Connor Zilisch rose from Daytona 500 grandstands to grid in 4 years

Daytona 500 2026 Grand Marshal is Nate Bargatze Nate Bargatze was named Grand Marshal a week after Kurt Russell was tapped for pace-car duties at the 2026 Daytona 500. Connor Zilisch, 19, is set to make his Daytona 500 debut just four years after attending the race as a fan for the first time.The highly-touted prospect will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing in his first full-time Cup Series season.Zilisch has extensive experience at Daytona, including a class victory in the Rolex 24 and multiple Xfinity Series starts. It wasn’t that long ago. Just four years. Connor Zilisch came to Daytona International Speedway for his first Daytona 500 as a fan. He sat in the grandstands...