Connor Zilisch is without doubt one of the brightest up-and-coming abilities in NASCAR, and final weekend he made his Cup Collection debut at simply 18 years previous. With Crimson Bull sponsorship, he confirmed velocity and was marching his approach ahead when he was unceremoniously despatched careening into the wall. Driving by means of the smoke of a spinning Daniel Suarez, he slammed into his teammate and identical to that, his debut was over after 49 laps.
“Yeah, we had a extremely quick No. 87 Crimson Bull Chevrolet,” mentioned Zilisch. “I’ve had a lot enjoyable getting ready for this occasion. That second stage, driving from exterior the top-30 to 14th, was a whole lot of enjoyable. I used to be passing a whole lot of guys that I used to observe on TV rising up. Hopefully I’ll get the possibility to come back again and do that once more. I had an absolute blast driving by means of the sphere, and I want it didn’t finish early.
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: James Gilbert / Getty Photographs
Formally, Zilisch completed thirty seventh – useless final. However veteran Kyle Busch informed Zilisch to not fear, as he rapidly fell out of his personal Cup debut 20 years in the past and now has extra wins throughout all three nationwide divisions of NASCAR than every other driver in historical past.
The feedback from KB made us surprise how different former prospects carried out of their Cup Collection debuts. The outcomes may shock you. There are six energetic Cup champions within the sport, and just one positioned larger than twenty seventh of their debut race…
Kyle Busch – forty first (2004) … 2x NASCAR Cup Collection champion
In one in every of extra disappointing Cup debuts for a future Cup champion, Busch discovered the wall exiting Flip 4 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (his residence observe) simply three laps into the race whereas driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Just a few laps later, he was on pit highway for repairs. However the injury was an excessive amount of and he pulled out of the race after simply 11 laps of competitors. Earlier than the contact, he was working round fifteenth on observe.
Kyle Busch
Picture by: Michael C. Johnson
Chase Elliott – thirty eighth (2015) … 2020 NASCAR Cup Collection champion
Elliott’s debut got here at Martinsville Speedway, additionally driving for Hendrick Motorsports. He spent a lot of the race in the course of the pack, however he ended up on the improper aspect of a restart stack-up, punching within the nostril of his automobile. They made repairs within the storage earlier than sending him again out on observe. He in the end accomplished 427 of 500 laps.
Hassle for Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Picture by: Motion Sports activities Pictures
Kyle Larson – thirty seventh (2013) … 2021 NASCAR Cup Collection champion
Larson made his Cup debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving for Phoenix Racing with assist from Chip Ganassi Racing. He impressed everybody watching, driving up contained in the top-15 on benefit. Sadly, the engine expired after 247 of 334 laps, denying us a outcome that mirrored his velocity that day.
Kyle Larson, Phoenix Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Motion Sports activities Pictures
Joey Logano – thirty second (2008) … 3x NASCAR Cup Collection champion
Known as the ‘smartest thing since sliced bread,’ Logano made his debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (the place he would find yourself getting his first profession win only one yr later). He truly ran the complete race with no mechanical points and no incidents, driving a automobile ready by Joe Gibbs Racing and ending three laps down.
Joey Logano
Picture by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.
Ryan Blaney – twenty seventh (2014) … 2023 NASCAR Cup Collection champion
Blaney’s first race got here with Group Penske at Kansas Speedway. His debut mired his teammate Logano in some ways, working the complete race with out main drama and ending it three laps behind the race leaders.
Ryan Blaney, Group Penske Ford
Picture by: Motion Sports activities Pictures
Brad Keselowski – nineteenth (2008) … 2012 NASCAR Cup Collection champion
Keselowski had one of the best exhibiting of any energetic Cup Collection champion nonetheless competing full-time at the moment, whereas driving for Hendrick Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway. Ending simply forward forward of his Hendrick teammate (and on the time, boss within the Xfinity Collection) Dale Earnhardt Jr., he scored a top-20 end, solely two laps down.
Brad Keselowski
Picture by: Michael C. Johnson
If we glance past champions for a second, Denny Hamlin, who’s probably the most profitable driver in NASCAR Cup Collection historical past with out a title, nonetheless solely completed thirty second in his debut race. And of all of the full-time drivers presently competing, solely two earned top-ten finishes of their first race. Riley Herbst positioned tenth within the 2023 Daytona 500, whereas Shane van Gisbergen (Zilisch’s teammate) famously made historical past when he grew to become the primary driver in 60 years to win on debut on the Chicago Road Course in 2023.
The pattern continues
However what about the remainder of NASCAR historical past? Surprisingly, the pattern of lackluster debuts from future champions continues. NASCAR legends Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon each completed exterior the top-30 of their first Cup race. The identical goes for Martin Truex Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Labonte, and Invoice Elliott. The truth is, solely 5 drivers in whole historical past of NASCAR (courting again to 1949) have managed to safe a top-ten end on debut – Matt Kenseth [6th], Tim Flock [5th], Terry Labonte [4th], Crimson Byron [3rd], and 1989 sequence champion Rusty Wallace performing higher than every other when he earned a runner-up end in his 1980 debut.
The title for ‘worst’ debut of any driver that went on to turn out to be champion sadly belongs to Busch, as talked about, he solely accomplished 11 laps earlier than crashing out of the 2004 Las Vegas race, ending forward of the start-and-park entries. However as for the worst outcome total — that belongs to three-time Cup Collection champion Cale Yarborough, ending forty second due a mechanical failure 31 laps into his debut.
And with how effectively Zilisch was working earlier than the crash, he might be pleased with the velocity he showcased contemplating how lots of the sport’s best drivers carried out of their first on-track look. There’s no telling if Zilisch will attain the heights of the opposite names on this record, however many watching and inside the sport absolutely count on him to be the following massive factor. And it is price noting that almost all did not come out of the gate swinging, which makes Zilisch’s tempo at COTA earlier than the race-ending wreck that rather more spectacular.
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: James Gilbert / Getty Photographs
For these , we included the total record of NASCAR Cup champions and the place they completed (from finest to worst) of their first profession begin.
(Enjoyable truth: Lee Petty and his son Richard ‘The King’ Petty completed in the identical place [17th] of their Cup debuts).
Debut finishes of future NASCAR Cup champions
Driver
End
Rusty Wallace
2nd
Crimson Byron
third
Terry Labonte
4th
Tim Flock
fifth
Matt Kenseth
sixth
Ned Jarrett
eleventh
Buck Baker
eleventh
Kevin Harvick
14th
Dale Jarrett
14th
Invoice Rexford
14th
Joe Weatherly
sixteenth
Richard Petty
seventeenth
Lee Petty
seventeenth
David Pearson
seventeenth
Kurt Busch
18th
Bobby Isaac
18th
Brad Keselowski
nineteenth
Alan Kulwicki
nineteenth
Bobby Allison
twentieth
Benny Parsons
twenty first
Dale Earnhardt
twenty second
Rex White
twenty second
Ryan Blaney
twenty seventh
Tony Stewart
twenty eighth
Herb Thomas
twenty ninth
Jeff Gordon
thirty first
Joey Logano
thirty second
Invoice Elliott
thirty third
Bobby Labonte
thirty fourth
Martin Truex Jr.
thirty seventh
Kyle Larson
thirty seventh
Darrell Waltrip
thirty eighth
Chase Elliott
thirty eighth
Jimmie Johnson
thirty ninth
Kyle Busch
forty first
Cale Yarborough
forty second
On this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
Connor Zilisch
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