Connor Zilisch will not race this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Naval Base Coronado. JR Motorsports has confirmed the replacement plan while clarifying that Zilisch isn’t limited by the 10-race rule—because that restriction is only for full-time Cup dri
Connor Zilisch’s pace has been the kind that pulls attention fast in NASCAR—Bristol Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen International wins earlier this season, and a ninth-place finish at Pocono Raceway this past weekend—but this weekend at Naval Base Coronado won’t be one of his races.
Zilisch. who moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time with Trackhouse Racing. is not restricted by the 10-race O’Reilly Auto Parts Series limit. The rule only applies to full-time Cup drivers with at least three years of experience. a point that explains why he’s been able to return to JR Motorsports repeatedly this season—seven times so far.
Each of those starts has seen Zilisch drive the No. 1 Chevrolet, a car that has been split between him and Carson Kvapil. Even with multiple additional races expected before the season ends, Zilisch will not compete in this weekend’s race on Naval Base Coronado.
That Sunday race is a 75-lap Cup event around the 19-turn, 3.4-mile (5.472-kilometer) Qualcomm Circuit. Because the course is new for everybody, eligibility for full-time Cup drivers is the key factor for who can enter.
For Kvapil, the weekend marks a busy shift in a season already defined by changes. Kvapil remains a full-time driver in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and has been put in the No. 9 Chevrolet at times when the No. 1 car was occupied. When both are occupied, he has driven for DGM Racing with Jesse Iwuji Motorsports behind the wheel of the No. 91 Chevrolet.
But this weekend, the No. 1 Chevrolet is set to be Kvapil’s.
After this race, the plan looks different: Kvapil is set to be back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet before Zilisch is in line to take over for the following two races at Sonoma Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway.
Kvapil’s season has already included a heavy rotation. He has swapped teams six times this year already. and this weekend is set to mark his 13th car change in 18 races. He hasn’t driven the same car for more than three races in a row. and this weekend is set to be his seventh consecutive entry switch—he hasn’t run the same car in back-to-back races since April.
Despite the constant reshuffling, Kvapil is sitting seventh in the point standings, 94 points above the postseason cut line. He has nine top 10 finishes, including four inside the top five, and he remains without a career victory. Last season, he made a surprise run to the Championship 4 as a rookie a year ago.
Live coverage of the United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 is set to be provided by the CW Network beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 20.
Connor Zilisch JR Motorsports Carson Kvapil Naval Base Coronado Qualcomm Circuit United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 Trackhouse Racing NASCAR Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts Series