NASCAR rookie Connor Zilisch slammed by rival after Darlington wreck

Connor Zilisch may be the most hyped NASCAR rookie in years, but he's showing early on that no amount of talent is a substitute for experience.

The 19-year-old has had a rough go of it early in his first full-time Cup Series campaign, getting caught up in a number of wrecks and making some – appropriately – rookie errors.

He was the target of another driver's ire again on Sunday at Darlington, with Riley Herbst sending some choice words his way after being spun out by the teenager.

Zilisch sent an apology via his team radio, admitting that he simply made a misjudgement behind the wheel, and was...colorfully rebuffed by the 23XI Racing driver, who has not enjoyed the success of team-mates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace so far this year.

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Herbst: Tell him to go f*** himself

Herbst has had a tough start to his own Cup Series career, failing to secure a single top-ten finish in his rookie season in 2025. While he has now bagged a top-ten for 23XI (eighth at the Daytona 500 last month), his 27th place in the points standings makes him stand out somewhat for a team whose other drivers sit first and third.

That situation may have fuelled a little of his frustration when spun by the No. 88 on Sunday, immediately jumping on the radio to ask simply: “What the f***?”

Herbst was informed by his team that Zilisch had misjudged his positioning and had said 'sorry'. The 27-year-old didn't appear especially moved by that, replying: “Tell him to go f*** himself."

For his part, Zilisch said on his radio: “That’s my fault. Tell the 35 I said sorry. He just got a loose, and I was already committed.”

It's unclear whether Herbst's comments were relayed to him directly...but probably not.

Of course, Zilisch has not only heard radio criticism of his driving already this season, joking about getting a new nickname after Joey Logano complained at Atlanta: “The Trackhouse cars are weapons, man. The No. 97 and the purple one [Zilisch], they’re like… jeez. They’re gonna crash all of us at some point.”