Connor Zilisch Bio
Connor Jackson Zilisch (born July 22, 2006) is an American professional racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, and part-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports. He is widely regarded as one of the most promising young talents in American motorsports.
After an early career in karts, Zilisch began racing sports cars in 2021 and added stock cars to his program the following year. He broke onto the racing scene in 2024, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 class in his first attempts, and won in his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Watkins Glen International. In 2025, he captured ten Xfinity Series wins and the Rookie of the Year award.
Early Life and Background
Connor Jackson Zilisch was born on July 22, 2006, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He started competing in go-karts at the age of five in 2011 and spent ten years racing karts before moving up to cars in 2021. His early karting was based primarily in the United States until 2017, when he won the Mini Rok World Championship in South Garda, Italy, competing against more than 160 drivers from 33 countries.
Zilisch returned to Europe in 2018 to race primarily in the FIA OKJ class, making the A final in the OKJ World Championship in both 2019 and 2020. In 2020, he became the first American to win the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, a three-race series in which competitors from around the world race on identical equipment.
Zilisch’s mother, Janice Kerr, was a gymnast on the Canadian women’s national artistic gymnastics team and a member of the 1983 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships tenth-place team. She was the NCAA Southeast Region all-around champion in 1987 and 1988, and was named the Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1990.
Path to NASCAR
Zilisch began racing cars in early 2021 with the Sports Car Club of America in the Spec Miata class, setting three track records and reaching the podium multiple times. At the SCCA Run-offs in Indianapolis, he finished third out of roughly ninety cars in the Spec Miata class and was named the SCCA Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year. He also won the $110,000 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout scholarship in late 2021, funding his participation in the series in 2022.
In 2022, Zilisch recorded four wins in the Mazda MX-5 Cup series and was named the Mazda MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year. He also began racing late-model cars to prepare for a potential path to NASCAR, scoring two Late Model Stock Car wins at Hickory Motor Speedway. He made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2023 at Watkins Glen and ran select events across the CARS Pro Late Model Tour, the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour, and the Trans-Am TA2 Series with Silver Hare Racing.
On January 11, 2024, Zilisch signed a multi-year contract with Trackhouse Racing as a developmental driver, with a program covering races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, the CARS Tour, Trans-Am, and IMSA.
Connor Zilisch Career
Early Career (2021–2023)
Zilisch’s first car racing came in 2021 in Spec Miata, where his strong results earned him the SCCA Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year award. He followed that with four Mazda MX-5 Cup wins in 2022 and a runner-up championship finish, missing the $250,000 prize by one position due to a post-race penalty applied to another competitor. He earned the Mazda MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year award for 2022.
In June 2022, he made his Pro Late Model debut with Setzer Racing and Development at Orange County Speedway, winning the pole and leading every lap for his first career victory. For 2023, he ran part-time across the CARS Pro Late Model Tour, the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour, and the Trans-Am TA2 Series, while also making his ARCA Menards Series debut with Pinnacle Racing Group at Watkins Glen.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2024)
Zilisch returned to Pinnacle Racing Group in 2024 for a full ARCA Menards Series East campaign. After a difficult opening event at Five Flags Speedway, he took the lead in the final 42 laps at Dover Motor Speedway to score his first career win in both the main and East Series. He then strung together a dominant run, winning at Flat Rock Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Michigan, building a four-race ARCA winning streak.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2024–2025)
On March 12, 2024, Zilisch was announced for a four-race Xfinity Series slate with JR Motorsports in the No. 88 car. At Watkins Glen, he won the pole, led the most laps, and saved enough fuel through two overtime restarts to win in his Xfinity Series debut, becoming the first driver in over three years to win his Xfinity debut. On August 7, 2024, JR Motorsports announced that Zilisch would drive the No. 88 car full-time in 2025.
Zilisch opened 2025 with a win at Circuit of the Americas and added a second victory at Pocono, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. served as substitute crew chief. He won three consecutive races at Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis, with the Indianapolis victory giving JR Motorsports their 100th career series win. After a broken collarbone suffered during a victory lane fall at Watkins Glen, he returned to win at Portland and at Gateway, clinching the Regular Season Championship. He added a playoff win at the Charlotte Roval and advanced to the Championship 4, where he finished third in the finale at Phoenix Raceway and earned NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honors for 2025.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2024–2025)
Zilisch made his Truck Series debut in 2024 with Spire Motorsports in the No. 7 truck at Circuit of the Americas, qualifying on pole in his first start and finishing fourth. Spire added three more races to his schedule at Richmond, Bristol, and Martinsville. In 2025, he drove the No. 7 truck for Spire Motorsports at the Charlotte Roval and also ran a Watkins Glen race for Niece Motorsports.
