Kyle Busch Warns Connor Zilisch About Step Up to NASCAR Cup Series in 2026
Connor Zilisch is all set to make his full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2026 season. Trackhouse Racing confirmed the 19-year-old driver’s promotion following his impressive performance in the Xfinity Series. As Zilisch prepares for this major career move, veteran driver Kyle Busch offered some valuable advice, highlighting the challenges young talents often face when making the jump to the top-tier Cup Series.
Zilisch made headlines throughout the 2025 Xfinity season by winning an impressive 10 races and finishing second in the championship with a total of 4,034 points. His journey to NASCAR’s premier level has been long and diverse—starting in karting, racing in Europe, and then progressing through IMSA, late models, ARCA, and Xfinity before arriving at the doorstep of the Cup Series. Additionally, Zilisch gained early exposure by making three Cup starts during the 2025 season, giving him a glimpse of the competition and speed at the highest level.
Kyle Busch pointed to Ty Gibbs as a prime example of how difficult the transition from Xfinity to Cup racing can be, even for highly talented rookies. Gibbs, who debuted in the Cup Series in 2023, dominated the Xfinity Series but struggled to match that level in his rookie Cup season. Busch explained:
“Let me preface this first by saying this is no dig at Ty, but look at Ty Gibbs. It’s the same sort of thing: dominating the Xfinity Series, winning with one of the best teams out there, doing everything right and getting results, winning a championship and then getting to the Cup Series and just not understanding the level that it takes at this level to be good or run up front, capitalize, win races and the such. Again that’s no dig on Ty, it’s just a fact. So, Zilisch is going to have the same thing. It’s a rude awakening.”
In his rookie year, Ty Gibbs did not secure any wins but managed four top-five finishes and ended the season 18th in the points standings. His average starting position was 16.9, with an average finish of 18.9, underscoring the significant step up in competition.
Looking ahead, Zilisch will begin preparing for his first full Cup season with Trackhouse, starting with the iconic Daytona 500. Both Kyle Busch and fellow driver Joey Logano believe Zilisch has the talent required to succeed at this level but agree that he will need time to adapt and find consistency.
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Kyle Busch Aims to Reset with New Crew Chief in 2026
As Zilisch readies himself for the leap to the Cup Series, Kyle Busch himself is entering the 2026 season with goals of rebuilding and regaining his winning form after two challenging years with Richard Childress Racing (RCR).
Since his last Cup victory in June 2023, Busch’s streak of winning at least one race per season came to an end in 2024. The 2025 season proved even tougher as he missed the playoffs once again and finished 21st in the standings.
Speaking to NASCAR.com, Busch emphasized the importance of improving week-to-week performance:
“There’s still a building process that’s got to take place to get us to that avenue. And being most consistent each and every week and finishing consistently in the top five is the easiest way to prove that you’re capable of your next win. So we’ve got to get to that point first.”
Despite recent struggles, Busch remains the winningest active driver across NASCAR’s national series, boasting 63 Cup wins, 67 Truck Series wins, and 102 Xfinity Series wins—making him one of the most accomplished drivers on the grid.
One of the biggest changes for Busch heading into 2026 is a new crew chief. Randall Burnett, Busch’s longtime crew chief, is departing Richard Childress Racing to join Trackhouse Racing. Jim Pohlman will step in as crew chief for the No. 8 team. This new pairing aims to provide fresh direction and help Kyle Busch regain the consistency he needs to return to victory lane.
With promising young talent like Connor Zilisch rising and seasoned veterans like Kyle Busch seeking resurgence, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is shaping up to be an exciting chapter in the sport’s evolving landscape.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/news-kyle-busch-makes-no-dig-ty-gibbs-stance-crystal-clear-warns-connor-zilisch-rude-awakening