NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch has signed with Spire Motorsports for a Truck Series race entry at the Charlotte Roval. He will manage racing in both series that weekend.
Zilisch is currently focused on the Xfinity Series championship with the upcoming race at Kansas, followed by the elimination race at the Roval. But with a Truck race on the cards, it could offer him a double advantage.
The 19-year-old driver has never raced at the Roval before. But with him being a master on road courses, Spire could secure a win with him at the road-oval hybrid circuit. Zilisch has not won a Truck race before, and this could be a great chance for him to tick one off the list before his full-time Cup Series debut next year with Trackhouse Racing.
Zilisch’s earlier Truck race at Watkins Glen saw him finish in eighth place, while Corey Heim secured the victory. Thus, Zilisch in the No. 7 Chevy Silverado could battle with Heim at the Roval for a potential win.
Spire Motorsports posted an update on X about Zilisch’s Truck Series entry. It read:
“Putting a winner in the truck.
“@ConnorZilisch will pilot our No. 7 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado RST at the Charlotte ROVAL!”
Newsweek Sports reported that Zilisch will be replacing Daniel Suarez at Trackhouse next year. He became part of the team’s development program in January 2024 and secured an Xfinity Series drive with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports. Speaking on the multi-year deal and his dream of racing in the Cup Series, Zilisch said:
“This day has been a dream of mine for a long time.
“Cup racing has been the goal since joining with Chevrolet and Trackhouse, and while I didn’t know it would come this soon, I feel like I’m ready.
“I know the challenge that awaits entering the Cup Series as a full-time driver, but I feel that with the support of Trackhouse and Chevrolet, this is the right situation for me.
“I won’t be making any predictions for success next year. All I promise is to put in 100 percent effort, learn all that I can, plus have a little bit of fun along the way!”
Praising Zilisch, Dale Jr. said:
“I mean, the only thing I think it’s close to is probably Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson.
“So he might be even more of a comet … he might be even more rare than that, because I don’t know, man, if you all get a chance to spend time around him, you’ll realize how mature he is, and I think there’s probably a lot of parents in the room that would be amazed at his level of maturity.”