NASCAR Cup Series Debut (2025–Present)
On January 23, 2025, Zilisch was announced for his Cup Series debut at Circuit of the Americas in the No. 87 for Trackhouse Racing with Red Bull sponsorship. He recorded an eleventh-place finish at Atlanta, his best Cup result, before a Watkins Glen entry was withdrawn following an injury. On August 23, 2025, Trackhouse announced that Zilisch had signed a multi-year contract to drive for the team beginning in 2026, and on November 7, 2025, it was revealed he would run the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 full-time, with teammate Shane van Gisbergen in the No. 97.
Driving Style and Strengths
Zilisch has shown particular strength on road courses and superspeedways, where his karting background and precise race craft have translated into immediate results. His partnership with JR Motorsports and crew chief Mardy Lindley produced a record-breaking stretch of eighteen consecutive top-five Xfinity finishes in 2025, and he has been widely praised for his calm approach under pressure and fuel-saving skills, most notably during his Xfinity debut at Watkins Glen.
Notable Races and Milestones
Zilisch’s 2024 victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 class, both in his first attempts, stand as early career-defining moments. In the Xfinity Series, his debut win at Watkins Glen, the JR Motorsports 100th career series win at Indianapolis, the Regular Season Championship, and a Championship 4 appearance at Phoenix have defined his breakout stock car season. On December 12, 2024, it was announced he would drive a Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the GTD Pro class at the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona with Shane van Gisbergen, Ben Keating, and Scott McLaughlin.
Connor Zilisch Career Wins
Connor Zilisch has built a versatile résumé that spans karting, sports cars, late models, and NASCAR’s national series. His 2024 season alone produced major endurance wins at Daytona and Sebring, an Xfinity Series debut victory at Watkins Glen, and an ARCA Menards Series East championship-level winning streak. In 2025, he added ten NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and the series Rookie of the Year award.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Zilisch’s first Xfinity Series win came in his debut at Watkins Glen International in September 2024, leading the most laps and mastering two overtime restarts. In 2025, he won ten races across Circuit of the Americas, Pocono, Sonoma, Dover, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Portland, Gateway, and the Charlotte Roval, plus the season finale finish at Phoenix. He finished second in the 2025 Xfinity Series championship standings after a Championship 4 appearance at Phoenix Raceway.
Other Wins and Performances
Zilisch captured the 2020 CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout scholarship, and the 2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year award. He also recorded four Mazda MX-5 Cup wins in 2022, the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona in the LMP2 class, and the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring in the LMP2 class. In 2024, he won four consecutive ARCA Menards Series East events at Flat Rock, Iowa, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Michigan.
Connor Zilisch Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Zilisch’s mother, Janice Kerr, is a former Canadian national team artistic gymnast and two-time NCAA Southeast Region all-around champion, providing an athletic foundation that supported Connor’s early motorsport ambitions. He is also a driver coach to younger karting drivers, sharing the experience he gained during a decade of international kart competition.
Personal Life
Outside of racing, Zilisch is a client of driver management and runs a YouTube channel called Shake N Bake Sports with fellow NASCAR drivers Jesse Love and Daniel Dye. He has been announced as a client of KHI Management in 2021, but subsequently parted ways with the company in early 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Connor Zilisch’s 2025 campaign was headlined by a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series ride with JR Motorsports in the No. 88 car. He opened the year with a win at Circuit of the Americas, suffered a hard late-race crash at Talladega while leading, and rebounded with back-to-back second place finishes at Charlotte and Nashville. He won at Pocono with Dale Earnhardt Jr. serving as substitute crew chief, then strung together three consecutive victories at Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis, the latter marking JR Motorsports’ 100th career Xfinity Series win.
After a broken collarbone sustained during a victory lane fall at Watkins Glen, Zilisch returned to win at Portland and at Gateway, clinching the Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship. In the playoffs, he added a victory at the Charlotte Roval and advanced to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished third in the finale and was named NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year. He also made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Circuit of the Americas in the No. 87 for Trackhouse Racing with Red Bull sponsorship, posted an eleventh-place Cup finish at Atlanta, and was confirmed in August 2025 as a multi-year Trackhouse Racing driver for 2026 in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Looking ahead, Zilisch is scheduled to drive a Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the GTD Pro class at the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona with Shane van Gisbergen, Ben Keating, and Scott McLaughlin in a Trackhouse Racing and TF Sport partnership. He is also expected to run a part-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series slate in 2026 with JR Motorsports in the No. 1 car.