At just 19 years old, Connor Zilisch is forcing NASCAR fans to find new superlatives to describe him. In his rookie season in the Xfinity Series, the JR Motorsports driver has established himself as a prime contender for the championship, giving strong competition to senior drivers such as Justin Allgaier.

Not only is the teenage sensation giving them a run for their money, but he is also taking lessons from their past shenanigans, some of which were on display during the Pacific Office Automation 147 in Portland.

Did Connor Zilisch Channel a Formula 1 Legend?

Since April, Zilisch has been one of the best and most consistent drivers across all NASCAR national series, given that he has not finished a race outside the Top 5 during this stretch. He has won seven races since then, and the last three have come in succession. However, none of these achievements have made him a hot topic of debate following the Portland race.

Instead, that credit goes to a corner-cutting incident on Turns 1 and 2, where Zilisch avoided chaos to keep his position and build on his race lead.

In 2021, Formula 1’s Fernando Alonso, driving for Alpine in Sochi, Russia, deployed a similar move on the opening lap of the race. After starting sixth and dropping to seventh by Turn 2, he took no chances after a late-braking maneuver and took a shorter route to his left.

When he rejoined the track, Alonso was in third place, but due to the rules, he had to give up any positions he had gained illegally.

Armed with sharp memories, several motorsports fans quickly pointed out the similarities between the two moves on social media. Subsequently, more fans joined the conversation, sharing their take on Zilisch’s mindful approach to racing in Portland.

Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe was among the people who reacted to the original post by Xfinity Racing on X, claiming, “I’d do that every lap if they don’t call it, it’s way faster than the actual corner.”

Replying to the same post, one user recalled the Alonso move from 2021 and wrote, “We call this the Fernando at Sochi. It’s faster and it’s legal by rule.”

Meanwhile, another user called it an outstanding move on Zilisch’s part, writing, “That’s good spotting right there. They were absolutely wrecking. He was going to be punted the F out of the lead. That’s outstanding anticipation and instinct. 100/10 right there.”

While some enjoyed the showcase, Zilisch’s move divided NASCAR fans, with some claiming it was an illegal maneuver by the teenager.

Following that line of thought, one user wrote, “Yup NASCAR needs to call that.”

Another user against the move called Zilisch out for not even attempting to make the turn cleanly. They wrote, “He didn’t even attempt to make it through turn 1 properly. This is not OK in my books.”

While it was a move that put fans on opposing ends, Zilisch was still able to fight his way to a famous win. After tag-teaming with Parker Kligerman for the win last weekend, Zilisch made sure to continue his winning ways as he returned to a full-time driving role after his incident at Watkins Glen.