NASCAR Cup Series
Team Chevy Press Conference Transcript
August 18, 2026
Rick Hendrick, Owner of Hendrick Motorsports; Jeff Gordon, Vice Chairman of Hendrick Motorsports; Andrea Brimmer, Chief Marketing and PR Officer of Ally Financial; and Connor Zilisch, Team Chevy NASCAR Cup Series Driver; met with the media via a virtual press conference following yesterday’s announcement that Zilisch will drive the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports beginning in 2028.
Media Availability Quotes:
Mr. H., I’ll start with you. You followed Connor in his career for quite some time. Of course, co-owner of JR Motorsports, Connor had that fantastic season a year ago in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. When were you convinced that Connor was going to be the guy to take over this iconic No. 48 Ally Chevrolet?
Rick Hendrick: “Well, you know, watching Connor (Zilisch) in the JRM cars, I was impressed and blown away, and I think I mentioned to him one day that I hoped that we would be able to have him in a Cup car. But when Alex (Bowman) decided 2027 was going to be his last year, then we found out that Connor would be available in 2028. Ally’s been such an unbelievable sponsor and the two just really fit. We’re super excited about him, his youth, and to carry on the No. 48 tradition.”
Jeff, you won four championships for Hendrick Motorsports. Looking at what Connor brings to the table, how does Connor fit the culture of HMS?
Jeff Gordon: “Yeah, that’s a big key element of it. It’s not just his talent… that’s pretty obvious. But it’s really making sure that it’s somebody that has great communication skills and wants to be a great team player. The way that Hendrick Motorsports works, I feel like, is unlike any other organization out there. I get the pleasure to sit in on those debriefs with the drivers, the crew chiefs, and the engineers. You know, the more transparent you are, the more confident you are, the more information that you can add to the conversation, it elevates the entire organization.
We all knew how talented he was on the road courses. To me, I think a lot of it was –well, what can he do on ovals? He’s proved and is continuing to prove that he’s good behind the wheel at any track that you put him at.”
Andrea, Ally has built such a great relationship and such an iconic identity with the No. 48 at Hendrick Motorsports. What excites you about Connor being the next face and partner with the brand?
Andrea Brimmer: “Yeah, I mean, I think two things. One, when Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gorton tell you that they’re excited about a driver, you obviously put a lot of faith and a lot of stock in that. We’re hungry to win some championships, so we’re excited about Connor and his ability to do that.
I think, secondly, we always look for brand ambassadors that embody the same values that Ally has. Somebody that is going to bring some spirit and some personality and really follow in the footsteps of people like Jimmie (Johnson) and Alex, who have just been such great and iconic ambassadors for us; the things that they’ve done, the way they’ve shown up, the way that they’ve interacted with fans and the way that they’ve supported our brand. The conversations I’ve had so far with Connor, he seems like he’s going to be one of the greats in terms of doing that, as well, so we’re really excited about that.”
Connor, it’s a big week for you. You’ve accomplished a lot in your career in such a short time, but you get to take the wheel in 2028 of this iconic No. 48 Ally Chevrolet. What does this opportunity mean for you?
Connor Zilisch: “Yeah, it means the world to me. I think growing up, every kid who watches NASCAR and grows up racing dreams of racing for Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports. So yeah, the opportunity is certainly a dream come true. I’m really excited for 2028 and working with Ally and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and certainly, carrying on the tradition and legacy of the 48 car and continuing to create my own story and path with Hendrick Motorsports is really exciting.”
What were the sensitivities like in navigating this situation with another Chevrolet team? Obviously, it’s all part of the same camp, it’s not like you were going to another manufacturer and trying to get a driver from outside. Did that add any extra wrinkles in the negotiations compared to a different type of driver signing?
Rick Hendrick: “First of all, Justin (Marks) has been phenomenal. We reached out to him, talked to him. We knew he gave Connor the freedom to go out and talk to someone for beyond 2027, and so we met with Justin. We respect him. We work together extremely well. We knew if Connor was going out and exploring opportunities, we wanted to be the team, so it worked out really well.”
Connor, was this a difficult decision at all? How much did you talk to Justin about potentially continuing there?
