Connor Zilisch learns ‘patience’ is key to success in Cup Series

After kicking off his 2026 NASCAR Cup Series rookie campaign with two finishes of 30th or worse at Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta's EchoPark Speedway, Trackhouse Racing's Connor Zilisch is looking for a reset on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). On Lap 85 of the 68th Daytona 500, the 19-year-old driver was involved in a multicar wreck in Stage 2 after battling toward the front of the pack. The damage suffered by his No. 88 Chevrolet led to a 33rd-place finish in his first time competing in the "Great American Race." A week later at EchoPark, Zilisch got swept up in a Lap 223 pileup on the frontstretch, ignited by contact between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin that ultimately ended his race in 30th. Entering Sunday's road-course race in Texas, Zilisch remains optimistic about recovering from a slow start after placing 36th in the Cup Series standings after two races. RELATED: Connor Zilisch driver page | COTA weekend schedule "I think it's hard to deny the fact that these past two weekends haven't quite been what we wanted them to be," Zilisch said during a media teleconference. "That's kind of just the nature of superspeedway racing. Sometimes you'll get on the good end of it. Other times, you're the bug. Hopefully, we can turn that around this weekend. We're going to a great track for me in COTA." With road-course racing among his greatest strengths as a driver, Zilisch understands the importance of having a good points day in Texas after scoring minimal points at unpredictable, drafting-style tracks in the previous two races. However, he feels confident that Trackhouse's road-course program will give him the best opportunity to net a sound result. Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain, Zilisch's teammates, have combined for seven Cup Series wins on road courses for the Justin Marks-owned organization. With three drivers capable of getting the job done on road courses, Trackhouse will enter the COTA race weekend as the favorites to go to Victory Lane. One year ago, Zilisch made his Cup Series debut at COTA and left a good first impression until his race ended when he collided with then-teammate Daniel Suárez in Turn 19. Since finishing 37th on debut, Zilisch has grown a lot as a driver, putting together a special season in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series last year with 11 wins and a runner-up finish in the final standings. "I feel like that entire weekend gave me a lot of confidence," Zilisch said about his 2025 COTA Cup start. "I drove from 38th to 14th, I think, in Stage 2 and was one of the fastest cars on track and was able to pass and maneuver and get through traffic. That's definitely confidence-inspiring. Obviously, it takes a lot to win these races and compete at the very front and race against guys like SVG at the road courses. I've done it before in the (O'Reilly Auto Parts) Series ... I feel like it's definitely capable now that I'm a full-time driver at Trackhouse. We got a really good road-course program, and there's definitely a lot of confidence going into this weekend." MORE: Zilisch crashes with Suárez in Cup debut at COTA Now, a full-time driver in the Cup Series, Zilisch is learning the differences between racing on Saturdays and Sundays at the premier level. Cup races have a longer schedule, the competition is tougher, more preparation work is required and the race lengths are longer compared to what the 19-year-old is used to from last year's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series competition. As one of NASCAR's most talented young prospects in years, Zilisch believes that he has identified the one skill that will help him take the next step in the Cup Series. "The biggest one is patience," Zilisch said. "I started out last year being very eager to pass and make aggressive moves early in the race. I think a lot has changed since then. I've learned a lot about how long these races really are and how much time you have. So, I would say that the biggest thing that I've learned and kind of applied to my own craft is just patience and knowing when to be aggressive and when not to."