If Connor Zilisch leaves Trackhouse, could Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen follow?

Connor Zilisch was seen as the way forward for Trackhouse Racing, but it surely appears to be like like he might find yourself turning into the way forward for Hendrick Motorsports as a substitute. 

The 20-year-old NASCAR Cup Sequence rookie is the highest contender to take over what might be a vacant HMS No. 48 in 2028 after Alex Bowman retires, and feedback from Trackhouse proprietor Justin Marks earlier this week made it sound like getting a long-term deal completed with Zilisch is not a prime precedence, a minimum of in the intervening time. 

“2028, though it’s going to be right here shortly, is slightly too far-off I feel for us to be spending a variety of bandwidth on that in the intervening time,” Marks mentioned.

Whereas it will be negligent for Trackhouse to let Zilisch stroll with out even making an attempt to retain him, Zilisch going to Hendrick is sensible. The gifted younger driver needs to win, and Trackhouse is leagues behind Hendrick in regard to hurry in the intervening time. Hendrick would additionally seemingly have the ability to compensate Zilisch way more handsomely than Trackhouse. 

So in a worst-case state of affairs for Trackhouse the place Zilisch does go away after the 2027 season, what does their future appear like?

May Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen go away Trackhouse Racing?

Marks’ feedback on 2028 being “far-off” do not simply relate to Zilisch. Trackhouse’s different drivers, Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen, have contracts that expire after 2027. 

Trackhouse will wish to maintain each of these drivers round. Chastain has been with the staff since 2022 and has received six races for the group. Van Gisbergen is simply in his second full-time season with Trackhouse however has received eight races for the staff since bursting onto the NASCAR scene in 2023. 

Loyalty may very effectively be an enormous think about Chastain staying at Trackhouse. The watermelon farmer from Alva, Fla., has caught it out at Trackhouse regardless of various efficiency from the group. Nonetheless, if issues do not enhance between now and the tip of 2027, he may stroll, and there would seemingly be a number of groups prepared to signal him. 

Van Gisbergen is arguably one of the best street course racer in NASCAR historical past and is bettering on ovals as effectively. He is at present in place to make the Chase, and if he begins contending for wins on ovals, his inventory will solely proceed to go up. Once more, loyalty may play a think about his determination to stay round or not, as Marks and Trackhouse introduced him into NASCAR within the first place, but when he feels he cannot win with the staff, he may additionally stroll. 

There’s a chance, nevertheless slim it could be, that every one three Trackhouse drivers need out on the finish of subsequent season. Zilisch leaving by himself could be irritating. Two of Trackhouse’s drivers strolling could be devastating; all three going to new groups could be catastrophic. 

Maybe one of the best factor Marks and Trackhouse can do if they are not prepared to do all the pieces of their energy to maintain Zilisch is to concentrate on retaining Chastain and van Gisbergen. Neither driver is a spring hen — Chastain might be 34 on the finish of the 2027 marketing campaign and van Gisbergen might be 38 — however they each have roughly a decade of racing left within the tank and are adequate to construct a staff round. 

Assuming Zilisch leaves, Trackhouse would have a 3rd automobile to fill, except Marks decides to promote a constitution for an enormous sum of money, which would not be the worst factor for the group. If Trackhouse does determine to go trying to find a 3rd driver previous to 2028, nevertheless, it is price questioning if Zilisch’s departure can have younger, promising prospects being cautious of signing with a corporation that does not have the power to construct a championship caliber staff round them.