AUSTIN, Texas — Before Trackhouse Racing teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch face off in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, they’ll renew their friendly rivalry as heavy favorites in Saturday’s Focused Health 250 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event at Circuit of The Americas.
Zilisch is the defending winner. At age 18, he started from the pole last year and beat Cup driver William Byron to the finish line by 1.639 seconds.
Van Gisbergen raced just three times in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year during his rookie season in the Cup Series. On the Chicago Street Course he outdueled Zilisch, who finished second.
At Sonoma Raceway in July, Zilisch turned the tables, beating SVG to finish line by 0.438 seconds. In the rubber match at Watkins Glen, Zilisch and Van Gisbergen tangled in Turn 7 on Lap 65, with Zilisch surviving to win the race and Van Gisbergen falling to 31st.
All told, Zilisch collected a series-best 10 O’Reilly Auto Parts victories in 2025 with JR Motorsports before graduating to the Cup Series with Trackhouse this year.
NASCAR doesn’t run the full 3.426-mile Grand Prix Course at COTA, preferring to shorten the track to 2.4 miles, eliminating the long backstretch and creating more passing zones.
“COTA is just super-fun, especially since they shortened the course,” said Zilisch. “I really enjoy the shortened course. It has created really good racing and has a short-track type feel to it now.
“You don’t really have straightaways anymore, except for the front straightaway. It’s just so unique. You’ve got a new passing zone now with Turn 6A and that cut-through is a great passing zone. As a driver, you’re doing more, more often. You’re turning more, and you’re in a corner more often. It’s a lot of fun.”
If there’s a series regular who might be able to dethrone the Cup moonlighters, look no further than Sam Mayer, who has four top 10s in as many starts at the track and a best of third last year.
