Connor Zilisch has been on fire in the Xfinity Series this year, hitting double digits with his ten wins in 28 starts for JR Motorsports. His victories span ovals and road courses, like the Circuit of the Americas triumph where he charged from deep in the field, survived tire rubs and contact, and still crossed first. At Charlotte’s Roval, he bagged the Blue Cross NC 250, his 10th win, locking him into the Round of 8.

Even a Victory Lane fall at Watkins Glen that broke his collarbone couldn’t slow him; he bounced back, kept racing, and held strong in points. Zilisch’s meteoric rise makes his 2026 jump to Trackhouse Racing’s full-time Cup seat. Now, Shane van Gisbergen (SVG), his future teammate, got real about what it’ll take for them to mesh.

SVG’s take on Zilisch’s arrival

Recently chatting with reporter Kaitlyn Vincie, SVG didn’t sugarcoat the Watkins Glen drama: “Yeah, well, I think we just got to keep that attitude of you know it’s friendly competition and we have to you know one other car has to win. You know we have to make sure the team comes first, right? And we don’t want what happened at Watkins to happen all the time, cause that wasn’t very good, you know.”

The incident saw SVG and Zilisch trade paint in Turn 6, with Zilisch running wide and clipping SVG’s right rear, sending him spinning into the barrier. It was their third clash of 2025: Chicago’s bullying win for SVG, Sonoma’s aggressive payback by Zilisch, and Glen’s over-the-top tangle. SVG’s point is clear: team-first means keeping it clean, or it’ll cost Trackhouse points and peace.

“So yeah, I think it’s gonna be really cool, he’s an awesome young guy, and everything we’ve done with each other so far. We get along really well and bounce ideas off each other, too, when we’ve been on the simulator team. So yeah, I’m really excited and interested to see how it’s going to go next year and but I do think it’d be really good,” SVG said.

Their rapport’s solid; Zilisch’s been with Trackhouse since 2024, running select Xfinity events while SVG’s owned road courses. The two have already swapped notes, turning rivals into allies.

Zilisch’s six Xfinity wins, including Watkins Glen’s tumble that broke his collarbone but didn’t dim his fire, have SVG pumped for the No. 99’s 2026 debut. It’s a duo with SVG’s road mastery and Zilisch’s raw speed, ready to challenge Hendrick and Penske.

The Watkins Glen muck-up was a wake-up call. Zilisch, leading after a timely caution, went high in Turn 6, ran wide, and hooked SVG’s rear, spinning him out. SVG’s barrier hit was hard, but he climbed out okay, while Zilisch pressed on to win.

Their history, SVG’s Chicago bully and Zilisch’s Sonoma payback, shows mutual respect, but SVG’s warning is for the Cup level: “friendly competition” means no repeat of Glen’s “not very good” mess. Trackhouse’s bet on Zilisch, replacing Suárez, is huge.

The 19-year-old’s maturity and “close the deal” ability have the team believing he’s Cup-ready. SVG’s excitement isn’t just teammate talk; it’s a vision for a duo that bounces ideas and battles as one.

SVG’s oval worries amid road dominance

SVG’s optimism for Zilisch ties to his own Cup journey, where road courses are his playground but ovals remain a “crazy feeling.” At the 2025 Bank of America ROVAL 400, SVG ruled Charlotte’s hybrid layout, outpacing Larson and Bell by 15 seconds for his fifth straight road win.

“All tracks are difficult. Like Vegas next week, going there and having to hold it wide open at 320 and 190, probably, whatever miles that is, it’s a crazy feeling and something I’m not comfortable with,” he said.

Vegas’ high-speed tri-oval, where he qualified 25th but fought to third, tests his limits; drafts, air, and 200-mph corners demand a feel he’s still honing.

“It’s so fast when you hook into those corners there. Then, when you do it in the race around other cars, that’s where I’m learning, trying to get comfortable, know where to place the car in the air, and try and understand what’s happening,” SVG added.

His Roval masterclass, fresher tires reeling in Larson, a Turn 7 rub that Larson swiped back at, shows his road edge, but ovals like Vegas or Martinsville are a different beast.

Zilisch’s oval wins, like Charlotte’s Blue Cross NC 250 leading 61 of 68 laps, could complement SVG’s strengths, making Trackhouse a force in 2026. With Zilisch’s collarbone break from Watkins Glen’s Victory Lane fall, forcing a Cup miss, their team-up feels like the perfect storm brewing.