Connor Zilisch's struggles in his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season aren't keeping Kyle Larson from welcoming him to Hendrick Motorsports. Following the announcement on Aug. 17 that the 20-year-old will leave Trackhouse Racing after the 2027 season to join Hendrick Motorsports, Larson said: "Yes, (Zilisch) hasn't had a great season this year, but I don't think that means anything." Zilisch won 10 O’Reilly Series races and the championship in 2025 with Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports. The Charlotte, North Carolina native, who will join Hendrick Motorsports after Alex Bowman's previously announced retirement, has posted only six top-20 finishes in 2026 and is currently 34th in the Cup standings.
CONNOR ZILISCH JOINING HENDRICK: Connor Zilisch will join Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 car for 2028 NASCAR Cup season While Zilisch's brief Cup career has not met some expectations, Larson said his full body of work should be considered and remains convinced Zilisch has a bright future at the sport's top level. "Everything he has proven to this point shows how talented and actually gifted he is," Larson said. "Seeing him work at it, too. Being in the Wise Optimization program, you get to see it, and I think it's high." Zilisch competed most of the 2026 season at age 19. He did not turn 20 until July 22. Larson started his Cup career at 21, so he knows what it's like to compete at an early age. "He's young, but I feel like he is very mature for his age," Larson said. "And I feel like he will fit in great at our place." What happens when 'Mr. H' gets involved in Hendrick Motorsports meetings Speaking of struggling on the track, Larson has had his fair share in 2026. He is on a 47-race winless streak and has finished outside the top-30 eight times. "Although you're not getting the immediate results, I think when the time comes we're going to be ready, and I look forward to that day," Larson said. Someone else looking for that is Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick. Larson's team isn't the only one struggling at Hendrick, which has just two total wins in 2026, both by Chase Elliott. William Byron has two third-place finishes and is 12th in the Cup point standings, while Bowman also has a pair of third-place finishes and is 29th in points. The struggle makes for interesting conversations when all four teams gather for weekly meetings and Hendrick gets involved. "When all four of us run average and not to our standards at Hendrick Motorsports, it's like everybody comes together much more. Mr. H will get involved in the meetings," Larson said. "They're tough, but there's usually good that comes out of it. I've seen a couple of different versions of Mr. H. This year he's been more motivating. I think he knows that everybody's down and not happy with where we're running, and he's been kind of a guy to give you a little pep talk and remind you that you're all really good at what you do." Kyle Larson still focused on Cup season even after Knoxville dirt track win Ninety minutes after the checkered flag dropped at Richmond on Aug. 15, Larson was on a plane headed to Iowa for the Knoxville Nationals dirt race. With the assistance of a sheriff's patrol escort, Larson not only made it to the race, which had been delayed by rain, but won it. As the Richmond Cup race wore on, Larson said he tempered his excitement about possibly making it to Knoxville. He was careful with his radio communication with his team. “I didn’t really want to ask any questions (about Knoxville), because I didn’t want it to seem like I wasn’t focused or had lost focus on the NASCAR race because I was still trying to get the best finish possible for our team after the struggles we’ve been going through,” he said. Larson did not allow himself to start thinking about Knoxville until after he finished sixth at Richmond. It was his best Cup finish since being fourth at Sonoma on June 28. “I was going to try to finish the race as well as we could, and then see what happened," he said. "Immediately after the checkered flag, (Cliff Daniels) told me they were still delayed, and I was thankfully excused from media and able to get out of there as fast as possible.” This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Kyle Larson said about future teammate Connor Zilisch's rookie struggles