Connor Zilisch is not going to return to Trackhouse Racing in 2028.
The 20-year-old driver has been one of NASCAR’s most sought-after prospects, and, in what would have been his first period of free agency as a NASCAR Cup Series driver (with his Trackhouse contract ending after next year), Zilisch found himself the subject of intrigue from Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports.
So, 18 months from now, in February 2028, Zilisch will make his debut as the new driver of the No. 48.
It’s not a surprise, though, to anybody. Hendrick Motorsports has been watching Zilisch’s development from afar, and even played a small role when the Charlotte, North Carolina-native landed a full-time seat in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with JR Motorsports. Zilisch was at the top of the team’s wish list, and with Alex Bowman retiring after next year, it was time to pull the trigger.
On the more difficult end of this transaction, we find Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing.
Marks is one of the youngest and most ambitious owners in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, and now, he’s got a year and a half to try and find a replacement for the team’s star, who he had hoped would be with the three-car organization for many years to come.
There are quite a few options potentially on the table for Marks, as far as next steps are concerned.
Trackhouse Racing could replace Zilisch, the team’s first-ever development driver, with another, which in that scenario would require Marks to get moving now so that said driver could potentially be prepared to take over a NASCAR Cup Series seat in 2028 or 2029.
Where would he pull that driver from, though?
Should Marks go this route, he’d have a fair selection of Chevrolet-backed drivers in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports have a stable of talented drivers in the second-tier series like Carson Kvapil, Rajah Caruth, and Corey Day that could be options, and, while Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer don’t necessarily have their futures 100% confirmed as of yet, they could also be options.
Throw in some intriguing talents like Chandler Smith (said to be moving to Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series program) or Christian Eckes (currently running Trucks with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, but also has some O’Reilly experience), and there are a lot of people to choose from.
Or Marks could go outside of NASCAR, as he did with Connor Zilisch, and find the next big thing, maybe recruiting a youngster from one of the tens of Late Model divisions in the United States, or even visit the Trans Am Series by Pirelli – there’s a Chevrolet-backed 18-year-old dominating the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series right now, named Helio Meza.
Another option is tapping a driver with some NASCAR Cup Series experience – whether that be someone whose contract will expire at the end of 2027, or a driver whose initial stint in Cup didn’t work out (like a Harrison Burton or Josh Berry).
But there’s a second major point for Trackhouse Racing that could present a problem, and it’s the fact that both Ross Chastain and Shane Van Gisbergen are in contract years next season and will need to be re-signed if they are to remain with the team for 2028.
Sources tell JosephSrigley.com that, should either (or both) choose to explore their options for the 2028 NASCAR Cup Series campaign and beyond, they would each have ample interest from other organizations that could potentially pry them away from Trackhouse Racing.
Chastain, 33, is currently having a difficult time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Barring some kind of miracle in the final two regular-season events at New Hampshire and Daytona, the Alva, Florida-native doesn’t look like he’ll even qualify for The Chase – meaning, at best, he’ll finish 17th in points.
It is the belief of many within the garage that if Chastain is paired with the right organization and a solid team around him, he would be capable of fighting for victories and a championship in the NASCAR Cup Series. That’s what was happening with Trackhouse when Chastain first arrived in 2022, but the team has taken a downturn in recent years when it comes to raw pace.
Van Gisbergen, 37, is the sixth-oldest driver running full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series this year, but is still relatively new to NASCAR, just in his second year full-time in Cup. So, how long he spends racing in America is unknown, but despite his age, there’s still an upside to SVG. A couple of nearly guaranteed road course wins, and some improving prowess on ovals could make the Supercars champion a good fit for several organizations.
At this juncture, Marks is going to be focused on filling the seat of the No. 88 Chevrolet for 2028. But there is a scenario (however unlikely and borderline apocalyptic it may seem) where Trackhouse Racing might find itself building an entirely new driver lineup from scratch, if things don’t go the way the team is hoping over the next 18 months.
But the worst-case scenario can’t be the focus now. Instead, Trackhouse Racing has got to keep chipping away at its performance in the NASCAR Cup Series, in hopes that an uptick in on-track pace will help with not only keeping their two drivers currently under contract but also attracting new blood to the No. 88.
