In the high-octane world of racing, connections often spark from unexpected moments. Like a quick exchange at a Red Bull event where Connor Zilisch, standing next to his No. 87 car, asked, “You want to get in?” to Max Verstappen, who replied, “I mean, I would like to do it.”

But what began as a lighthearted moment soon turned into an unlikely bond between two racers from entirely different worlds. It was the start of a friendship whose actual origin traces back to a dinner with Shane van Gisbergen.

A racers’ dinner in Texas

It all traces back to a laid-back evening in Texas about a year ago, when Zilisch found himself at a dinner table with Verstappen, thanks to van Gisbergen’s nudge. The trio’s meetup wasn’t some glitzy affair but a bond that was developed naturally during the COVID shutdown, when real tracks were closed and iRacing had lit up screens worldwide.

As Zilisch opened up on Kenny Conversations, “I went to dinner with him (Max) about a year ago in Texas. I went down there to film a video with SVG and the other two Red Bull F1 drivers. I filmed a video with them, and Shane is actually pretty good friends with Max because during COVID, you know, when everyone was on iRacing and on simulators messing around when they couldn’t race in real life, SVG and Max were teammates on iRacing, so they became close friends. I was down there filming with SVG, and he invited me to dinner with him and Max.”

How did @ConnorZilisch & Max Verstappen become friends?

From @Kenny_Wallace Conversations!

Full show:https://t.co/ctbjCtEoWz pic.twitter.com/CYL0qbplgl

— The Kenny Wallace Show (@KWallaceShow) October 14, 2025

That interaction helped Zilisch catch a glimpse of a guy who thrives on the wheel’s grip, not the glamor that comes with it. “He’s definitely a lot different than the public kind of makes him out to be,” Zilisch shared. “He’s just another one of us. He’s a racer. He likes racing, you know, just wants to go to the track and win races and not have to worry about the life that he, you know, lives.”

It was a revelation: the Dutch phenom, who’d debuted in F1 at 17 and stacked championships since 2021, craved only the pure rush of competition, much like Zilisch chasing checkers in his JR Motorsports Chevy, without focusing on the vanity.

Their vibe clicked instantly which turned into easy banter that resurfaced months later in Austria, where Zilisch casually asked Verstappen about hopping into his stock car. Verstappen’s “I would like to do it” echoed their friendly dinner, underscoring a shared itch for new challenges.

Zilisch wrapped it up with admiration: “You know, I just was joking around with him. You know, he’s a guy that I feel like would race anything if he was given the opportunity and had the time to do so, so I definitely respect him and look up to him. He’s obviously crazy talented, and hopefully one day he’ll get over here and, you know, get the chance to race either some stock cars or sports cars or something.”

Verstappen himself has fanned those rumors, telling Autosport back in 2021, “I would like to try NASCAR one day. It’s something different, and I think it would be a fun challenge.” With precedents like van Gisbergen’s Chicago street course upset in 2023, that trial run feels less like fantasy and more like the next lap in their unfolding story.

As Zilisch continues to chase his NASCAR stardom, his off-track circle with global stars like Verstappen only sharpens his edge, blending F1 precision with NASCAR grit.

Zilisch holds firm as Xfinity favorite in playoff push

Connor Zilisch’s grip on the 2025 Xfinity title chase remains ironclad, his regular-season crown and 10 wins cementing him as the odds-on pick at -170. That dominance, from poles at COTA to rain-soaked triumphs at Dover, has him leading the Round of 8 by a margin that lets him race smart, not desperate, heading into Talladega’s chaos.

At 19, he’s already outpaced legends in streak territory, with four straight victories mid-season and 18 consecutive top-fives on the bounce, proving Trackhouse‘s bet on him for a 2026 Cup ride was spot-on.

Rivals feel the heat, though. Sheldon Creed, nursing a +2800 longshot status after a bumpy Vegas run, admitted the handling woes that keep him chasing: “We’ll be pretty good in practice, and then we start the race like 10 out of 10 loose, so that was challenging at the start.”

It’s a classic playoff grind, where Creed’s Joe Gibbs Racing squad tweaks setups race after race, drawing from his 2024 ARCA title blueprint to gain back points. Yet Zilisch’s consistency turns those hurdles into background noise.

Sam Mayer, another Gibbs contender lurking in the mix, echoes the fine-line tweaks needed to stay alive. “Even though it wasn’t the best, we still made it better, but there’s always room for improvement,” he noted post-restart struggles.

Mayer’s youth mirrors Zilisch’s, but his three wins fade against the leader’s haul, highlighting how Zilisch’s injury comebacks, like Portland’s post-collarbone win, build unbreakable momentum. With Phoenix looming as the finale, Zilisch’s path looks paved, a nod to his karting roots that first hooked him on speed.