used for Shane van Gisbergen, who quickly earned a multi-year Trackhouse extension after winning three road courses as a rookie. “I feel like Trackhouse Racing is my home,” SVG stated. Yet unlike van Gisbergen, Zilisch’s growth has been even faster, and that remains the big reason behind the fan speculation around his Trackhouse role.

Trackhouse has agreements with drivers Ross Chastain and van Gisbergen, who are firmly rooted in the long-term strategy. The only seat that was uncertain was Suárez’s No. 99. After just a year, JRM may lose a championship-caliber driver due to the interference. Additionally, Suárez’s four-year term came to an early end because the organization’s future face was still in the works.

That’s why the announcement at Daytona feels less like a surprise and more like confirmation of what’s already been unfolding. The timing of this has fans connecting the dots on social media. Trackhouse may finally put a nameplate on the 99 car for 2026, and if it belongs to Zilisch, it will mark the official start of a reshaped lineup. To make the discussion even more interesting for the fans, NASCAR insider Freddie Kraft added, “Duh, we’re never wrong,” siding with the fans’ speculations. Fans have marked the 19-year-old’s rise as disrupting a Cup veteran and unsettling an Xfinity powerhouse. 

Fans react to Trackhouse and Connor Zilisch’s Cup future

“Trackhouse finally announcing Zilisch to the 99?” a fan wrote. This reaction captures the obvious storyline: Daniel Suárez’s exit leaves an open seat, and Trackhouse’s long-term development deal with Zilisch makes him the logical successor. The route to the Cup Series has been evident for months following a successful Xfinity season with JR Motorsports, several national-series victories, and previous Cup appearances with Trackhouse. The Daytona announcement might confirm it.

Fans are also picking up on a potential side effect of Zilisch’s promotion. “If SVG’s gonna switch numbers at Trackhouse because Zilisch takes the 88, he should just go back to 97”, said another. The acquisition of Zilisch might cause a number shuffle because Shane van Gisbergen has committed to a multi-year extension in what has been Trackhouse’s No. 88 vehicle. It is a logical backup since Van Gisbergen previously raced a Trackhouse-styled No. 97 in Xfinity competition with Kaulig Racing in 2024. The notion that SVG will win races in three distinct Trackhouse cars, 91, 88, and 97, brings an odd twist to the team’s identity transformation.

Others seemed to display a humorous yet serious perspective around Zilisch, as one fan said, “Connor hurt himself again.” Not all the chatter is celebratory. While balancing NASCAR starts, Trans-Am races, and IMSA endurance events, Zilisch has sustained minor injuries amid his aggressive development schedule. Recurrent injuries serve as a reminder of the physical burden associated with a cross-discipline program for a team like Trackhouse, which has made significant investments in its future.

Reflecting on recent events, fans stated that, “Zilisch to Cup more than likely. It seems like it was supposed to be announced last week, but the injury delayed it.” This reaction ties the two threads together: Zilisch’s readiness for the Cup Series and the timing of Trackhouse’s announcement. Industry chatter suggested the reveal might have come earlier in August, but lingering health prospects after his fall in victory lane appear to have delayed the rollout.

With excitement around the corner for the NASCAR 25 video game release in October, fans have not disregarded the surety of Zilisch’s prominence at Trackhouse. Tricon Garage is already sending out the confirmation of Martin Truex Jr on the special edition cover of the PlayStation 5 video game launch. Fans are looking forward to Trackhouse racing having its own for the NASCAR 25, as one enthusiast wrote, “Connor Zilisch is your cover athlete.”  The NASCAR 25 video game cover is set to be revealed just ten minutes after Trackhouse’s scheduled announcement. If Zilisch does land the Cup ride, the possibility of him also fronting the new game would be a symbolic stamp of NASCAR’s push to highlight its youth movement.