Kevin Harvick knows a thing or two about grinding through the NASCAR ranks. In his early days with Richard Childress Racing, he competed in the Busch Series while powering through frustrating and winless Cup Series runs. He persisted on the circuit for years. Where did that take him? He ended up beating the sentimental favorite and legend, Mark Martin. It’s a playbook that has shaped numerous careers, reminding everyone that lower-tier battles build real grit.

Now, with Connor Zilisch set for his 2026 Cup debut in Trackhouse’s No. 88 Chevy after a dominating Xfinity rookie season, veterans like Kevin Harvick see echoes of their own paths. His quick rise from an Xfinity rookie to a full-time Cup Series driver has folks buzzing, much like Kyle Busch racing in Trucks for five Spire races this year to keep his edge. This isn’t just nostalgia. Harvick’s got advice for Zilisch, drawing straight from Busch’s playbook.

Kevin Harvick’s lesson for Connor Zilisch’s Cup leap

On the latest Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, the veteran got real about climbing NASCAR’s ladder, using Kyle Busch’s Truck Series stints as a prime example for Connor Zilisch. “When I was at RCR and we were going through our years, we were struggling. One of the biggest things that I did was go down to the Busch series and race and win, and that’s how you kept yourself relevant,” Harvick said.

He pointed out how those wins against top talent, such as Jeff Burton, provided a vital measuring stick, especially for youngsters who are still in their learning phase. For Zilisch, fresh off a collarbone break but still winning Rookie of the Year honors in Xfinity, this shows his grit and endurance. The NASCAR vet doubled down on the learning curve, noting how Cup stars racing in lower series force growth.

“If Kyle Larson shows up five times a year and thumps your a–, you’re probably not ready,” he explained, highlighting how Xfinity fields without Cup drivers could leave young guns stuck in their comfort zones, without anyone pushing them to extremes.

Host Kaitlyn Vance also chimed in, sharing how Truck racers thrived on Busch‘s visits: “Every truck driver I would talk to loved when Kyle Busch would come down, because that’s somebody of a high level that they get to learn from.” Racing in lower series paid off for Harvick, whose 47 Busch wins and two championships honed his adaptability while running in the Cup Series. And for Zilisch, who is already a road-course wizard, he may gain a lot from such exposure.

Kyle Larson sees the same fire in Connor Zilisch: “Connor Zilisch is going to win Cup races and do it quickly. So, I’m pumped because he’ll hopefully be able to give SVG a run for his money on road courses because none of us can,” he said on the Rubbin Is Racing podcast.

Larson’s nod underscores Zilisch’s versatility with ten Xfinity wins this season alone, positioning him to challenge Shane van Gisbergen’s five Cup road triumphs.

Back in 2014, Harvick himself appeared in 15 Xfinity races for JR Motorsports, snagging four wins to stay relevant and motivated amid Cup mid-season slumps that year. These crossovers don’t just pad stats; they teach rookies like Zilisch to handle pressure.

Harvick blasts playoff format as NASCAR’s core weakness

Kevin Harvick didn’t hold back on the playoffs’ single-race finale, calling it a gut punch to consistent performers. He laid it out plainly: “That’s one of the biggest flaws of the whole system, right? Like, you can have the greatest year of anybody in the field and still lose, just off of one moment or one situation or one scenario.”

This came amid 2025’s Xfinity heartbreak, where Connor Zilisch‘s consistent run with ten wins came down to one race, in which he lost the title, echoing Denny Hamlin’s Cup loss this season, where a late caution stole his title. Digging deeper, Kevin Harvick also recalled the old points system’s flaws, such as Jimmie Johnson‘s consistent but unexciting performances in 2006.

“This is a tough situation because of the fact that people were tired of the old system because people were winning by too much. Now we’re tired of the point system because of the fact that it comes down to one race. I truly believe there’s a balance in the middle,” the NASCAR vet said.

Take Corey Heim‘s 2025 Truck title: 12 wins, but an unpredictable late pit at Phoenix nearly cost him the title against Ty Majeski’s final charge. NASCAR’s eyeing tweaks for 2026, with voices like Dale Earnhardt Jr. pushing for hybrid formats that reward dominance without it all coming down to one-race showdowns.

These critiques by Harvick, a Cup champion in 2014, highlight the negative impact of the playoffs on young drivers.