Airport terminals tell stories of journeys that span more than just miles. For a teenage Connor Zilisch, they were gateways to independence as he navigated alone, surprising veteran Kevin Harvick when he’d show up at airports solo, asking for rides to racetracks. “I would always laugh every time that Connor would show up at the airport, and he’d be 14-15 years old, and he’d show up by himself,” Harvick recalled on his “Happy Hour” podcast. Now 18 and under Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s wing at JR Motorsports, Zilisch’s journey from those solo travels to becoming one of America’s brightest racing prospects reveals a global web of talent that crosses continents.
This intersection of promising young drivers wasn’t formed in the garages of NASCAR or on domestic short tracks but on the global karting circuit, where tomorrow’s racing stars cut their teeth against international competition. “My dad was working a full-time job at the time and so was my mom,” Connor Zilisch explained about his formative years. “They’d come for a week or two out of the three months I was there, but mostly I was on my own.” This independence, unusual for American racing development, mirrors the European model where young drivers often relocate to racing hubs at early ages.
Zilisch opened up on his experience driving karts and the top drivers he came across during his time. He also touched on the difficulties many drivers face in their bid to make it to the top.
Dale Jr.’s star names Mercedes rookie as the best driver he has ever raced against
When asked by Kevin Harvick about which competitors stood out from his worldwide karting days, Zilisch didn’t hesitate to name his benchmark. “I tell everybody the best race car driver that I’ve ever personally raced against is Kimi Antonelli,” Zilisch revealed, offering rare driver-to-driver insight on talent that transcends racing disciplines. “It’s incredible how good he is and how talented he is. And he’s even a little bit younger than me, and he’s going into his first season of F1 this year, and he dominated everything.”
The significance of this assessment shouldn’t be understated — Antonelli isn’t just any prospect but Mercedes’ crown jewel, preparing for his Formula 1 debut. At just 17, Antonelli has already won the 2023 Formula Regional European Championship and the 2024 Formula 2 title, earning his F1 seat after Mercedes fast-tracked his development.
Beyond Antonelli, Connor Zilisch expanded his talent radar: “I had a teammate, his name was Nikita Bedrin, and he’s racing F3, I think. And I learned a lot from him and karting, you know, he was really talented as well.” This global perspective comes naturally to Zilisch, who competed internationally while many American fans were unaware of these developmental battlegrounds where future stars are forged. Russian-Italian origin driver Nikita Bedrin raced in the FIA F3 Championship, among other series, until 2024, after which he moved back to the Formula Regional European Championship for 2025, racing with Saintéloc Racing.
What’s perhaps most revealing is how Zilisch acknowledges the changing landscape for young racers. “Five years ago, every single kid was going into F4 and was going into USF 2000 and just thought the open wheel was the only way to go from go-karts,” he explained to Kevin Harvick. “And that’s changed a lot in the last three or four years after I kind of took a different path from karting.” This observation is supported by the increasing number of former open-wheel prospects now in NASCAR development programs, including Connor Zilisch himself with JR Motorsports.
Connor Zilisch talks about the harsh truth of making it to the big leagues
The most poignant moment came when Zilisch reflected on racing’s harsh realities: “There’s probably so many other kids out there that are the same level of talent as me, but just never got their shots.” Statistics dramatically support this assessment—less than 1% of competitive karters worldwide ever reach top-tier professional racing series. The financial barriers alone are staggering: families often spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on karting alone, with costs ballooning to over a million dollars for a single Formula 3 season and several million by the time a driver reaches Formula 1 contention.
Zilisch continued with brutal honesty: “If I never had the opportunity to meet you and be teammates with Keelan, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. And it’s crazy to think about that but you know… it’s part of the sport, and you got to know the right people to make it to the next level.” His candid assessment aligns with industry data showing that nearly 70% of professional drivers cite a key relationship or networking opportunity as the pivotal factor in their career advancement. In a sport where starting age is crucial—Lewis Hamilton began karting at eight, Sebastian Vettel at just three—early connections often determine who advances beyond the thousands of talented youngsters competing globally.
Connor Zilisch’s rising standings in NASCAR’s competition after winning at the ARCA Menards Series, followed by participation in Truck Series, makes him unique in revealing NASCAR’s evolving global landscape. The present-day driver pipeline shows no geographical or disciplinary boundaries since it unites promising racers across continents through shared experiences before reaching their top racing tiers.
The post Dale Jr.’s 18 YO Star Lets Slip Biggest Rival From F1 as He Boasts International Challengers to Kevin Harvick appeared first on EssentiallySports.