“I never thought I would make it anywhere in racing,” said Connor Zilisch, fighting back tears. In hindsight, the youngster couldn’t have been more wrong about his career. At just 19, the North Carolina-native has been there and done that. From racing go-karts in Europe to being forced to give up on his Formula 1 dream due to a lack of funding, his experiences have matured him beyond his years, which is reflected in his racing style. Even Justin Marks admitted his decision to sign the prodigy was down to “the level of maturity, the approach, the ability to deliver in big moments.”

And now, Zilisch will be competing for Trackhouse in the Cup Series next year, despite making just three appearances at the highest level. While he has impressed in the Xfinity Series with seven wins already, will the youngster be able to repay Justin Marks’ faith against the heavyweights? Time will tell.

Justin Marks didn’t want to delay the inevitable

You know a racer is destined for greatness when Dale Earnhardt Jr. says, “He (Zilisch) has the potential to do incredible, incredible Hall of Fame-worthy things.” Last fall, the young racer won in his first Xfinity Series start, driving the No. 88 Chevy for JR Motorsports. Since then, he has only gone from strength to strength, proving that his reputation for being a ‘generational talent’ is backed by results. Seven wins, thirteen top-fives, and fifteen top-tens are nothing to scoff at, with Justin Marks even saying, “Every car he’s gotten in, he’s figured out a way to win.”

And now, a spot in the Cup Series awaits Connor Zilisch, who will be replacing Daniel Suarez at Trackhouse. Justifying the gamble, team owner Justin Marks told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “With him being so young, we might as well just go for it, and we’ve got great commercial support behind it with WeatherTech and Redbull. We have a lot of people within the company that are really excited about it. He ran a few Cup races this year just to look at how he learns a Cup car and how he approaches a Cup car. Just became clear very quickly to us that this kid is a big part of our future, and we might as well just get started with it.”

Going by Zilisch’s performances this season, it became increasingly clear that it was a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’ the young racer will make it to the Cup Series. While he hasn’t broken into the top 10 at the highest level yet, one can’t help but feel that competing against the heavyweights is where he truly belongs. Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain have won a combined five races this season, and with the teenager in the mix, Trackhouse has a formidable three-car lineup for the foreseeable future.

As for Justin Marks, he couldn’t be more confident about his decision, even though some may call it premature. The team owner candidly said, “Watching him operate and watching the talent, it really became more and more evident every single week that we’ve got somebody here who’s very, very special. Mature beyond his years, hard worker, really kind of exemplifies everything that you want out of a Cup driver.” Ultimately, it will be up to Trackhouse to give Connor Zilisch a competitive car in the Cup Series, even though not everybody is on board with the ‘gamble’ taken by the organization.

Freddie Kraft is unconvinced by Connor Zilisch’s composure

Handling pressure situations isn’t easy. NASCAR is a sport defined by fine margins, and with the playoffs on the horizon, the stakes are only going to get higher. For drivers hoping to compete for silverware, adjusting to the Cup Series’ demands both physically and mentally will be key to getting results. However, when it comes to Connor Zilisch, question marks have been raised about handling difficult situations, such as the incident with Ty Gibbs in Mexico, or the race at Watkins Glen, when he wrecked Shane van Gisbergen.

On that note, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, said, “When we see Connor get in these pressure situations, he has a tendency to make mistakes. He has to clean that sh-t up when he gets himself a little behind eight ball, and he’s going to spend a lot of time behind the eight ball in the Cup Series. He’s not going to come in and just dominate like he is.” He even went on to say, “Shocking to hear he’s going Cup racing. Really caught me off-guard. I didn’t see that coming.”

Ultimately, it will be Connor Zilisch’s responsibility to prove his naysayers wrong. At 19, the youngster has made his fair share of mistakes, circumstances that he has learnt from in the Xfinity Series. And while the transition to the Cup Series will be challenging, the racer has the talent and the support to find his footing sooner rather than later. The Cup Series is where he can become one of NASCAR’s all-time greats, and now that he has signed a multi-year contract with the No. 99 team, the question will be, when can he get his first win?