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Denny Hamlin reacts after finishing second at Martinsville Speedway despite leading 292 laps and winning both stages.
Denny Hamlin addressed Connor Zilisch’s early-season struggles with a clear message shaped by his experience in the NASCAR Cup Series. The rookie entered the year with strong expectations after his 2025 campaign, but his first eight races in the NASCAR Cup Series have not produced a top-10 finish.
His best result is 14th at Circuit of the Americas. The start reflects both the challenge of competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and Trackhouse Racing’s current form. Hamlin discussed the situation on his Actions Detrimental podcast, focusing on team performance, realistic expectations, and patience as the NASCAR Cup Series season continues.
Denny Hamlin Evaluates NASCAR Cup Series Performance Gap
Denny Hamlin compared Zilisch’s results to those of teammate Ross Chastain to explain the current gap. He stated that the difference between the two drivers aligns with expectations, but the team’s overall results in the NASCAR Cup Series are below projections.
“Connor is not performing as we thought. If Ross [Chastain] is my comp, I’d say Connor’s really running about the offset to Ross that you think he would run. The problem is Ross is 15 spots worse than what you would project. They have plenty of time to turn it around, which I’m sure they will.”
His comments place the focus on team-wide performance rather than isolating the rookie. The comparison shows that both drivers are affected by the same issues. The results indicate that Trackhouse Racing has not reached its expected level in the NASCAR Cup Series during the opening races.
Hamlin Urges Patience as NASCAR Cup Series Season Builds
Hamlin followed with direct advice for Zilisch as he continues his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series. He emphasized consistency in approach and the role of time in improving results.
“You just stay the course. That’s my advice is that you just keep rowing the boat. Eventually, may the river flow and hit you in the ass, and you start going downriver. I don’t know. I think some of it comes with time. I don’t know how much of it is Connor, how much of it is car. If his teammate were up there winning races and whatnot, I would throw more of a caution to the Zilisch thing, but I just think that they’re struggling as an organization right now, and I think they would admit that.”
The statement highlights the balance between driver development and team performance. Hamlin pointed out that results depend on both factors. He also indicated that stronger results from a teammate would change the evaluation, but current results suggest broader challenges within the organization.
Bristol Win Reinforces Zilisch’s Form Amid Cup Struggles
Zilisch returned to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Bristol Motor Speedway and secured a win against Kyle Larson. After the race, he spoke about the difficulty of recent NASCAR Cup Series races and the impact on his confidence.
“It’s been a tough past two weeks for me in the Cup Series, and it feels good to come back down here into the O’Reilly Series and prove that I can still do it. It’s tough. You finish in the back every week, and you forget who you are. This feels good. We played a strategy game. Rodney made a great call to keep us out. The tires weren’t wearing much all night, and we were able to get our (No. 1) Roto-Rooter Chevrolet in the track position that I needed to go out and win the race.”
The result shows his ability to compete when conditions align. It also provides context for his NASCAR Cup Series start, where performance has depended on both driver execution and team output.
Dogli Wilberforce is a writer covering NASCAR, Formula 1, and the IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. He has also written for Sportsnaut, FanSided, Total Apex Sports, and Last Word on Sports. Wilberforce focuses on the NASCAR Cup Series, breaking down news, driver stories, and key moments with a clear, fast, and engaging style. His work connects headlines to context, helping readers understand what matters most in the sport. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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