“I want to try and become the youngest Cup Series winner, and to do that, I have to race as soon as possible and get it in before I turn 19 [years old].” Connor Zilisch’s ambitions in the sport were clear right from his first race. It was a moment no fan can forget. A rookie making his debut in the Xfinity Series that too at one of the most difficult tracks in the Series, the Glen. Then drama of two overtimes and Zilisch eventually overcoming it all. Not much time has passed since that moment of glory, but the 18-year-old racer is already planning for retirement. He casually dropped a Carl Edwards comparison into a discussion about his eventual departure from the sport—decades before that day will arrive.
While the NASCAR world speculates on his potential, Zilisch is already entertaining thoughts about how he’d like to leave the sport one day. When asked about his hypothetical retirement story, Zilisch first praised Kevin Harvick’s farewell tour. “Man, I feel like Harvick’s entire year of retirement was so cool. The tracks doing special paint on the walls for him, the 36 different steering wheels he used and gave to people—it was all just such a great way to go out,” he reflected, appreciating the celebration of a decorated career.
But then came the bombshell, with a tone as confident as a young person’s he revealed his retirement plans to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. “Going out as a hero would be so cool. You want to be a legend in the sport, like Jimmie (Johnson) or Richard Petty. That’s everyone’s goal. But at the same time, I want to be humble about it. I don’t want to go out and make it a big deal I’m leaving. But for the guys like Kevin who have had successful careers, it’s really cool to make a whole year about them. Or I could do a Carl Edwards and say “See you guys!” But I do want to become a legend in the sport and a hero, and if I could do that, it would be really cool.“
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The quick reference to Edwards’ unexpected 2017 retirement was surprising coming from someone just beginning their Cup journey. The 28-time Cup Series race winner brought the NASCAR community together at a press conference early on in 2017 and dropped the retirement surprise right before the 2017 season started. The decision was an even bigger surprise considering Edwards was right in the middle of his prime, going against Jimmie Johnson for the title in 2016. Perhaps it was the 2016 title race, an event that still brings tears to Carl Edwards fans, is what the real reason could be. Logano’s crash with Cousin Carl jeopardized the latter’s only chance to win a championship. And while Zilisch aims to emulate dropping out of the sport as nonchalantly as Edwards, he wouldn’t want to leave NASCAR without a title.
These ambitious goals of Connor Zilisch’s display the same devotion as NASCAR’s legendary figures, trying to match drivers like Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty. Both figures remain highly revered in the community and have left their mark on the sport-Johnson with his consecutive Cup Series title wins and Richard Petty with over 200 race wins in addition to seven titles. Zilisch knows he can be one of the best.
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Zilisch’s mentor, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently shared his take on the young NASCAR sensation as the future JR Motorsports driver became a topic of discussion on the Dale Junior Download podcast show. Earnhardt Jr. pointed to the big question surrounding the young NASCAR driver – how good is he? Jr. emphasized that the young man has some “very, very smart, sharp incredible talents” at road courses and what he did with lap times at Watkins Glen was “very rare” and “generational.”
Zilisch never imagined NASCAR, but now he’s ready to win.
Despite the ambitious fire in his eyes, the aspect that impresses the most about Zilisch is his quiet humility. “I don’t want to go out and make it a big deal I’m leaving,” he admitted, demonstrating a balance between his self-awareness and championship dreams. “I hope to one day become a champion in this series. I want to race in the Cup, be super successful and win championships.”
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That measured perspective likely stems from Zilisch’s unconventional path to NASCAR’s premier series. Unlike many of his peers, his journey didn’t begin on short tracks or dirt ovals. Instead, his racing roots are firmly planted in road courses. “I never thought I was going to race in NASCAR. I grew up racing on road courses, travelled the world racing go-karts,” he revealed. “If you’d asked me as a kid, NASCAR would have been my last guess.”
Now, as he prepares for the Cup Series debut, Zilisch faces both enthusiasm and practicality. He recognizes that mastering the competition at the Cup Series level demands a distinct strategy since “wearing out the field is different in this category.” The long-term goal of establishing a place among NASCAR legends remains clear to Zilisch even though he now faces the televisual competitors of his childhood.