With Connor Zilisch departing Trackhouse Racing at the end of 2027 and the team’s other two drivers’ contracts expiring at the same time, there’s speculation the organization might sell a Charter and downsize to two teams, but owner Justin Marks says that won’t happen.
“I don’t really think downsizing for our company is the right thing to do,” Marks said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s show Speedway. “Chevrolet likes the fact we have three cars. I like that we have three cars. At the end of the day, we have a lot of sponsors that want to grow with us.”
While it’s already known that Zilisch is departing Trackhouse for Hendrick Motorsports at the end of 2027, Ross Chastain’s and Shane van Gisbergen’s futures have yet to be determined. Marks expects the process to find Zilisch’s replacement to begin internally after the current season ends.
“I’ve gotten phone calls and texts already,” Marks said.
“Internally, we have a lot of work in front of us at Trackhouse. We’ve got to try to get the 1 (Chastain) into the playoffs. We’ve got to try to keep the 97 (Van Gisbergen) in the playoffs. We don’t really need the distraction or the noise right now.”
Shane van Gisbergen (left), Ross Chastain (center), and Connor Zilisch.
Rumors now place the value of a NASCAR Cup Charter at $100 million since they became permanent as part of last year’s antitrust suit settlement. However, Marks says Trackhouse’s business model works well with three cars.
“We’ve got committed sponsorships on all three cars,” Marks said. “(If) we sell a Charter, we’ve got to call sponsors that have all become friends of ours and say, ‘Sorry, there’s no room for you here anymore.’ This isn’t an industry where you put yourself in a position to call sponsors and say, ‘We don’t need your money.’
“It was a very intentional thing to grow to three cars. It certainly happened quickly, but I’m happy where we’re at.”
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.