Kevin Harvick praised Connor Zilisch ahead of the 19-year-old's upcoming NASCAR Cup Series promotion. Harvick compared him to Jeff Gordon as one of the most well-rounded young drivers to enter the sport.Without Harvick, Zilisch might never have found his way into American stock car racing. The 2014 NASCAR champion brought him under his wing in 2021 after spotting his potential in go-karts. Harvick believes Zilisch had the skill, coachability, and data-driven mindset to make it all the way to Formula 1.Like Zilisch, Jeff Gordon entered NASCAR ready to battle at the front. Gordon debuted in the Cup Series in 1993, scored his first two wins the following season, and captured his first championship in 1995—denying Dale Earnhardt Sr. a record-breaking eighth title.On a recent episode of his Happy Hour podcast, the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver reflected on Connor Zilisch’s rise, saying:“You're going to have a new team... around him. You're going to have a lot of challenges. But he is the most polished, most well-rounded young driver that's come to the Cup series in a long time, since Jeff Gordon.” [2:08]Connor Zilisch currently leads the NASCAR Xfinity Series in wins at seven. That's four more than defending series champion and JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier. The series rookie has also scored five poles, 13 top-5s, and 15 top-10s.Next year, the North Carolina native will step up to the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing, taking over for Daniel Suárez. He’ll join Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen as teammates, though his car number has yet to be confirmed.Trackhouse Racing owner compares Connor Zilisch to four-time F1 champion Max VerstappenJustin Marks, who will become Connor Zilisch's boss at Trackhouse Racing next year, compared the 19-year-old to four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. Marks emphasized that the team signed Zilisch with the belief that he could win as a rookie, even against the deeper, more competitive Cup Series field.In an interview at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, the team co-owner said (via Steven Taranto on X):“All of those things together, he's demonstrated in a way that I've not ever seen a teenager be able to do before. When you recognize that you've got that in a package, you have to run with it. We've seen it. I mean, Max Verstappen, and there's been other drivers that have gotten sort of thrown into the top level at a young age, and all of those guys kind of demonstrate the same thing.”“We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think that he'd be successful, if we didn't think that he'd be able to win as a rookie. We're just thrilled to be able to have him.”Connor Zilisch won the Wawa 250 at Daytona with Parker Kligerman behind the wheel - Source: GettyFor perspective, Max Verstappen entered Formula 1 at 17 in 2015 and became the youngest winner in series history the following year at the Spanish Grand Prix, standing on the top step of the podium at just 18. His first major title fight came against seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in 2021, which he won—kick-starting a run of consecutive championships that continues today.Before Zilisch makes the jump to the Cup Series next year, he’ll first take on his debut playoff run in the Xfinity Series, beginning at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 12. If Zilisch wins the championship, he will join Chase Elliott on the list of Xfinity drivers who won the title in their rookie season.