Connor Zilisch: “Yeah, I’ve definitely grown up that no matter where I was racing, I’ve always been a loyalty guy. Justin has done so much for me, not only on-track and the opportunities he’s given me, but also just being a friend of mine off the track and being a team owner and someone that I can lean on and go to for anything. So yeah, it was very tough for me. But at the end of the day, when Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports has availability to possibly drive for their NASCAR team, it’s a very hard to say no to that. I’m very appreciative of Justin and everything he’s done for me. It’s certainly an honor to get to race for him and know him as a person and as a dad. He’s got a great family. I’m excited for the next year-and-a-half with Trackhouse Racing. I’m excited to close that book on a high note and continue to work hard and chase wins with them.”
Does Connor have permission to do the Indy 500? And would that be in an endeavor that you would be interested in helping out with, or are you done with that after the Kyle Larson experience?
Rick Hendrick: “I’m done with that (laughs). I’ve learned to never say never, but it would take a lot of convincing for me to do that again.”
Connor, does this make you less likely to do “The Double”, or are you still pursuing it?
Connor Zilisch: “Yeah, I mean, it’s something down the road that I’ve always dreamed of. But at the end of the day, I need to focus on what I’m doing on Sunday’s here before I really focus on stepping outside my comfort zone.”
Jeff, why did 2028 make the most sense for Connor to join? Did you look at all into bringing him on any sooner for the 2027 season? What made now the right time for this all to come together?
Jeff Gordon: “It really did come together the way it was meant to be. You know, conversations were happening with Alex Bowman on his future at Hendrick Motorsports and what his plans were. He’s been phenomenal. Obviously, Ally really enjoyed what he’s done for them. We’ve enjoyed him. He’s done a lot for Hendrick Motorsports. He’s been successful here. When he told us – hey, you know, I want next year to be my final year – that pretty much put the next thing in motion. It was around that same time that we heard that Connor was going to be out talking to teams about 2028 and beyond. As Rick mentioned, when that happened, the first thing that we did was reach out to Justin Marks and talked to him about 2028 and get the blessing to be able to sit down with Connor and start talking about that.
But yeah, the stars really pretty much aligned with Alex’s decision, as well as Connor’s decision to look beyond 2027.”
It has been said way since I started covering the sport that if you want someone, you go get them. And this may even go back to Jeff Gordon’s days, but does this still work that way? Do you credit your team for the way they negotiate once you want someone, or are you that good at making the decision and pulling the trigger?
Rick Hendrick: “Well, I don’t know how good I am at making decisions (laughs). But I know who I want and when I see talent like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and all of the drivers that have driven for me before. I think about Connor’s age and what his ability is; watching him at JRM, meeting him and pulling for him in the garage area. When Alex made his decision, I’ve had my eye on Connor. But as Jeff said, all the stars had to align. Ally’s been so good to Alex. He’s been good to them. We wanted it to be on Alex’s term. And so, with his kind of farewell tour, that opened the seat. It just worked out. I think Jeff Gordon and I both look at talent. We want to see our company grow in the years to come, so if you can align with someone with the talent this young man has, the future is pretty bright.”
Connor, you’re sitting in between a pair of Hall of Famers. You’re inheriting the No. 48, which was made obviously huge by Jimmie Johnson. What is your feeling, your level of pressure, going into this new venture in 2028?
Connor Zilisch: “Yeah, I mean, obviously, there’s pressure that’s involved with driving the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, following Jimmie and Alex. You know, I grew up watching Jimmie race. I would more so call it an honor rather than pressure. I know what I’m getting myself into. I know that success is the standard and I hold myself to a high standard. I’m really excited about it, honestly, more than I am nervous or pressured. Being able to work with these two guys every day is something that I’m really excited for. Driving the No. 48, being a part of that legacy and creating my own story is something I’m really excited for, as well.”
Rick, due to Connor’s success in sportscar racing, would you consider going back to Le Mans again or maybe entering some sportscar races again with him as a member of the team?
Rick Hendrick: “You know, I’m going to keep all those options open. I know better than to say I’m not going to ever do something again. I’ve said that so many times and I’ve had to back up. But at his age and his talent, you know, I’m not sure. We’re just going to take it one step at a time. I love going to Le Mans. That was fun. But that was a lot of work. Our primary goal is that, this guy, we need him to be a champion in NASCAR. We’ll see what other avenues present themselves. How about that… does that work?”
