18-year-old Connor Zilisch just scored a statement victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The #88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet dominated the Xfinity field to earn his fifth win of 2025 and the 100th win for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team! The youngster held off seasoned contenders and showcased a level of control that belied his age, further fueling the conversation about his future.

While running full-time for JRM, Connor Zilisch is also a developmental driver for the Cup Series team, Trackhouse Racing. So, with momentum on his side and opportunities opening up, the buzz around Connor’s potential move to the Cup Series has grown louder. Now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is weighing in on how and when the leap should happen, while showering high praise for the Xfinity rookie.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. warns against fast-tracking Connor Zilisch’s Cup Series move

In September of last year, having freshly turned 18, Connor Zilisch made his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen and stunned the world by making his way to Victory Lane. This rapid rise was sealed with a full-time drive for JR Motorsports in 2025. Zilisch’s breakout year continued in 2025, as he kicked off with a commanding pole and win at the Circuit of The Americas, his second career Xfinity victory. Doubts crept in after he could only muster two top-10 finishes in 8 races after his win at COTA. He then suffered a back injury at Talladega, which led him to miss the following race. But since then, Zilisch has silenced all his doubters.

Since Connor Zilisch‘s return from injury, he has produced a staggering eight straight top-5 finishes! Including his third win of the season and first oval win at Pocono, and then a fourth at Dover, where he led 77 laps and secured the series-leading win count, before securing a clutch win at Indianapolis. He has climbed to 2nd in the championship and now holds 24 playoff bonus points, the most in the series. Naturally, with this level of success as a rookie, a Cup Series spot is beckoning, right? Well, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has high praise along with measured reservations for his Cup Series future.

In a post-race interview at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Hall of Famer didn’t hold back on his inhibitions. When asked if Zilisch is ready for Cup Series racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, “I guess. I mean, sure would love to have him one more year, but you know, I don’t know. With how different the Xfinity car is versus the Cup car. You can learn some racecraft and some judgment, decision-making in any car, right? The Truck Series or the Xfinity Series.”

Behind the scenes, talk has intensified about Zilisch possibly landing the No. 99 at Trackhouse Racing in 2026, once Daniel Suarez parts ways at season’s end. Trackhouse owner Justin Marks has hinted at a strategic succession, and Connor, already signed under their development umbrella, is viewed as the natural heir. However, the one thing stopping him from achieving instant success at the highest level is the Next-Gen car.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. added, “But, you know, he’s got to get behind the wheel of that Next Gen car to really understand what it does differently because it drives differently, feels differently. Independent rear suspension, how the air gets to the back of the diffuser—it’s the only NASCAR stock car with a diffuser on it. So, he needs to understand how all that works, and the only way to do it is to get behind the wheel.” 

Some point to the similarities with Ty Gibbs, another teenage phenom fast-tracked to Cup after winning at Xfinity Championship in 2022, and the comparison highlights how different things could turn out. Gibbs’ aggressive style and early cup struggles, DNFs, qualifying issues, and inconsistent results serve as a cautionary tale. Zilisch appears more measured with mechanical reliability, and steady finishes bolster his case for a slower, possibly more successful ramp.

Junior goes on to say, “So, you know, it’s probably too expensive to dilly-dally and run him in 10 or 15 races a year for a while to sort of get his feet wet. Just might as well jump right on in there. So, I understand the process, and I don’t know when or how they’ll plan to announce his future, but I think we can all see the writing on the wall. And honestly, I think that kid has the potential to do incredible, Hall of Fame-worthy things.” And in his limited Cup starts, Zilisch has shown that he isn’t unable to handle the Next-Gen car.

His first start at COTA was proof enough, as he maneuvered his way from the back to a potential top-10 finish until he got spun out inadvertently by Daniel Suarez. Then, at the Coca-Cola 600, Zilisch survived the 600-mile marathon and brought the car back in one piece, finishing a respectable 23rd. And finally, after a 22-car wreck took out nearly half the field, Zilisch cashed in with an 11th-place finish in Atlanta last month.

Not wanting to make a similar, hurried jump like Ty Gibbs’, Junior is cautious of not losing Connor. However, Connor seems to have his mind elsewhere; maybe he is set to dominate another series.

Connor Zilisch sounds off about his Formula One career ambition

Connor Zilisch appears to be on track for a full-time Cup Series seat in 2026. While he’s been a standout in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, there’s also been some quiet curiosity about what other opportunities might be out there for the youngster beyond stock cars. On the Stacking Pennies podcast with part-time Truck Series driver Corey LaJoie, Zilisch spoke candidly about the idea of eventually trying Formula One. He made it clear that it is not an immediate goal, but he didn’t shut the door entirely either.

Connor’s foundation was built in karting, becoming the first American to win the prestigious Karting Academy Trophy in 2020. He transitioned into sports cars in 2021, capturing class wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring the following year. In 2023, he moved into stock cars via ARCA and Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned CARS Tour Late-model races, earning wins and track records. However, his roots still lie in open-wheel excellence.

The teenage phenom went on to say, “It’s always in the back of my mind. Growing up, it was my dream. I wanted to race F1. I went to Europe when I was a kid, racing go-karts. It’s what I wanted to do. It’s just when I was younger, I didn’t really have the chance. Now with an American team (Cadillac) being brought to F1, having connections with Red Bull and being kinda tied in there, I’d say the chances aren’t zero.”

Connor is now a Red Bull athlete, having signed with Trackhouse Racing and debuting in the Cup Series with Red Bull as a primary sponsor, complete with a custom Red Bull-designed Bell helmet gifted by former F1 driver Scott Speed and teammate Shane van Gisbergen. Meanwhile, Connor has acknowledged that a Formula 1 move would require navigating the stringent FIA Super License system, which mandates drivers be at least 18, pass a theory test, complete two full seasons in Junior single-seater categories, and accumulate 40 license points over three years.

Zilisch continued, “I’d run F3… I’d just run a bunch of series to get Super License points. Middle East F3, random things that you can do to get the points. That’s why it would be such a big commitment. I’d want to get settled in here first and know that if I go over there for two years, I could come back and still have a job.”

Points are based on championship finishes; winning F2 or IndyCar grants the full 40 points, while other series like F3 carry fewer, plus drivers must complete 300 km in an F1 car at speed. All of this ensures only fully qualified drivers can sign onto an F1 grid. And it looks like the JRM star has his eyes all set on the open-wheel category and has a plan intact. For now, Zilisch is focused on NASCAR and building his reputation with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team while preparing for a jump to the Cup Series. Still, the possibility of a future shift to Formula One lingers on the horizon.

Do you think Connor Zilisch will remain a stock car savant and live up to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Hall of Fame claims? Or will he make a dramatic switch to open-wheel racing? Let us know in the comments!