A young race car driver named Connor Zilisch is set to make his big debut in the national series this weekend at the Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas.
Born and raised in Charlotte, Connor’s racing journey started with go-karting before he even began school. Despite living in a city known for NASCAR, he never thought about joining the sport until he became teammates with Keelan Harvick in Europe in 2021.
Keelan’s dad, NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, encouraged Connor to try stock car racing. Kevin helped Connor get his first race in a stock car when he was 15, which kickstarted his transition into stock car racing.
Now, Connor, at 17, is making his NASCAR debut with Spire Motorsports in a truck on the road course in Austin, Texas. He’s also set to race in other series like the CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans-Am, IMSA, and more.
Even though he’s had success in other racing events, this will be his first time competing in NASCAR. He’s excited but knows it’ll be challenging, especially since he’s never raced in a truck before.
After his NASCAR debut, he’s heading straight to Pensacola for an ARCA East championship race. It’ll be tough since he hasn’t practiced or qualified at the Pensacola track before, but he trusts his team to support him.
Connor’s motto for the busy racing season ahead is simple: “I’ve just got to show up and learn quickly.”
