NASCAR veterans Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader weigh in on whether Connor Zilisch is the next Jeff Gordon

On the latest episode of the Herm & Schrader podcast, hosts Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader discussed Connor Zilisch as the next Jeff Gordon. The duo also highlighted Zilisch's exceptional performance in the Xfinity Series, including four wins in his full-time rookie season.

Zilisch debuted in the Xfinity Series last year with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s co-owned team, JR Motorsports. He showcased his exceptional talent by winning his debut race at Watkins Glen International. He then landed a full-time seat with the team for the 2025 season and has been making strides this season, driving the #88 Chevy. Also, he debuted in the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing and has three starts with a best finish of P11 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Reflecting on Connor Zilisch's remarkable performance, Kenny Wallace said [36:12]:

"I just think we've found our next legit, and we talked about it last week. Connor Zilich wins the Exfinity race. That's his fourth win. He's kind of in that Shane Van Gizburgen deal, where he learned to race in Europe. He's really good on road courses, but here he is. He's won at Pocono. He's won at Dover. Is Connor Zillich, at 18 years old, kind of like the next Jeff Gordon? Is he? Because he seems to me like the way NASCAR advertises. NASCAR feels he's not going to miss like Conor Zilich is the next Jeff Gordon."

Following the same, Ken Schrader expressed his views and made a bold statement [38:37]:

"He's obviously got a ton of talent, you know, and there's no reason to think that he's not going to do well. Uh, we've had and he's getting it done in the Xfinity series. We've had a whole lot of kids over the years that win six or seven ARCA races, and they're not, you know, in a year and they're not here anymore for whatever reason. A lot of it is also funding, you know, didn't get picked up, needed funding or whatever, but uh, there's no reason to believe that he's not going to do really well going into the Cup series there. I mean, I'm excited to see what he does because he's already proven he can run."

Connor Zilisch ranks second in the Xfinity Series points table with 674 points. He has four wins, 11 top-10 finishes, and nine top-five finishes with four pole positions in 19 starts this season.

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Trackhouse Racing added two more races to Connor Zilisch's 2025 Cup Series part-time schedule

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Connor Zilisch has had a successful season this year. Reflecting on the same, Trackhouse Racing gave the driver a chance to showcase his skill set in the Cup Series, and Zilisch landed some remarkable finishes in the series as a rookie driver.

Zilisch secured a P11 finish in his third Cup Series start at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 28, 2025. Reflecting on his potential, the Cup Series team added two more races to the 18-year-old's schedule for this season.

“It’s awesome to have the opportunity to race two more times in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Zilisch said of the opportunity (via X). “Nothing beats experience in this sport, especially at the Cup level. Thanks to everyone at Red Bull and Trackhouse for this opportunity.”

Connor Zilisch will make his next appearance in the Cup Series at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2025. USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90, and HBO Max will cover the 90-lap race live at 2 p.m. ET.