Connor Zilisch, 18, could not avoid teammate Daniel Suarez, who spun out ahead of him Sunday in the NASCAR COTA race.

Connor Zilisch will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday in the Circuit of the Americas (1:30 p.m. CT, FOX). Zilisch started racing go-karts when he was five. He moved up to the ARCA Menards Series in 2023 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series in 2024.

Connor Zilisch had a fiery NASCAR Cup Series debut. Literally. The 18-year-old’s impressive weekend at the Circuit of the Americas ended early when he couldn’t avoid a spin by Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez early in the final stage Sunday. The collision sent Zilisch hard into the tire barrier and the car caught fire as he climbed out.