Although he moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time with Trackhouse Racing, Connor Zilisch is not restricted by the 10-race O'Reilly Auto Parts Series limit, as that rule only applies to full-time Cup drivers with at least three years of experience.
Zilisch has returned to JR Motorsports on several occasions, seven to be exact, so far this season, and each time, he's driven the No. 1 Chevrolet, which has been split between him and Carson Kvapil.
Zilisch, who won at Bristol Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International earlier this season, following his impressive 10-win campaign as a rookie a year ago, competed in this past weekend's race at Pocono Raceway and finished ninth.
While he is expected to return for multiple additional races before the season ends, he will not compete in this weekend's race on Naval Base Coronado. Full-time Cup drivers are only eligible to compete in Sunday's 75-lap Cup race around the 19-turn, 3.4-mile (5.472-kilometer) Qualcomm Circuit, since the course is new for everybody.
Connor Zilisch replacement confirmed for San Diego
Kvapil remains a full-time driver in the series, since JR Motorsports have occasionally added the No. 9 Chevrolet for him when the No. 1 car is occupied, and when both are occupied, he has competed for DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports behind the wheel of the No. 91 Chevrolet.
But this weekend, he is set to be back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet, before Zilisch is in line to take over for the following two races at Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway.
Kvapil has swapped teams six times this year already, and this weekend is set to mark his 13th car change in 18 races. He hasn't driven the same car for more than three races in a row, and this weekend is set to mark his seventh consecutive entry switch, as he hasn't run the same car in back-to-back races since April.
Despite all the changes, Kvapil, who made a surprise run to the Championship 4 as a rookie a year ago, is seventh in the point standings, 94 points above the postseason cut line, with nine top 10 finishes to his name, including four inside the top five. He is still seeking his first career victory.
Live coverage of the United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 is set to be provided by the CW Network beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 20. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action from Naval Base Coronado!
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