The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season so far has been a massive disappointment for rookie Connor Zilisch. He was expected to start the rookie season on par with the elite racers of the sport, after the 10+ wins 2025 season in the second division.

From nine races, he has an average of P27, with zero top-10 finishes, a start that is nowhere close to expectations.

Hall of Famer Kevin Harvick shared his thoughts in the latest episode of his podcast. He asserted that the rookie has failed to match hopes as he was expected to perform the same level as Ross Chastain on ovals and win races on road courses against Shane van Gisbergen. Both haven't happened, with the only positive Justin Marks' team have in 2026 being SVG getting better on Ovals.

I think the expectation was for SVG to keep winning and get better on ovals, and for Connor Zilisch to come in and be competitive. I mean, we all expected Connor Zilisch to come in and be competitive and for them to win all the road course races—that's really what we expect, right?

Further talking about the point, the veteran admitted that the youngster has been non-existent as far as performance in the 2026 season, especially in the COTA road course race where he was expected to announce himself. The 2014 champion Kevin Harvick though is hopeful that Connor Zilisch will make a comeback in the upcoming Watkins Glen event.

Is Trackhouse one of those teams where those two guys win all the road races? SVG's gotten better on the ovals, but Connor Zilisch has been non-existent as far as performance. At COTA, he had some issues, but he had the speed to run up front, and I think he will at Watkins Glen.

On his recent appearance on the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Connor Zilisch was asked about the tough start to his season and how he is handling the pressure. He admitted that it is pointless to be sad about the poor form as he is responsible for his crew's morals. Hence, he is keeping his chin high, determined to redeem himself.

I don't think anybody is really quite down on themselves… Being upset and being a Debbie Downer isn't going to make things better. It's not going to, you know, you got to walk out of those meetings with your chin up and if the other 180 employees see you walking around the shop with your head down, why would they want to work hard for you to make things better? It's kind of just the whole culture of it. You got to and I'm not down on myself.

The younger understands he needs to work extra had and lead his No:88 Chevy crew by example to get back to winning races. But it's not just up to the racer, but to the whole Trackhouse team as well. They haven't been hitting the mark in terms of fielding the fastest cars. It's high time they take inspiration from fellow Chevy sides HMS and Spire to make their cars faster.

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