Rising star Connor Zilisch praised after Sonoma: “He doesn’t race like he’s 18”

Shane van Gisbergen hailed rising NASCAR star Connor Zilisch for his composure and defensive driving after their thrilling battle in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Sonoma.

While van Gisbergen left the California road course with the top prize by dominating Sunday’s Cup Series event, he suffered a narrow defeat in the second-tier Xfinity race at the hands of Zilisch - a driver exactly half his age.

The pair went wheel-to-wheel for the win around the 2.5-mile road course, with polesitter van Gisbergen throwing everything at the JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the final two laps. But Zilisch, just 18 years old, held firm and claimed victory by a margin of just 0.04s, avenging his Chicago loss to the Kiwi.

Zilisch is expected to step up full-time to the Cup Series next year with Trackhouse Racing, potentially alongside both Ross Chastain and van Gisbergen should the latter secure a new contract with the team.

Van Gisbergen was full of admiration for the North Carolina native, saying he showed a maturity far beyond his years.

“I’m going to have to race him a lot in the future,” said van Gisbergen. “He’s a star of the sport — or going to be, even more so. Racing him yesterday, he doesn’t look like he’s 18.

“He’s placing the car in perfect spots and drives amazing, and he’s an awesome young kid. If he ends up being my teammate or not next year — I hope he does — it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Both drivers are backed by Red Bull and have already gone head-to-head in NASCAR’s top two categories.

While van Gisbergen’s primary focus is the Cup Series, he’s contesting a select number of Xfinity races. Likewise, Zilisch is balancing a full-time Xfinity campaign with four Cup Series starts for Trackhouse this year.

Zilisch said that van Gisbergen is raising the level in the Cup Series, with his success on road courses pushing the field to step up.

“The coolest thing is how much he pushes the entire field — especially on Sundays. Those guys have never had someone come in and kick their ass. And he is actively doing that.

“I’ve heard a lot of guys say how I’m going to get better and beat him. I’ve enjoyed watching his transition.

“He’s starting to do well on the ovals, and if he figures them out, it’s going to be really cool to watch. He’s already on the right path, doing all the right things to improve.

“I’m just enjoying racing against him — and learning from him.”