Jeff Gordon: “Rick is more open-minded today about what works for the drivers; what works for the team; what makes them shine; what makes them feel like they’re competing at the highest level. Obviously, their priority has to be Cup. But if going to race in a sprint car or going to race in a sportscar — if it fits within the schedule and it makes them, in their minds, a better racecar driver that’s more prepared to get to Sunday and compete in the NASCAR race, I know that Rick has been very open-minded about those opportunities.”
Ally has been kind of at the forefront of building connections with fans and kind of disrupting that traditional sports marketing playbook. From your perspective, what do you see in Connor that makes him fit in line with the brand as kind of the face with the Ally Chevrolet?
Andrea Brimmer: “Well, first of all, I would say, if you can’t tell from just this conversation how impressive Connor is, then you haven’t been listening, right? He’s just extremely well spoken, very thoughtful. I love the fact that he keeps using this phrase, ‘I want to write my own story’, and we love that. We love having partnerships with people that want to sit down with us, just have a blank sheet of paper and saying, what do you want to do? Not just in the sport, but in the world. Those are the things that I really valued with Jimmie and with Alex, all of the good that we did beyond the track. I think Connor has all of the values. He’s got all of the charm. He’s got all the personality. He’s got the intellectual capacity to help us think through that. I’m really excited about those things, and I think he’s perfect for this brand.”
It’s unusual, but it’s not unprecedented to have a driver sign more than a year ahead. Hendrick Motorsports actually has done that before. So I’m wondering, as you guys navigate this, what lessons have you learned or have you seen that have transpired in the past with having a driver race for another team for another season before he joined your team? And are there any ways that you guys are going to be navigating this?
Rick Hendrick: “Well, I’ll go first and let Jeff step in. But we’re looking at the future. Ally is the only sponsor, we mentioned it, that takes the whole car all year. So we had conversations about Connor. And when you have an opportunity for a guy like this, if you have to wait a year, that’s OK. It means so much to be able to have him in the organization in the future. If you have to wait a year, it’s OK. Those opportunities don’t come along. If we waited until next year, he wouldn’t be available, so we’re excited about it.”
Jeff Gordon: “Yeah, I mean, we’ve been in a position before where there was somebody that maybe we were interested in, and the opportunity didn’t present itself on our timing, right? And so in this situation, once we knew that Connor was out looking, we wanted to look at where we were at. We just had these conversations with Alex, but we wanted to make sure he didn’t go somewhere else. Who knows where he would have landed had we not been able to put this together. He’s a guy that is sought after in the garage area, and we knew that we had to jump on that opportunity.
Us as a Chevrolet group, we’re all working closer than we ever have to improve the performance of our Chevrolet’s. So right now, I think there’s so much attention on that. I think we’re supporting what Connor’s doing over at Trackhouse, and they’re supporting us, as well as RCR, as key partners. I’ve never seen the group working closer together before, and that’s really where the focus is and making sure our teams and our performance is at a high level. When 2028 comes along, I hope that we’ve got everything in the right place so we can get Connor to step in and have success right away.”
There had been a rumor a couple months ago that Corey Day could be a candidate to drive the No. 48. Obviously, you guys have been very high on him and his potential. Can you just talk about what your plans for Corey are, and also maybe, what the future of your driver lineup could look like around Connor?
Rick Hendrick: “Well, first of all, Corey Day is a tremendous talent, and our plan is for him to be in our future for a long time. People don’t realize he’s only been on pavement about half a year, so it’s going to be good to watch him grow. We have plans for him that go well beyond the next couple of years, so when the time is right, he’ll move up. But for right now, Corey’s learning. We want to run for the championship in the O’Reilly car next year. We’re excited about him. I love the youth. I love the enthusiasm. I love the energy and the talent.
Jeff Gordon: “Yeah, I would just add that I’m excited to get Connor with our current driver lineup. I think he’s going to fit in very well. I think Rick said it all about Corey and his future. We know there’s a bright future there. But right now, Connor is prepared and ready to step in and be, in my opinion when 2028 comes around, a championship-caliber driver, and we’re going to make sure that he’s got a championship-caliber racecar and team to go along with that. I think he’s going to fit in really well with Chase, William and Kyle. I’m excited when that day comes.”
