Connor Zilisch didn’t should take care of Shane van Gisbergen in his rookie Xfinity season as a result of SVG was already in Cup. That luxurious is gone. In 2026, Zilisch joins him within the high collection, the place the 2 will lastly go face to face towards the game’s greatest. With van Gisbergen dominating street programs by successful 5 of six in his rookie Cup yr, Kyle Larson has a easy request for the newcomer: take the struggle to the Trackhouse star.
Zilisch’s rivalry with SVG already has a pulse. The SVG-Zilisch pair locked horns 3 times this yr within the Xfinity Sequence, every encounter extra charged than the final. At The Loop 110 in Chicago, they went door-to-door on the ultimate restart. SVG edged forward, seizing the win with nothing left to lose.
Every week later at Sonoma, the 19-year-old turned the tables. He muscled previous with calculated aggression, taking the checkered flag whereas SVG settled for second. The rubber match got here at Watkins Glen, the place tempers flared and phone despatched SVG pounding the surface wall in Flip 7. The hit ended his day, whereas Zilisch once more went on to win the race.
Larson, talking on the Rubbin is Racing podcast, mentioned he’s wanting to see how the rivalry evolves. Appreciating the younger abilities, Larson acknowledged, “I feel NASCAR is in nice fingers right here these days. I feel there’s a whole lot of younger expertise arising, and Connor, particularly, and Corey Heim; these two dominated.”
Talking about how he needs Zilisch to outpace SVG, although, the #5 driver added, “Connor Zilisch goes to win cup races and do it shortly. So, I’m pumped as a result of he’ll hopefully be capable of give SVG a run for his cash programs as a result of none of us can.”
SVG‘s debut Cup season had all of the fireworks however fell quick within the playoffs. Regardless of making the sphere, the Kiwi bowed out within the first spherical, undone by the oval-heavy schedule that uncovered his studying curve on American tracks. Zilisch, in contrast, has confirmed adaptable on each fronts.
He’s as sharp on ovals as he’s easy on the left and proper circuits, a twin risk that might make for a riveting rivalry once they meet once more below the Cup banner.
SVG will double down on mastering the ovals, whereas Zilisch seems prepared to check his teammate’s mettle on the very tracks the place the Kiwi constructed his popularity. If their Xfinity clashes have been any indication, NASCAR’s subsequent nice rivalry is already idling on the grid.
