Connor Zilisch Weighs in on Finally Escaping Cup Series Gremlins Amidst Rookie Embarrassment

A teenager dominating the O’Reilly Series with double-digit victories quickly became a sensation among NASCAR fans. After 2025, there was little doubt that Connor Zilisch would soon be a Cup Series driver, and Trackhouse Racing signed him as a full-time driver this season. However, the huge expectations placed on his shoulders came crashing down amid what has been a dismal season. With his confidence dwindling, Iowa Speedway came along and gave Zilisch hope of finally finding his feet.

“Yeah, it was a solid day. We got points in both stages. Made an adjustment to start the third stage,” Zilisch told Frontstretch after the Iowa Corn 350, which was one of the best races of his young Cup Series career.

The 20-year-old driver qualified in eighth place, which was his best-ever starting position on an oval. He finished ninth in the first stage, collecting a point mid-race, which has been rare for him this season. He earned an additional stage point by finishing 10th in Stage 2 and ultimately finished the race in 11th place.

Zilisch, in some ways, was lucky, with eight DNFs on the night. With pit-stop misfortunes for Joey Logano and a crash involving Kyle Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman, credit goes to Zilisch for staying out of trouble and driving a clean race.

“We just didn’t fire off as good as we needed to and lost a little bit of track position there,” he continued, acknowledging that he dropped positions after Stage 2.

“Randall [Burnett] called a good race, caught us some spots back through strategy in the last stage, and finished 11th. Much-needed decent day. Wish it could have been a little better but we’ll take this right now,” the Trackhouse Racing driver added.

Zilisch was talking about the handling set-up change before Stage 3 that didn’t work in his favor. They were trying to improve the balance issues on his No. 88 Chevrolet, but they stuck with him throughout. A slight sore point, but overall, a great weekend considering how humbling the top level has been for him.

Trackhouse Racing has lacked raw speed, and Zilisch, a rookie in the Cup Series, has found it difficult to make the most of bad situations. Luck, too, hasn’t been in his favor. In Michigan, he got caught up in a crash after just eight laps. In the Chicago Street Race, after showing real speed from the back of the field, a late strategy change caught him off guard and once again led to a DNF, as he finished 38th.

Zilisch has had eight DNFs in the first 23 races of the season, and he hasn’t been happy about the impact they’re having on his reputation. Corey Heim, who won the Truck Series championship in 2025, already has two Cup Series wins this season, despite being a part-time driver.

Earlier this month, Zilisch shed light on how those who are winning races in the series are all consistent. That’s not something that’s worked for him or Trackhouse Racing.

“You don’t see guys like Denny [Hamlin] run outside the top 12 or [Tyler] Reddick or people who have been really good this year. Those guys are always inside the top 10 running well, but when you go from fifth on back, I mean, it’s just anybody can run well on any given week, and they don’t. That’s not a thing on Sundays,” he said.

Iowa was a respite for Zilisch. A sign that he has what it takes to put in good performances at the Cup Series level, and a reminder to the fanbase that he’s still young and learning the ropes at a struggling team.

Zilisch, in his interview with Frontstretch, also opened up about Trackhouse Racing’s short-track package. This was particularly vital, considering that NASCAR heads to Richmond next weekend, followed by New Hampshire, with both being short tracks like Iowa.

Zilisch on what Trackhouse Racing needs to do in short tracks

In Iowa, the Trackhouse Racing cars looked stronger. Ross Chastain even led the race for 40 laps before finishing seventh. Zilisch, without any major issues, finished 11th. Shane van Gisbergen, who battled handling issues throughout the race, unfortunately could only manage 30th.

Zilisch, after Iowa, noted that the team has the speed to run up front at short tracks, but it’s usually only one of the three Trackhouse cars that shows it.

Normally, in 2026, it’s been Chastain leading the charge on shorter tracks, while SVG’s oval inexperience continues to present a learning curve, and Zilisch adjusts to the Cup Series as a whole.

“We need to do a better job of working together to make sure all 3 cars can run well and be quick. We had a solid day with Ross and I. I wish Shane could have had a little better day, with his spot on the cut line. It’s good that we’re at least bringing cars to the track, that have some speed.”

For Chastain and SVG, strong results are very important. Chastain is 18th, 47 points below the cut line, whereas SVG, largely thanks to his two road-course wins earlier this season, is 15th, with a 47-point cushion over the cut line. He should make it, but three more 30th-place finishes could see him miss The Chase.

Iowa could prove to be an important turning point for Zilisch. Strong runs in Richmond and New Hampshire would give the rookie much-needed confidence. He doesn’t have to deal with the Chase though, as he’s 34th in the standings.

Meanwhile, Trackhouse Racing would look to build on its improved short-track pace.

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