Rick, I know this maybe hasn’t been the season that you had hoped or kind of expected out of a Hendrick Motorsports season. What has this year been like for you, personally? What is the messaging that you are giving the organization as a motivator?
Rick Hendrick: “No, it has been a disappointing season for us. We’re used to winning a lot more races. We got a new car and we’re working hard. They’re digging in. I think we’re working harder than we’ve ever worked, and we’re seeing the progression. We’re not where we need to be, but our company, when we dig in, we’ve got the talented people and we’ll figure it out. You know, you come off a season that you won a championship, and then, you get a new car and you have to figure it out. You work hard. But what I love about our company is that we don’t point any fingers and we don’t jump on each other. We lock arms and stay together. We’re stronger together, and they’re not going to keep us down forever. I think we’re seeing the growth. We’re getting better. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re never going to surrender.”
With Connor being signed 18 months ahead of when he’s actually going to drive the No. 48, what does the next 18 months look for you guys, as far as it comes to communicating with Connor? Is there any level of additional support that you can give Connor and Trackhouse Racing next year in order to make his transition to the No. 48 more seamless?
Rick Hendrick: “Well, when we met with Justin, we offered to help in any way we could. You know, we’re all one big team with Chevrolet. When we ride together, we all get better. And so, anything we can do as a fellow Chevrolet team, we’ve got the door open to help in any way we can. Again, I think we’ve got a great relationship with Justin. We respect the fact that Connor races for him the rest of this year and next year. It’s our advantage to help Trackhouse do as well as they can, and that’s the true partnership we have within Chevrolet.”
Jeff Gordon: “As I mentioned, working with our fellow Chevy key partners and teammates elevates all of us. Everybody thinks that Hendrick Motorsports is all about the resources, winning races and shining while we’re doing that. I’m going to tell you what, the leadership of Rick right now in our organization has been instrumental. He knows how to keep the glue together. He knows how to read people. He knows how to bring them together and to pull together at the most critical time. So as tough as this year has been, I’m almost more excited of what’s coming because of it and how much stronger we’re going to be. We’ve got work to do. We know it, and our focus is on that, especially within our walls at Hendrick Motorsports and our four teams. Again, like I mentioned, making sure that No. 48 team is ready for Connor, and also, the rest of this year and next year at Trackhouse is getting him prepared, as well.”
Connor, I’ve tracked your career since 2023 when you were identified in the TA2 paddock as someone to watch, and now, you’ve got this opportunity in 2028. What are some of the technical habits you’re looking to bring over from those experiences that you look forward to merging with Hendrick Motorsports in 2028? And for you, Jeff, you’re kind of the trendsetter, the one that set the mold for young drivers to be in a position like this. What does it mean for you to be someone that can mentor Connor, and also, kind of reflect on your journey now in your role?
Connor Zilisch: “You know, for me, I’ve been fortunate to drive so many different cars and series at 20 years old, and I’ve learned a lot of lessons. Certainly, I’ve never had a challenge as tough as the Cup Series. So, you know, just learning as much as I can. Whether it’s this weekend, next weekend or next year, I still have a lot left to learn to become the driver I know I’m capable of and the driver I want to be one day. But that comes with time. I’m patient. I’m hungry. I want to learn and I want to win this weekend, But I know that it’s going to take time. I want to try and speed that process up the best I can.
Obviously, there’s a lot to learn, and certainly, I’m excited for that process. But I have a lot of time between now and 2028. I want to win races with Trackhouse and be successful with the team I have now. So yeah, I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Jeff Gordon: “Yeah, I mean for me, obviously I have experience. It’s been a while since I was that young driver behind the wheel and given the opportunity that Connor’s getting to get behind the wheel of a Hendrick Motorsports racecar. The mentoring that I do today is a lot less about the driving and what happens behind the wheel. The relationship that the drivers have with their crew chief, with their engineers, their fellow drivers and what’s going on in the cars today; it’s all about making sure the right people are in place as a team. So, for me, the mentoring that I want to give Connor is just to make sure he has all the right tools; that he’s in a position to be able to just capitalize on the opportunity. And also, probably more off the track. He’s going to be in great hands with Andrea and her team, as well as our in-house marketing group at Hendrick Motorsports. Every driver has their own personality, has their own journey, and finding it and supporting how that’s going to take place for Connor, that’s kind of where I am at today.”
