Connor Zilisch, the 18-year-old rising star in NASCAR’s ranks, recently discussed his prospects of transitioning to Formula 1 during an appearance on Corey LaJoie’s Stacking Pennies podcast. Although currently a full-time driver for JR Motorsports, Zilisch acknowledged that his chances of making the leap to F1 are not entirely out of reach, especially given his connection to the Red Bull program and the arrival of an American team in the series.
Zilisch pilots the No. 88 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team and has accumulated multiple ARCA victories along with four wins in the Xfinity Series over two seasons. Hailing from Charlotte, he is regarded as one of the most promising young drivers in American motorsports today. His affiliation with Red Bull further strengthens his potential path to the global stage as Cadillac prepares to enter Formula 1 next year.
“It’s always in the back of my mind,”
Connor Zilisch told LaJoie (44:05).
“Growing up, that was my dream. I wanted to race F1. I went to Europe when I was a kid, racing go-karts, and it’s what I wanted to do. It’s just..when I was younger, I didn’t really have the chance.”
“And now, you know, with an American team getting brought to F1, having connections with Red Bull, being kind of tied in there, I’d say the chances aren’t zero,”
he added.
Despite the excitement around the possibility, Zilisch pointed out that earning enough super license points would require competing in Formula 3 or similar series for at least a year or two before he could qualify for F1. This highlights the steep challenge facing any driver attempting to make the jump from stock car racing to the pinnacle of open-wheel motorsports.
Close On-Track Battles with Shane van Gisbergen Highlight Zilisch’s Competitiveness
In recent races, Connor Zilisch has faced stiff competition from his JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen, a former Supercars champion who has successfully ventured into NASCAR’s Xfinity Series. The pair clashed prominently at Sonoma Raceway in the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250, the 19th race of the season.
Van Gisbergen had secured pole position at both the Chicago and Sonoma events, narrowly winning over Zilisch by 0.823 seconds in Chicago. However, at Sonoma, Zilisch was able to fend off his Auckland-born teammate, finishing just 0.438 seconds ahead to claim first place.
“I couldn’t do it without wrecking him, so just tried every trick I could,”
Gisbergen said after the race.
“But he drove so well and couldn’t get him. And I think it was the last lap into (Turn) 7, I got there but wheel-hopped, pushed him wide and yeah…could have gone but just waited. I didn’t want to do it like that.”
Upcoming Challenges for Zilisch at Dover Motor Speedway
Looking ahead, Connor Zilisch will be competing in the BetRivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 19. This 200-lap race is set to be broadcast on the CW network starting at 4:30 pm Eastern time, with live radio coverage available on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The event represents another opportunity for Zilisch to demonstrate his speed and consistency as he continues to build his racing résumé.
As the motorsport world watches this young Charlotte native, the combination of his NASCAR success, Red Bull involvement, and the new Cadillac F1 team offers a plausible route for Zilisch’s dreams of Formula 1 competition to materialize. Should he navigate the necessary developmental series and accumulate super license points, his trajectory could evolve into one of the most exciting crossovers in racing history.
