“Got all of the ingredients”: Justin Marks makes it clear that Trackhouse rookie is destined to be a “huge” NASCAR star

Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks believes that Connor Zilisch has what it takes to be successful at the Cup level. Zilisch wrapped up his maiden Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports and will move to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026 with Trackhouse.

Zilisch logged a stellar season with JR Motorsports. He got the team their 100th victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and finished the season ranked second in the championship standings with a series-high 10 wins.

Reflecting on Zilisch’s rookie Xfinity season, Marks said in a statement (via SBJ),

“The talent that is on its way up is as good as it’s ever been, and he’s just a true outlier. The way he’s been able to attack his rookie season, win at tracks he’s never been to before, but it’s also the stuff you can’t really see on TV. It’s his attitude, it’s his intelligence, how he approaches it and all that, his confidence, he will not be intimidated.”

Joining Zilisch in his first full season with Trackhouse Racing will be his teammates Ross Chastain and former Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen. Last year, Zilisch made three Cup starts at Circuit of The Americas, Charlotte, and EchoPark Speedway, all of which were to prepare him for his maiden Cup Series campaign.

“I think he’s got all of the ingredients and tools necessary to be a huge star in this sport,” Marks further added.

Last season, Connor Zilisch led a total of 1013 laps in 32 starts, 20 of which were top-fives and 23 were top-10s.

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Connor Zilisch could join elite NASCAR list in 2026 featuring two-time Cup champion Kyle Larson

Trackhouse Racing is willing to let Connor Zilisch do the famous Double. Last year, Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, attempted the feat for the second straight season.

However, he wasn’t able to pull off the feat, which includes running the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500 on the same day. To this day, only Tony Stewart has been able to finish the Double Duty. Reflecting on Larson’s 2025 bid, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks said,

“Watching Larson go through that -- it’s dramatic and it’s risky and it can be a little uncomfortable with the timing and all that kind of stuff, so if we decide to do something like that, Connor would certainly be at the top of our list. But to do that we have to do it the right way, and I certainly don’t want to do it his rookie year.”

Daytona International Speedway will host the 68th running of the Daytona 500 on February 15, 2026. It will mark Zilisch’s first race with Trackhouse Racing as a NASCAR Cup Series full-timer.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua