Daniel Suarez was informed earlier this summer that he would not be returning to Trackhouse Racing for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Suarez was the team's original driver when they formed in 2021, and he has secured his first two career wins with the organization, first at Sonoma Raceway in 2022 and then at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2024.
With Suarez out, it was obvious that Trackhouse Racing development driver Connor Zilisch, the 19-year-old phenom who won on Xfinity Series debut last year and now runs full-time in the series for JR Motorsports, would be the next man up.
So team owner Justin Marks, in typical Justin Marks fashion, noted that he was going to "shock the world" before making the long-awaited confirmation that Zilisch is indeed the driver set to replace Suarez next year.
Justin Marks said it is time to "shock the world" with this announcement that Connor Zilisch has a multiyear deal to race Cup at Trackhouse.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 23, 2025
Connor Zilisch finally confirmed at Trackhouse
Zilisch is indeed set to make the full-time move to Trackhouse Racing in 2026, though his car number has not yet been confirmed. He currently drives the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, but rookie Shane van Gisbergen drives the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series.
The Charlotte, North Carolina native has driven the No. 87 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing in his three Cup starts this year. Either way, however, it doesn't appear that the No. 99 will be used by the team next year, and the No. 91 will likely remain reserved for the team's PROJECT91 program.
Zilisch leads the Xfinity Series with seven wins so far this season, including five in the six most recent races. In the 12 races that have been contested since he missed the race at Texas Motor Speedway with a back injury he suffered the previous weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, he has won six times and boasts an average finish of 2.08 with no results outside of the top five.
In three Cup Series starts this year, Zilisch has a top finish of 11th place at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He had been slated to run the Cup race at Watkins Glen International two weekends ago, but those plans changed after he broke his collarbone while celebrating his Xfinity Series win at the track the previous afternoon.
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing's other driver, is set to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet for a fifth consecutive season next year.