It seems like, gathering from this interview, that Connor was the main target all along. But with a whole bunch of other drivers that are also up-and-coming talents, who else was considered for this role? Who else did you have your eyes on?
Jeff Gordon: “Well, honestly, everything happened pretty quickly at that time. You know, you go back, I guess somewhere in the spring where we were having conversations with Alex about his future with the No. 48 team. And around that same time is when were made aware of what Connor’s plans were and his availability to go out and search. And so, yeah, it really wasn’t a big, broad search. He’s been at the top of the list, if he was available. Even Rick goes back to seeing him at JRM, the success he was having at that time, and I can remember him saying to me – boy, that guy’s talented, I would love to have him in a Hendrick car one day. We knew that he had a contract at that time, so we weren’t really pursuing it until we found out that 2028 was an opportunity.”
Rick Hendrick: “It was just like Jeff Gordon, when I saw you at Atlanta. I wanted to say, ‘man, it’s a shame he’s got a contract with Ford’, and you’re roommate said ‘he doesn’t. He had a contract with me the next day. I’ve mentioned Conor several times. And that man, he got so much talent. The thing I’ve admired about him is, when you talk to him, how mature he is. I told him this at JRM, I said, one day I’ll get a shot at you. I’m so glad it happened.”
I was curious if you are able to give a timetable to this, but when did conversations begin with bringing Connor Zilisch to the No. 48?
Jeff Gordon: “I don’t remember exactly the dates, but it was around the spring. Connor, you might be able to add to that…”
Connor Zilisch: “Yeah, I mean, it was earlier this year at some point. You know, certainly when I was able to go out and talk to teams, Hendrick Motorsports was obviously one of the teams that was made aware of my situation. They wanted to find out what Alex wanted to do first and respect his decision. That kind of teed the ball up, and from there, we worked and got this deal put together.”
The years of the full-time sponsorships are gone. What keeps ally in the sport full-time?
Andrea Brimmer: “Look, I would say a few things. One, we have an incredible relationship, a broad relationship, with Rick and have for many, many years across a multitude of facets of our business, and that’s extremely important to us. Rick is an incredible partner on every level. We’ve got an incredible amount of respect for him and very, very deeply believe in any endeavor that Rick really puts his energy behind.
Secondly, to be honest with you, the growth of what’s been happening in NASCAR and I’d say the reemergence of these younger drivers and kind of getting back to what I’m calling the rockstar era of NASCAR, is really good for our brand. We’ve seen it really be accretive in terms of the lift in likability, our lifts in awareness, our lifts in sentiment. The fan base is exceptionally loyal.
For instance, we’ve done a program with Alex where he’s referred people to the Ally brand. We’ve had almost over 600 new accounts open just in the short period of time that Alex has been referring people to open an account at Ally. So I think there’s a lot of there from a marketing perspective. And for us, it’s really something that we’re excited with Connor coming in to be able to lean into because he is kind of the epitome of our target market that we’re going after at Ally. I think that he will resonate very well with our customer base.”
Red Bull has been pretty synonymous with Connor so far in the Cup Series. How do you guys envision Red Bull’s relationship with Connor kind of folding into Hendrick Motorsports in the future?
Jeff Gordon: “I mean, we haven’t had those conversations. You know, we have our own brand, Phorm Energy, that is a Hendrick partner. We respect that Connor has been a longtime Red Bull athlete. So, you know, he’ll continue to represent them at Trackhouse. We’ll continue to represent Phorm Energy. We’ve got some time, you know, to see what the future holds. But we’re going to respect those agreements and those organizations simultaneously. Right now, we plan to completely stand behind Phorm Energy. They’ve been a great partner of ours. I have a personal relationship with some of the folks over there. They’ve been a great partner of ours, and we hope that that happens for a long time to come.”
Connor Zilisch: “Red Bull has been an incredible partner for me. Being a Red Bull athlete is one of my favorite jobs that I have. I get to do so many cool things and experience a lot of different things that I never thought I would before. Obviously, there’s a lot of time and we both have our own relationships. So yeah, that’s about all there is to it.”
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