DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — At age 19, Connor Zilisch has done a lot of winning in his racing career. But Sunday the Trackhouse Racing rookie will make his first start in The Great American Race at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
Zilisch’s Daytona 500 debut comes four years after he saw his first race at the 2.5-mile superspeedway from the grandstands.
“Yeah, it’s really full circle for me. I think looking back at it, I first came to this race as a fan in 2022. I sat in the grandstands,” Zilisch explained. “I didn’t even know enough people to get a pit pass. I think it just shows how quickly life can change. You know, you never know what’s going to happen. It’s just crazy how things in life can happen. You just have to give it your all every day; don’t give up. I think it shows that anything’s possible.”
Zilisch, who will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet, hopes to enjoy his first Daytona 500 experience no matter what the result.
“I’m so excited. I think the biggest thing for me coming into this weekend is just try and make the most of the weekend, obviously, and do everything I can on the track,” Zilisch said. “But more importantly, just enjoy the experience and have fun no matter what happens.
“There’s a lot of things that can happen out of your control here. And I think for me, I’m just most excited to enjoy it all, whether it’s media day today. Usually I dread these things, but I came in with a positive mindset today that I’m going to have fun and I’m going to enjoy it, and I think that goes for the entire weekend.”
Having won 11 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races last season, a lot of eyes will be on Zilisch this season.
“I appreciate the excitement. You know, I think it’s really cool that there’s a lot of people excited to watch how I’m going to do this season, whether it’s fans or media,” Zilisch said. “I do think it sometimes gets a little outlandish… a lot of people maybe expecting a lot of me in my first year. I don’t think people realize how big of a jump it is from Saturday to Sunday. But I try not to pay too much attention to it. I know what my personal goals are throughout the year. I know what I want to accomplish and my long-term goals. I find it cool most mostly.”
Zilisch has won in multiple types of sports cars and stock cars and has always adapted to a new series very quickly.
“I think it’s just adaptability. Growing up, I raced so many different kinds of cars and got to do so many different races,” he said. “I just experienced a lot at a young age, and I was forced to challenge myself. I learned to be comfortable being uncomfortable, and I think that’s kind of why I never feel like I’m going into a new thing. I never get stressed. I always say, man, I’ve been in these shoes before and I’m going to go out and figure it out.”
Zilisch would be the youngest Daytona 500 winner in history (eclipsing Trevor Bayne) if he were to win the 68th running of The Great American Race.