On Sunday at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Shane van Gisbergen‘s remarkable streak of five straight wins on road courses was halted as he finished second behind Tyler Reddick. Known as one of NASCAR’s finest road-course competitors, van Gisbergen may soon face a formidable challenger emerging in the Cup Series.
Denny Hamlin recently shared on the Actions Detrimental podcast his thoughts that young driver Connor Zilisch, only 19 years old, is poised to challenge van Gisbergen’s control on road courses, signaling a potential shift in NASCAR’s racing landscape.
Denny Hamlin Highlights Connor Zilisch’s Rapid Rise on Road Courses
During the discussion, Hamlin emphasized Zilisch’s impressive racecraft and adaptability, which could soon place him among the top contenders on road courses.
“I think that SVG is about to have company in the road-course domination bracket. It appears Zilisch is really, really…I mean he’s already got the race craft to pass and make speed speed…As the weekend went on, he just kept getting better and faster. I think we’re going to be talking about him for, definitely for a handful of races here where we’ll be turning left and right.”
Denny Hamlin on Connor Zilisch’s driving on road courses, ability to challenge Shane van Gisbergen
Connor Zilisch’s Performance During the Current NASCAR Season
Heading into this weekend’s NASCAR event at Phoenix, Zilisch holds one of the lowest point totals among full-time drivers, ranking fifth-fewest with 37 points. Despite these statistics, his on-track performances tell a different story about his potential and skills behind the wheel of the No. 88 car for Trackhouse Racing.
For example, during the Daytona 500, Zilisch was running in third position on Lap 85 before an incident caused him to drop back and ultimately finish 33rd. Similarly, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he showed promise by running sixth and eighth at critical points before accidents hampered his finishing position at 30th.
Impressive Recovery and Skill Display at Circuit of the Americas
Zilisch’s most notable drive came at COTA where his team’s struggles in practice and qualifying forced a 25th-place start. Nevertheless, he advanced into the top 10 by the start of Stage 2. Misfortune struck when Daniel Suarez caused a collision in Turn 1, spinning Zilisch and dropping him well behind the field.
Despite this setback, Zilisch demonstrated remarkable resilience, navigating through the pack with one of the fastest cars on the track. His race was dealt another blow late in the final stage when Denny Hamlin’s contact further spun him in Turn 1, pushing Zilisch back to 32nd position with just 16 laps remaining.
Refusing to settle, Zilisch expertly passed competitors to climb to 24th place with 10 laps to go, then improved to 17th on the final lap, ultimately finishing 14th — an impressive recovery given the circumstances.
Strong Showing Despite Challenges Proves Zilisch’s Potential
Throughout the COTA race, Zilisch executed 56 overtakes, finishing with a respectable 23 points for the day. His performance stood out as one of the best on the challenging road course, illustrating why he was the only driver last season, across all levels, able to consistently match van Gisbergen’s pace.
This young driver exhibits a level of mastery on road courses usually associated with veterans like van Gisbergen, whose 36 years and extensive experience give him an edge. With continuous growth and development, Zilisch is on a trajectory that could establish him as one of NASCAR’s elite drivers in the near future.
Future Battles and the Road Course Landscape in NASCAR
The rivalry between Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen is set to be one of NASCAR’s compelling storylines moving forward, especially on road courses where both demonstrate exceptional skill. As the season progresses, fans will watch closely to see if Zilisch can challenge van Gisbergen’s dominance and how this competition might shape the sport.
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