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Connor Zilisch is the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year. The Trackhouse Racing driver was the only full-time rookie in the Cup Series this season, so the award was his to wrap up at the Homestead finale.
“I guess I have to accept my award and take it,” Zilisch told RACER before the finale.
Zilisch’s Rookie Season
Zilisch drove the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse in 2026. He admitted it “hasn’t been a picture-perfect season by any means.” He failed to finish 10 races and spent the year outside the top 30 in points, finishing 33rd.
The low point came in early summer, when he earned one point each at Charlotte, Nashville and Michigan and completed only 131 of 873 laps in that stretch. He improved late in the year, with eight top-25 finishes and four top-20 finishes in his last 13 races, and nine top-20 qualifying runs.
Zilisch arrived in Cup after one of the best O’Reilly Auto Parts Series seasons in years. In 2025, driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports, he won 10 races, led more than 1,000 laps and won that series’ Rookie of the Year award.
Trackhouse’s Rookie Streak
Trackhouse has now produced back-to-back Cup Rookies of the Year. Shane van Gisbergen won the award in 2025, beating Riley Herbst.
Zilisch will stay in the No. 88 at Trackhouse in 2027 and is set to move to Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 in 2028, after Alex Bowman’s final full-time season.
How NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year Award Works
Rookie of the Year is awarded in each of NASCAR’s three national series. The award uses a points system that mirrors the championship format, with points for race results and stage performance, among other factors. A driver gets one shot at the award per series.
A driver doesn’t automatically qualify by moving up full time. The team must apply, and NASCAR reviews the request.
New Rookie Rules for 2027
NASCAR tightened the eligibility rules in August, putting firm limits on how many starts a driver can have before declaring for Rookie of the Year:
- Cup Series: no more than 12 prior starts
- O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: no more than 10 prior starts
- Craftsman Truck Series: no more than 8 prior starts
“We put some numbers and parameters on there,” NASCAR’s Mike Forde said.
The change rules out Corey Heim, who moves to full-time Cup racing with 23XI Racing in 2027. Heim has 15 Cup starts since 2024, including wins at Naval Base Coronado and the Brickyard 400 this year. Jesse Love, who takes over the Wood Brothers’ No. 21, is expected to be the top rookie candidate in 2027.
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