Shane van Gisbergen shook up NASCAR in 2023 by capturing his first Cup Series victory on the streets of Chicago, racing for Project 91 in partnership with Trackhouse Racing. In the current 2025 season, Connor Zilisch has drawn attention as a promising road course talent competing full-time in the Xfinity Series. Driving the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Zilisch won his debut Xfinity race last year at Watkins Glen after starting from pole position.
Fifteen races into this season, Zilisch has built a reputation through multiple strong performances, including his first oval track win last weekend at Pocono Raceway. This milestone came under the guidance of Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who serves as his crew chief.
Denny Hamlin Compares Zilisch and van Gisbergen’s Readiness for Cup Racing
During a recent episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin weighed in on Zilisch’s preparedness for the NASCAR Cup Series compared to Shane van Gisbergen’s progression entering 2025. Hamlin expressed confidence that Zilisch is currently better prepared for Cup-level competition than van Gisbergen was at the same point.
“I would say that he’s more prepared for Cup than what SVG was entering this season,”
Hamlin noted.
SVG’s getting better on the ovals. Certainly it’s starting to show over the last four or five weeks.
Hamlin also highlighted Zilisch’s rapid development potential on road courses while acknowledging van Gisbergen’s current edge in that area.
“And Connor I think would perform maybe not as good as SVG on the road courses right away, but has the potential to be there pretty quickly. Winning an oval race in Xfinity and winning an oval race in Cup, it’s such a huge jump.”
Upcoming Cup Starts and What Lies Ahead for Zilisch
Connor Zilisch is scheduled to make his third NASCAR Cup Series start at EchoPark Speedway (previously Atlanta Motor Speedway) on Saturday, June 28, with the race airing at 7 p.m. ET on TNT. As he continues to gain experience alongside veterans like Hamlin and crew chief Dale Earnhardt Jr., Zilisch’s progress could influence his trajectory in NASCAR’s top division this season.