This marks the return of Rookie Seasons, in which Speedway Media looks back at a driver’s rookie years in racing.
This past weekend at Kansas Speedway, we chatted with upcoming NASCAR superstar and Trackhouse Racing driver, Connor Zilisch. During this interview, we talked with him about his career and how he got into racing.
We discussed his journey and how he went down the Trans Am racing path with Nitro Motorsports. And eventually, with Silver Hare Racing, to make his first start in 2021 at Virginia International Raceway. We also discussed his first few starts in the Mazda MX-5 Cup class and how close he was to winning the championship in 2022, memories of his first Daytona start that season, and many more.
SM: Obviously, it’s been mentioned that you are a first-generation driver. How did you discover racing and what was it about racing that made you want to go compete instead of doing other sports?
CZ: “I’ve started racing when I was four and a half years old, and been basically (racing) for as long as I can remember,” Zilisch said. “My dad got me into it when he got me a go-kart for Christmas one year and that kind of started it all. I fell in love with it really quickly.”
SM: Clearly, it’s been stated that without Kevin Harvick, you may not be racing in NASCAR at the current moment. If it wasn’t for Kevin, do you think you would not be in NASCAR right now, and if you weren’t, where do you think you would have eventually wound up? Still in Sports Cars, Trans Am, maybe IndyCar?
CZ: “It’s so hard to tell what would’ve happened,” the Trackhouse Racing driver said. “Obviously, Kevin (Harvick) did a lot for me when I was a teenager racing with Keelan (Harvick) in go-karts and obviously, he saw something in me and wanted to help me. It definitely opened the door to myself to get into this sport and get into this industry. It’s hard saying where I would’ve gone without that.”
SM: Going into the Trans AM direction. Your first start came in 2021 in the TA2 class for Nitro Motorsports at VIR at the age of 15. First, were you ready to start your racing career? And, did you think it would lead you to where you are now?
CZ: “No, I definitely didn’t think (racing in Trans Am) would lead to where I am today,” he said. “When I was 15-years-old doing that, I was just trying to make the most of every opportunity I had. And, I didn’t really know what I was going to do the following year. It’s pretty crazy how things have transpired and where I’ve gotten to today. It’s wild to think, looking back, my first start came five years ago.”
SM: Following up on that, discuss what it was like making your debut at that age, and how you got the opportunity to drive for Nitro Motorsports and eventually, Silver Hare Racing? Was it part of the Chevrolet developmental program? And was it a dream come true for you to start racing in motorsports?
CZ: “Nitro (Motorsports) wasn’t a part of the Chevrolet program,” Zilisch said. “The guy who owns it (Nick Tucker), I raced for his go-kart team and he started that Trans Am team. And he used to work for Kevin (Harvick) on his Cup car, and traveled with him. I had a connection there through him and that first start kind of came through that. Then, the relationship with Silver Hare came from when I was making my name known in the Trans Am world after that.”
SM: At age 15, did you feel like you were ready to race in Trans Am at that time when you were young?
CZ: “Yeah, I felt ready for it,” he said. “I’ve never really thought there was anything I’ve done to this point that I felt like I could do or figure out. I was young at the time, but I was able to figure it out.”
SM: Speaking of which, when you first started, would you have preferred a part-time schedule in ’21 and then a full schedule the year after, or did you like having a full-time schedule right away to help get acquainted with learning the car?
CZ: “I enjoyed doing the full-time schedule and more seat time at that age is better,” Zilisch said. “The more racing I could do, the better.”
SM: Coming into Trans Am, what kind of expectations did you put on yourself? Obviously, race wins and championships are on your mind, but realistically, what were those general expectations and did those ever change throughout time?
CZ: “I wanted to get in there and win races,” he said. “I knew if I wasn’t, I knew I wouldn’t make it to the next level. It took me a little bit of time and my team a little bit of time to get where we needed to be, but we eventually got to that place where we were able to win each and every week, and contend for wins at the racetracks.”
SM: As previously mentioned, your first start came at VIR, where you claimed the pole position with a new track record as a rookie driver. If you can remember, what were the weeks like leading up to your debut? Were you anxious, nervous, or were you ready to go after practice and qualifying? Did you feel as though your previous road course experience helped with some of those potential nerves you might’ve had?
CZ: “I had done a little bit of testing (the weeks before), so I’ve felt pretty comfortable in the car,” Zilisch said. “That was kind of one of my first big races that I was doing and I was definitely nervous leading into it. However, once we got to the track and we practiced, we were really fast in practice and it was a sigh of relief.”
