Rising Star Connor Zilish was tilted to finish Shane Vangisbergen’s street course domination when he stepped up full-time to subsequent 12 months’s NASCAR Cup Sequence.
Extensively welcomed as a generational expertise, Zilisch is presently main the Xfinity collection rankings as a rookie after profitable six occasions in his first 23 races.
The 19-year-old has made his Cup Sequence debut in a trackhouse race alongside Van Gisbergen, and is considered the primary to line as much as substitute Daniel Suarez subsequent season.
Zilisch and Van Gisbergen confronted off within the Xfinity collection this 12 months.
Within the Watkins Glenn spherical final weekend, Zilisch appeared on prime in a duel after tweaking Van Gisbergen to the wall whereas 18 laps fought for the remainder of the lead.
Van Gisbergen then bounced again from disappointment, profitable the Cup race on Sunday, marking his fourth victory of the 12 months.
Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin believes each drivers have better benefits than the remainder of the cup subject on the street course, however expects Zilisch to be higher at straight fights.
“I believe (Van Gisbergen) gained the street course within the close to future, however I imply Connor is gonna be him with Xfinity.
“These two have their heads and shoulders nonetheless on the sector, and maybe the one battle you will have is to determine who will win the street course race that day, except one thing quirky occurs between the 2.”
Zilisch celebrating Xfinity’s success at Watkins Glen in Victory Lane, breaking his collarbone and making him miss Sunday’s Cup Sequence race.
The Charlotte native is uncertain when he’ll return, and the following Xfinity race is scheduled for August twenty second at Daytona Worldwide Speedway.
