Hendrick Motorsports signs Connor Zilisch to multiyear deal starting in 2028

Hendrick Motorsports signed Connor Zilisch to a multiyear contract beginning in 2028 to drive the team’s iconic No. 48 Chevrolet with continued sponsorship from Ally, the team announced Monday. Zilisch, 20, is in the midst of his rookie campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. Alex Bowman, current driver of Hendrick’s No. 48 car, announced last month that he will step away from full-time competition following the 2027 season. RELATED: Connor Zilisch driver page | Hendrick Motorsports team page A 10-time winner in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2025, Zilisch has long been touted as a rising phenom in his journey to stock-car racing’s top level. Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks signed Zilisch to a multiyear driver-development contract in January 2024 when Zilisch was just 17 years old with an extensive background in karting and road-course racing. Despite a challenging start to his Cup career, Zilisch has maintained extensive demand throughout the NASCAR Cup Series garage as a can’t-miss prospect. Hendrick Motorsports was long atop the list of potential suitors eager to pounce if Zilisch became available. With that opportunity at hand, Hendrick wasted no time in signing the next driver of the team’s future. “Connor is a truly gifted young racer,” Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, said in a team release. “His talent behind the wheel is exceptional, but I’m even more impressed by the person he is. When someone with that kind of ability and character becomes available, you do everything you can to bring them into your organization. We have tremendous confidence in Connor, and we believe he’s the right driver to build on the legacy of the No. 48 Ally team for many years to come.” In a July interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Marks stated Zilisch is “probably coveted for everybody” and emphasized Zilisch’s commitment to Trackhouse and vice versa through the end of 2027. With Bowman set to depart after a one-year contract extension for 2027, Hendrick Motorsports had a rare opportunity to fill with its first full-time driver change needed since Kyle Larson joined the team in 2021 after seven-time champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson stepped into retirement. WATCH: Zilisch stars in RISING Season 2 Hendrick Motorsports president and general manager Jeff Andrews said during Bowman’s announcement that the Hendrick team would soon begin its process of “looking for someone for the right fit, not only from a performance standpoint, but for our company and our culture.” Zilisch appears to fit the bill, both with his impressive resume and a reputation respected throughout the garage for his off-track demeanor and maturity. “This is one of those moments you dream about as a kid,” Zilisch said. “Hendrick Motorsports has always represented the standard in our sport, and being entrusted to help continue that legacy means everything to me. The chance to drive a Chevrolet for Mr. Hendrick, carry the colors of an incredible partner like Ally and compete alongside some of the best drivers and people in racing is what you work so hard for. I’m grateful for the confidence they’ve shown in me, and it’s my job to prove they made the right decision.” Zilisch’s youth also offers a long runway, something that has become a staple of being a driver at Hendrick Motorsports. Its current lineup features 2020 champion Chase Elliott, in his 11th year in Cup, all with Hendrick; two-time and defending series champ Larson, competing in his sixth season with Hendrick; Bowman in his ninth year with the organization full time; and William Byron in his ninth year at Hendrick after qualifying for the Championship 4 in each of the past three seasons. Hall of Famers Johnson and four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon each competed for Hendrick Motorsports for at least 19 seasons while two-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove for Hendrick for 10 years. Zilisch’s talent was evident from the jump. The same month his contract with Trackhouse Racing was announced in 2024, Zilisch won the LMP2 class of the 24 Hours of Daytona in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, a historic victory on one of sports-car racing’s grandest stages. In March 2024, he continued to impress by earning pole position in his Craftsman Truck Series debut that season at Circuit of The Americas, finishing fourth, then winning the pole at the Bristol Motor Speedway short track later that summer. Those accolades accompanied a stretch in the ARCA Menards Series where Zilisch won five of his first six starts, including four in a row, at Dover Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Watkins Glen International. MORE: Catch up on Silly Season updates That same weekend at Watkins Glen was the site of Zilisch’s debut in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, where he immediately surged to the pole position and win. Last year marked the first full-time campaign across NASCAR’s three national series for Zilisch, soaring to a series-best 10 victories, 20 top fives, 23 top 10s, eight pole positions and an 8.0 average finish en route to a runner-up result in the championship battle. The Cup Series has proved to be Zilisch’s biggest challenge yet as he continues to adapt to the series’ Next Gen car, registering eight DNFs through 24 starts and sitting 34th in points. There have been glimmers of progress, though, including a seventh-place finish in June at Sonoma Raceway and an 11th-place showing on Aug. 9 at Iowa. Zilisch will remain with Trackhouse Racing as driver of its No. 88 Chevrolet through the 2027 season before joining Hendrick Motorsports for the 2028 campaign.