Connor Zilisch will have a chance to build more NASCAR Cup Series experience during the 2025 season as Trackhouse Racing announced the addition of two starts to the 18-year-old driver’s schedule on Wednesday.
Zilisch will compete in his third career NASCAR Cup Series race at the newly renamed EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta on June 28, and he will return for the event at Watkins Glen International on August 10. Zilisch will drive the No. 87 Red Bull Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing in both events.
“It’s awesome to have the opportunity to race two more times in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Zilisch in a team press release. “Nothing beats experience in this sport, especially at the Cup level. Thanks to everyone at Red Bull and Trackhouse for this opportunity.”
Zilisch, who is competing for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship this year as the driver of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Circuit of the Americas on March 2. Zilisch started an impressive 14th in that event, but was mired deep in the field after an incident on Lap 1 between Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott led to a cut tire on his No. 87 car.
Zilisch would rebound to run inside the top 15, but would see his race come to an end after he was caught up in a crash on Lap 50 with Daniel Suarez.
The young driver would fare better in his second career NASCAR Cup Series start, which came in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month.
Zilisch completed 398 of the 400 laps in the race and secured a decent 23rd-place finish.
The North Carolina native won the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season to secure his spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, and so far this season, the driver has three top-five finishes and five top-10s to go along with three pole positions. Zilisch ranks fifth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season championship standings despite missing the event at Texas Motor Speedway due to a lower back injury sustained at Talladega Superspeedway.
