Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s obsession with LEGO has gotten the better of his JR Motorsports driver, Connor Zilisch. Recently, the 19-year-old purchased a $679.99 Titanic LEGO set and boasted about it on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Last year, Dale Jr. took to X and showcased his Titanic LEGO that Amy (Dale Jr.’s wife) gifted him on his 50th birthday. Despite the help of Amy and his two daughters, it took the Hall of Famer an entire day to build it.
Safe to say that Connor Zilisch is now hooked as well. Calling it a “big boy purchase”, the Charlotte native wrote,
“My first big boy purchase @DaleJr @WilliamByron.”
William Byron, who drives full-time for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series, is reportedly a fan of LEGO as well. It’s from Byron that Dale Jr. found his knack for collecting LEGO.
Connor Zilisch is now ahead of the Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland Raceway, where he will make his 24th start of the 2025 season. He sits second in the driver standings with 863 points to his name.
Last Friday at Daytona, Zilisch swapped seats with Parker Kligerman after driving through the first 13 laps. He suffered a collarbone injury in a fall from his JR Motorsports Chevy when standing on top of it, celebrating his victory at Watkins Glen two weeks ago. So, the young speedstr gave up the rest of his ride that day to Kligerman, who won the race.
Connor Zilisch lands a Cup Series ride for 2026
Many fans have been expecting Connor Zilisch to move to the Cup Series for quite some time now. However, the official statement confirming his switch came on Sunday, August 24. Zilisch is finally moving to a full-time ride in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“This day has been a dream of mine for a long time,” Zilisch said in a statement. “Cup racing has been the goal since joining with Chevrolet and Trackhouse, and while I didn’t know it would come this soon, I feel like I’m ready.”
Per reports, Zilisch will join Trackhouse Racing under a multi-year agreement. He has raced for the team three times this year in the NASCAR Cup Series at COTA, Charlotte, and EchoPark Speedway.
On that note, Trackhouse Racing on X posted,
“NEWS: Welcome to the NASCAR Cup Series, @ConnorZilisch‼️The 19-year-old will race full-time for The House beginning in 2026 and beyond.”
“Connor is a rare talent that comes along every few decades,” said Justin Marks, the owner of Trackhouse Racing. “I have watched Connor grow from a kid racing go-karts at the Trackhouse Motorplex to an up-close seat as he beat all of us in the TransAm races a few years ago. He quickly adapted to everything we have put him in, and what he is doing with JR Motorsports in Xfinity this season is historic.”
No additional details, such as his car number or the date of his first race with Trackhouse, have been announced yet.
