Bubba Wallace’s spotter admits he was in disbelief over Connor Zilisch’s NASCAR promotion

Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, reacted to Connor Zilisch moving to Cup racing in 2026. In his words, the news caught him “off-guard”. It all happened during the latest episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast.

Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevy in the Xfinity Series, is currently a hot topic among the NASCAR aficionados. Ranking second in the driver standings, the 19-year-old driver owns 13 top fives, 15 top-10s, and a series-high seven wins.

Speaking of Zilisch’s promotion to the NASCAR Cup Series, Kraft said,

“Shocking to hear he's going Cup racing. Really caught me off-guard...I didn't see that coming.” (29:12 onwards)

Zilisch will join the Cup Series roster with Trackhouse Racing under a multi-year deal. Replacing Daniel Suarez, the Charlotte native will race alongside teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain.

It’s indeed a dream come true for Connor Zilisch, who has been a development driver for Trackhouse Racing since 2024.

“Cup racing has been the goal since joining with Chevrolet and Trackhouse, and while I didn't know it would come this soon, I feel like I'm ready,” Zilisch said in a statement. “I know the challenge that awaits entering the Cup Series as a full-time driver, but I feel with the support of Trackhouse and Chevrolet, this is the right situation for me.”

Zilisch’s last 12 starts have all translated into impressive top-five finishes. Nine of those are top-3 results. The last time he ended up outside of the top-10 was at Talladega back in April.

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Connor Zilisch gets emotional while recalling sacrifices made by his family

Every rookie NASCAR driver dreams of driving a Cup car someday, and Connor Zilisch's story is no different. So when he landed a full-time deal with Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series, the speedster was overwhelmed with emotion.

During a recent media session alongside General Motors Vice President of Competition, Dr. Eric Warren, and Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks, an emotional Zilisch said,

“My parents have been behind me since day one, 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 a dream of racing in motorsports. I never knew what was ahead of me."

“I knew the whole world knew already but still to be able to say it and have my name next to the words 'Cup Series' is really cool so I wasn't going to try and hide from it,” he added.

Next up for the driver is the Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway. Scheduled for Saturday, August 30, the 75-lap race will mark his 24th start of the 2025 season. Fans can watch him in action only on CW (7:30 pm) with radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.