Connor Zilisch has earned big-time hype … will he live up to it?
Connor Zilisch’s NASCAR Hall of Fame induction is scheduled for … oh wait, he hasn’t been voted in yet.
That’s sarcasm for people who think there has been too much fawning over Zilisch, who won the pole for his first truck race earlier this year at COTA and then won the pole and won the race in his Xfinity debut Saturday at Watkins Glen.
Zilisch, who just turned 18 in July — so he has not had much experience on the big ovals where NASCAR enforces a minimum age requirement of 18, has enjoyed a lot of hype. And for good reason.
Talk to the people who work with him, and they call him a generational talent, often comparing him to Kyle Larson.
Talk to the people who work with him, and they are amazed with his ability on road courses. He showed everyone just what he could do at COTA and The Glen. He was able to rally after an early mistake at COTA and then at The Glen, he saved gas better than his competition, in addition to appearing to not struggle at all.
Now the big question is ovals for the driver who was signed earlier this year by Trackhouse and will drive full-time for JR Motorsports in Xfinity next year. He has won four oval races in ARCA (Dover, Iowa, IRP and Michigan) but the bigger tests will be trucks and Xfinity. He has upcoming truck races at Bristol, Talladega, Homestead and Martinsville (he drove a truck at Richmond and crashed) and Xfinity races at Kansas, Homestead and Phoenix this year.
Zilisch tried to temper expectations on ovals after his victory Saturday night.
“I don’t really set any expectations on myself,” Zilisch said. “I have three [Xfinity] races. No pressure. … I just want to go out and run all the laps at three race tracks that are a lot different and unique.”
He said he just wants to be ready for the playoffs in Xfinity next year.
“It’s going to be cool to experience those [tracks] and run those laps,” Zilisch said. “I’ve got to be ready for Daytona come next year. It’s not going to be easy.”
Carrying himself with a mix of swagger and humility and not appearing too stressed at the track — both inside the car and socially — has impressed those who interact with him. He appears to put in the work needed and dedicated to his craft but not in such an intense way where it appears he is destined for either burnout or over-analysis.
While there’s a chance he gets to the high-speed ovals and doesn’t figure it out, the fact he won the Rolex 24 in a high-speed LMP2 car shows he can handle the high speeds as well.
Everything is pointing toward a successful career for Zilisch. That being said, there’s no telling how he will handle the pressure, the ups and downs of Cup racing, any injuries he suffers and how the cars evolve over the next couple of decades.
Hopefully, he can enjoy the ride whether he meets all the expectations or not. And hopefully the fans will, too.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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