Connor Zilisch pulled back the curtain on the difficult sacrifices he was forced to make in order to fulfill his dream of someday becoming a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver.

On Saturday, Trackhouse Racing announced that Zilisch will pilot the No. 99 Chevrolet during the 2026 Cup Series campaign. The seat was previously held by Daniel Suarez, who mutually agreed to part ways with the organization following this season.

Zilisch first became part of Trackhouse Racing through their driver development program in January 2024. While racing for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series this year, he’s racked up eight wins in 27 starts, including victories in five of the last six races.

Yet Zilisch’s journey to motorsports stardom hasn’t been without its challenges. Speaking to reporters shortly after being named a full-time Cup Series driver, the 19-year-old conceded that he questioned at times if he wanted to surrender his childhood and pursue a stock-car racing career.

“Through every moment — the good, the bad — there were many times I questioned why I left school, left my friends to make this commitment to go to the Cup Series and try and chase the dream of racing in motorsports,” he said. “I never knew what was ahead of me, and there were times five years ago where I thought I was just going to go to college and live the life of a normal kid.”

On the heels of a pivotal conversation between his father and NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick, however, Zilisch knew he was destined for the Cup Series.

“Kevin Harvick asked my dad, ‘What’s your plan with this kid?’ And my dad was like, ‘Well, he’s going to race for another year or two, and then he’s going to go to college,’” Zilisch recalled. “And Kevin told my dad, he’s like, ‘You can’t do that.’ So first of all, thank you to Kevin.”

Harvick is far from the only person who’s played an impactful role in Zilisch’s budding career. “There’s a lot of people that have been a part of this journey with me. I have way too many people to thank,” he continued.

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“JR Motorsports, first of all, for giving me this opportunity this year to race with them. Dale, Kelley, you guys have given me a great home for the last six to 12 months, and I’m very grateful for that. Pinnacle Racing Group, my ARCA team, they took a chance on me to put me into the National Series in NASCAR and let me race in the ARCA Series with them.

“Silver Hair Racing, before that, and Trans Am gave me my first ride in a stock car. There’s just been so many people along the way, and back to even my karting days, when I was with Gary Willis, and we spent months in Europe together, he’s basically my father for a good portion of my life. So yeah, today is a really, really special day for me. I never thought this day would come, and yeah, it certainly feels good.”