Connor Zilisch "Not Satisfied" After Multiple Rallies At COTA

Connor Zilisch admits he isn't satisfied with his 14th-place finish at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, but after rallying from two spins, the 19-year-old says he feels he proved he can compete in NASCAR's top series.

Despite being spun twice in Sunday's DuraMax Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, Connor Zilisch rallied back to finish 14th. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

It feels like a near certainty that Connor Zilisch is a future NASCAR Cup Series champion. At just 19 years old, the driver races with the moxy of a grizzled veteran, especially at road courses, which are his bread and butter. Sunday, at Circuit of the Americas, Zilisch showed that his impeccable road racing skills translate to the NASCAR Cup Series in a 14th-place finish.

Sure, on the surface, a 14th-place finish for a renowned road racer like Zilisch doesn't sound like anything to write home about, however, when you add in the context of the Trackhouse Racing driver rallying back from being spun by others in Turn 1 on restarts twice in the event, including the final restart of the day, a top-15 was quite an achievement.

After starting from the 25th position, Zilisch found himself in the seventh position to start the second Stage of the DuraMax Texas Grand Prix. But that's when he encountered his first issue of the day, as he was sent spinning in the opening turn following the restart by Daniel Suarez, the man that Zilisch replaced at Trackhouse Racing.

Stage 2 escalated quickly 👀

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— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 1, 2026

"You know, Suarez was right behind me, just looked like he squared up and hit me," Zilisch said of the incident in a media scrum after the race.

Zilisch would regroup, and after spending the remainder of the event methodically working his way back up the running order, the Rookie of the Year contender, incredibly, found himself in the fourth position on the final restart of the day with 16 laps remaining.

The driver of the No. 88 Red Bull Chevrolet entered Turn 1 in an ultra-high line, which should have kept him safe from contact from the driver to his inside. Unfortunately, a wad of drivers forced a four-wide situation beside him, and as William Byron skidded off the rear, which sent him colliding into Austin Cindric. Cindric would pile into Zane Smith, and Smith would make hard contact with the left-rear quarterpanel of Zilisch's car.

The incident cut down tires for Smith and Cindric, which would completely derail what had been solid runs to that point, and while Zilisch would once again find himself in the rear of the field, his tires held together, which allowed Zilisch, now relegated to the 33rd position, the chance to once again put on his rally cap.

And like a hot knife through butter, Zilisch would carve his way through the field in the closing laps at Circuit of the Americas. Without the assistance of a late-race caution, which would have bunched the field back up, Zilisch would climb from 33rd to a 14th-place finish over the final 16 laps of the race.

While it was a frustrating day, Zilisch came away from Sunday's race at Circuit of the Americas feeling like it was one of the best races that he had driven overall in his racing career.

"Yeah, I mean, I feel like I drove one of the best races I've ever driven, and we finished 14th," Zilisch explained. "So, yeah, it sucks. Our Red Bull Chevrolet was really fast all day, and we were putting ourselves in a spot there on that last caution in Stage 3 to go have a chance to win the race, and yeah, got wrecked again in Turn 1. I don't know if I need to do something different, but yeah, just one of those days."

When asked about his incredible climb back through the field, Zilsch said, "Yeah, it was good. Just as a racecar driver, I'm not satisfied, but I showed I can do it."

While 14th may have been a disappointing finish for Zilisch, we may circle back to the DuraMax Texas Grand Prix as the race that truly proved to the young racer that he belongs in the NASCAR Cup Series, and perhaps it will be the catalyst to spark the type of performances that we've come to expect from the Charlotte, North Carolina native after an impressive 10 win season in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series a season ago.

After Sunday's race at COTA, the third race of the season, Zilisch sits 32nd in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings. With 23 races remaining until the "Chase for the Championship" begins, Zilisch is 31 points behind Ryan Preece, the final driver above the Chase cutline. The top-16 drivers in the championship standings 23 races from now will make it into NASCAR's new version of the Playoffs.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Phoenix Raceway, where Zilisch suffered heartbreak last Fall, as he lost the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship to his best friend Jesse Love under NASCAR's previous Championship format, which featured a one-race Playoff among four drivers for the championship in the season-ending event.

The NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway is scheduled for Sunday, March 8, and will be televised on FS1 with television coverage set to begin at 3:30 PM ET. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide the radio broadcast of the race.