SM: Unfortunately, the race didn’t pan out as you would’ve hoped, finishing 22nd due to an injector failure. Despite that, you were able to lead four laps. Looking back, what in your mind do you think you could’ve done differently to have prevented that, and what was it like leading laps for the first time in a Trans Am car? I’m sure it had to be surreal for you.
CZ: “It was really cool to have been able to qualify on the pole and lead the first bit of the race,” the 19-year-old said. “Yeah, unfortunately, it was bad luck and there’s nothing nobody could’ve done.”
SM: VIR would be the only start that year in TA2 before ’22 and ’23. At the same time, you started racing in IMSA, primarily the Mazda MX-5 Cup Series, toward the end of the year at the season-ending race, Road Atlanta. Was that to help you gain more experience and fill out your schedule? How different was it going back and forth with the MX-5 cars and the Trans Am cars, knowing you would be doing that a lot in ’22? Did you think it helped your race craft at all?
CZ: “No, I didn’t,” Zilisch said regarding going back and forth between Trans Am and Mazda MX-5 Cup. “It was what I was used to at that point in my career, driving a bunch of different cars in different series. Just more seat time was valuable for me at that age.”
SM: Based on your performance at VIR, you were able to get invited by the Silver Hare Racing team the following season. Before we talk about that, was VIR your only slated start in Trans Am, and how much of a weight was lifted off your shoulders to get a full-time season in both TA2 and Mazda?
CZ: “It was good to have something I could rely on and be able to race a full-time schedule, at least very close to it with Silver Hare, and they gave me a great opportunity,” he said. “I knew I had to go and make the most of it.”
SM: Having a full-time schedule can definitely change your perspective on your expectations. Did those change in ’22, and did you find it difficult to manage those expectations as you were competing in two different series at the same time?
CZ: Yes, it (expectations changed) did,” Zilisch said. “I felt like we had a great opportunity to go out and race for wins. Everybody at Silver Hare Racing wanted to and was putting in the effort to do so. It definitely motivated me to go out and do it. Obviously, it took us a little bit of time to get where we needed to be.”
SM: Speaking of which, your first overall Daytona start came in that season with the Mazda Series with Hixon Motor Sports. What do you remember about your first Daytona experience? Being in the garage area, on pit road, pace laps before the green, etc., was it all surreal for you?
CZ: “I grew up racing at the go-kart track there, so I had been there a bunch,” he said. “It’s always pretty incredible driving under the tunnel and getting into Daytona, seeing the entire place. It’s definitely one of the more historic tracks we go to on the NASCAR schedule. But being there on the Rolex 24 weekend was really cool. It was kind of one of my first times being at an event that big, participating.”
SM: Going back to Trans Am, a little bit, you somewhat had a rough season starting out before you managed to have better finishes toward the end of the year. Was there ever a learning curve or an adjustment with the car and did you ever get comfortable with it by season’s end, especially going back and forth between the two series?
CZ: “I felt pretty comfortable in both of them right away,” Zilisch said. “It was just a matter of getting the car where I needed it to be and go out and contend for (race wins). I feel like I did a pretty good job of getting comfortable, but I had to work on my feedback and making sure I was portraying the right message to my crew chief.”
SM: Despite not having a great season in the TA2 class, you were setting the world on fire in the MX-5 Cup, where you eventually got your first career win at Road America. Looking back, what does that first win still mean to you, and have you ever had a chance to rewatch it?
CZ: “I haven’t watched it (the win) back, but it was definitely a breakthrough day for me,” the Trackhouse Racing driver said. “I ended up winning both races (MX-5 Cup) that weekend. Confidence is a big thing in racing and I felt like that gave me a big confidence boost to go out and prove to myself that I could do it.”
SM: Following up on that question, you seemed to have quickly started out better in the Mazda cars vs the Trans Am cars. Why do you think that was? Was it the cars or the tracks that suited you better?
CZ: “I think it was just the cars,” Zilisch said. “The cars in MX-5 Cup are a lot more similar throughout the field. In Trans Am, there’s a lot more variety and things you could do to the racecars to make them different. It just took us a little bit of time to get where we needed to be and be able to compete for wins.”
SM: Reflecting on your early career, you had three top-fives and five top-10 finishes in TA2, while you had four wins and finished second in the championship in MX-5 Cup. Were you satisfied with what you were able to accomplish in your rookie year, or do you think you could’ve done more, especially since you were close to winning the MX-5 Cup Championship in ’22?
