NASCAR starlet Connor Zilisch has warned that he's likely to start his Cup Series career slowly.
His team-mate Shane van Gisbergen set a new standard for rookies last year, smashing the series record with five race wins, but the 19-year-old Zilisch warned that he's likely to take a little more time to settle in.
Van Gisbergen's spectacular rookie year was aided somewhat by a decade and a half of racing experience outside of NASCAR – something that the teenage phenom naturally lacks.
Zilisch, speaking to FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass, was open about the fact that his lack of experience will be his main hinderance coming into his new seat with Trackhouse Racing.
Zilisch: Van Gisbergen was spectacular
"It's going to take time to figure it out," he admitted. "And there's no way to make up experience, especially today when we can't test. You're at a deficit. And the only way to make that up is to go out there and race and figure it out.
"I'm looking forward to going out and doing that."
On the comparison to other drivers' successful rookie seasons, he added: "Last year with Shane, five wins is pretty spectacular. There's guys Tony Stewart and way back in the day, a lot of guys that had successful years. But there have been a lot more who have taken time to learn and I know that's going to be the case at first."
He concluded: "You can only do so much. I feel like experience is going to be the biggest thing that I have to catch up on. I'm asking the questions that I feel like I need to ask, and doing as much with my teammates as I can."
