On one side, we’ve got a Hendrick Motorsports seasoned pro aiming to tackle double duty this year, who just snagged the pole position in the Xfinity Series behind the wheel of the #17 car for COTA. Then, on the flip side, there’s the newcomer, 17-year-old Connor Zilisch, making waves by clinching the pole in his first-ever NASCAR Truck Series race with some seriously slick lap times.

Additionally, Corey Heim, Taylor Gray, and Nick Sanchez weren’t far behind, throwing down some solid times in practice. Zilisch, fresh to the Truck Series scene, clocked a lap at 2:11.98. When Kyle Larson got wind of the rookie’s performance, he couldn’t help but shower the young gun with praise.

Kyle Larson is all about giving props to the new kid on the block 

We’re five weeks into the Truck Series, and Connor Zilisch is stepping into the NASCAR spotlight as a development driver for Trackhouse Racing in COTA, set to hit the track for Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series and JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series through 2024-2025. And while Cup Series driver Kyle Larson himself was making waves by landing the top qualifying spot with a time of 2:12.08 seconds, he couldn’t help but be impressed when he caught wind of rookie Connor Zilisch’s standout performance in the Truck Series qualifying, especially given the kid’s only 17.

Kyle Larson shared, “I’ve heard you know through like Josh and Scott like there’s this kid that’s really good and you know he was by far the best out there. I’ve been paying a lot of attention to him and then yeah, I’ve gotten to be around him a fair amount you know through the Chevy program and him at Josh’s and stuff and Keeping up with him. […] he’s 18, I guess, or whatever, but super mature and extremely good.”

While Larson was over the moon about Zilisch’s speed in COTA and how quickly he’s adapted, he couldn’t help but share a bit of playful disappointment, “So I’m disappointed he was only like 3/4 of a second faster than field and not more than that because I figured he would be. I texted him earlier and said, you should smash the field this weekend. It’ll be more of the same tomorrow as long as nobody runs through him.”

Even though winning the pole position made Larson’s day, he didn’t miss the chance to express his wish for the Xfinity cars to pack a bit more grip and shared his two cents on the brief 20-minute practice being insufficient. Connor Zilisch echoed Larson’s sentiments about wanting more from the Truck race practice sessions too.

Kyle Larson and rookie Connor Zilisch both felt the crunch with the limited practice time

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Larson won his seventh Xfinity pole in COTA, marking his first appearance in the 2024 season behind the wheel of the #17 car for HMS. He’s set to start alongside Shane van Gisbergen at the front in the Saturday, March 23 race. SVG, with an average speed of 92.65 mph, was among the three Kaulig Racing drivers who breezed into the final qualifying round.

Post-qualifying, Larson didn’t mince words about wanting the Xfinity cars to offer more grip and perform better. He was also not thrilled with the scant 20 minutes of practice they got, barely enough for 6 laps.

What Drives Connor Zilisch – The Teenage Phenom With the Resume of a Veteran

Rookie Truck Series driver Zilisch echoed these concerns concerning truck racing, saying, “We show up here with 15 minutes of practice and not a lot of time, but when I’m going to the truck it’s all new to me. But it’s really been a three-month process preparing myself for this race with everyone back at Chevrolet, Josh Wise, Scott Speed.”

2024 is going to be a pivotal year for Connor Zilisch, especially with his impressive showings on road courses. A standout performance this weekend at COTA and Five Flags could be key to boosting his transition into stock car racing for the remainder of the season and beyond.