CZ: “Yeah, it was tough losing that championship (MX-5 Cup), it was really close,” he said. “The one position in the last race cost us the championship, and that was definitely upsetting. It was a year of growth for me and learning. I was able to get some in the MX-5 Cup and prove to people that I’m able to do it. We came back the next year and had more success.”
SM: 2023 was a much better season for you in TA2, where you accumulated five victories with your first win coming at Road Atlanta and finishing fourth in the championship. What do you remember about that victory, and what was it about the ’23 season that went so much better for you? Do you think you could’ve won the Trans Am championship that season?
CZ: “We clicked as a team,” Zilisch said. “It took a little bit of time for us to get where we needed to be as a team, but once it clicked, we really started to fire on all cylinders and clicking off those wins. It was cool finally being able to get that chemistry together.”
SM: Do you think winning in Trans AM at Road Atlanta was life-changing?
CZ: “I didn’t think it was life (winning at Road Atlanta) changing,” he said. “I just remember that win a lot and having a great memory of being with that entire team and the excitement from everybody. I wouldn’t say it was life-changing.”
SM: During this time period, you were racing some historic tracks for the first time, like Road America, Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta, etc. What were your impressions about those tracks as you raced on them for the first time?
CZ: “I always loved going to all those tracks,” Zilisch said. “Road America was probably my favorite, and so was Road Atlanta as well. I loved going to those historic sports car tracks that are all around our country.”
SM: As of this writing, you have seven wins in Trans Am, eight in Mazda MX-5 Cup, two wins in IMSA, four victories in ARCA East, five in ARCA National, 12 in the O’Reilly Series, one in CARS Tour, and many more. What do you think is your favorite victory out of each touring division and which trophy is the one that means the most to you?
CZ: “I would say the Rolex watch that I won at the Daytona 24 hours (2024, LMP2 victory) would be my favorite trophy that I have,” he said. “It’s hard to beat a watch like that. I would say my most memorable win would be my first NASCAR win (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2024 at Watkins Glen), when I won in my debut at the time. That victory meant a lot to me, but the Rolex 24 is my favorite as well.”
SM: Some racers have a memorabilia collection and some don’t. Are you a driver that collects your own merchandise and if so, what do you have in your collection that reminds you of your racing career?
CZ: “I have a lot of suits from my younger days,” Zilisch said. “I had a lot of helmets when I was a kid racing karts and I definitely try to keep all of that stuff, and I’ll sort through it later when I figure out what I want to keep and not keep. I try to keep anything that symbolizes a big moment in my career, a suit I wore in a big race. Those things are pretty valuable to me and something I try to collect.”
SM: What is one memory that you will always remember or a learning lesson that you had and that you will apply many years later in your NASCAR career?
CZ: “I would say a memory I will remember is winning my first race, that was pretty incredible,” he said. “I put in a lot of work to prepare for myself for that race, being ready when we went to Watkins Glen. To win my first race, I was one of only seven people to do it in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. That one was definitely special and will stick with me forever.”
SM: Following up on the Trans Am questions. Do you ever see yourself going back racing in that series in some one-offs, here and there, in the future?
CZ: “It’s so hard right now with me racing in the Cup Series every weekend,” Zilisch said. “I don’t really have time at the moment, but I always try to check in on all my old teams and the people who helped me. It would just be hard to get back out there and do a race, since we race every weekend ourselves.”
SM: Wrapping this interview up – Your first start came five years ago. Fast forward to 10 years from now, in 2036. You will be 30-years-old. What do you hope a 30-year-old Connor Zilisch tells a younger version of himself? Is there anything you would do differently?
CZ: “I wouldn’t change anything. He continued, saying, “I felt like I had to work really hard to get where I am today. I made it to the top quickly and find myself at the Cup Series at a young age. I would think 10 years from now, I would tell myself to enjoy it, have fun, and don’t let the moment become too big. Never let the pressure outweigh the enjoyment of the memories I am making.”
So far in Zilisch’s career, the young 19-year-old has:
5 Five career ARCA Menards Series National wins
4 ARCA East wins
1 ARCA West win
2 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series Championships class wins in the LMP2 competition
1 CARS Tour Late Model Stock and CARS Tour Pro Late Model win
7 Trans Am wins
8 Mazda MX-5 Cup wins.
Special thanks to Trackhouse Racing’s Jimmy White for coordinating this interview onsite and many thanks to Connor Zilisch for taking the time out of his busy race weekend schedule to conduct the interview.
