Connor Zilisch Suffers Ninth DNF of Rookie NASCAR Cup Season Amid Frustration

Connor Zilisch began the week on a high note, securing a major announcement as Hendrick Motorsports named him the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet for the 2028 NASCAR Cup season.

However, the positive momentum failed to translate into the race weekend for the sole NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year contender. Driving the No. 88 Trackhouse Chevrolet, Zilisch crashed out of the race after 222 laps.

The incident occurred while Zilisch was fading when Riley Herbst crashed ahead of him, impacting the outside wall heavily. The 20-year-old driver’s view was obstructed by the car directly in front of him. Despite his spotter Stefan Parsons repeatedly advising him to “stay low,” Zilisch locked up his brakes and veered up the track, directly entering the path of Herbst’s stationary No. 35 Toyota.

While Zilisch managed to avoid a direct collision, he still clipped Herbst’s car before slamming into the outside wall, bringing his car to a screeching halt.

Over the team radio, an visibly frustrated Zilisch exclaimed, “I’m so f***ing horrible! Gosh, what am I doing?”

He quickly identified the cause of the incident, informing his team that he had locked up his front brakes. The impact compromised his vehicle, causing a complete loss of oil pressure and forcing him to retire from the race, ultimately finishing 35th.

This retirement marked Zilisch’s ninth DNF in 25 Cup races this season, and his seventh in the last 13 starts. Furthermore, Zilisch has completed 5,278 laps this year, the fewest among full-time drivers and over 600 laps fewer than the next-lowest driver, Josh Berry.

The season has proven to be a challenging rookie campaign for Zilisch, characterized by bad luck, handling issues, and a steep learning curve. For comparison, in the Next Gen era, previous Rookie of the Year contenders recorded far fewer DNFs: Shane van Gisbergen had four in 2025, Carson Hocevar had two in 2024, Ty Gibbs had five in 2023, and Austin Cindric finished with four in 2022.

With eleven races remaining in the 2026 season, Zilisch will be looking for a much-needed reset, though there is still ample opportunity to conclude his rookie year on a more positive note.

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