Connor Zilisch is headed to Hendrick Motorsports, as the powerhouse NASCAR team announced Monday it has signed the 20-year-old driver to a multi-year deal that begins with the 2028 season.

Zilisch, considered one of the sport’s most talented prospects, will drive the team’s No. 48 Ally-sponsored Chevrolet in NASCAR’s premier Cup Series, replacing Alex Bowman, who has already announced that the 2027 season will be his last as a full-time competitor.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, only that Zilisch and Hendrick had reached a “multi-year agreement” to join the Rick Hendrick-owned organization that has won more championships than any other.

“This is one of those moments you dream about as a kid,” Zilisch said in a statement. “Hendrick Motorsports has always represented the standard in our sport and being entrusted to help continue that legacy means everything to me.”

Zilisch began racing at 5, and it wasn’t long before he established himself as an emerging young talent. He moved from North Carolina at 11 to race go-karts in Europe, and his success there — winning a major race in Italy against a field that included current Formula One championship points leader Kimi Antonelli and winning the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in 2020 — seemingly put Zilisch on a path to F1.

But a lack of funding meant Zilisch had to pursue racing in a less expensive form of motorsport, so he turned his attention to NASCAR, and before long his ability caught the attention of numerous team owners. His stock only continued to climb in 2024 when he earned class victories in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring sports car races, then later that year won his debut race in NASCAR’s second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Last year, Zilisch won 10 O’Reilly races and the regular-season points championship.

Zilisch advanced to Cup full-time this season, driving for Trackhouse Racing. He has one top-10 finish in 24 starts and currently ranks 34th in points. He will continue to drive for Trackhouse through the 2027 season before moving to Hendrick.

Zilisch and Hendrick’s link has been anticipated for some time, the only question being when. But the answer to this question came into focus this spring as Bowman weighed his future. Hendrick identified Zilisch as a leading candidate to succeed Bowman should they need to fill his spot on its four-driver roster. When Bowman announced last month that he would return to Hendrick for one final season, it increased the likelihood that Hendrick would move to have Zilisch take his place.

“Connor is a truly gifted young racer,” Rick Hendrick said in a statement. “His talent behind the wheel is exceptional, but I’m even more impressed by the person he is. When someone with that kind of ability and character becomes available, you do everything you can to bring them into your organization. We have tremendous confidence in Connor, and we believe he’s the right driver to build on the legacy of the No. 48 Ally team for many years to come.”

The Chicago White Sox will look to keep a three-game winning streak going when they visit the Chicago Cubs at 8:05 p.m. ET on Monday. Shota Imanaga (8-9, 3.74 ERA) will start for the Cubs, who are 72-53 this season and second in the NL Central. Luis Castillo (4-9, 4.96 ERA) is the expected starter for the White Sox, who are 65-58 and first in the AL Central.

How to watch Chicago White Sox vs. Chicago Cubs

White Sox vs. Cubs odds

• Favorite Moneyline: Cubs -169
• Underdog Moneyline: White Sox +140
• Total: 8
• Total Over Odds: -115
• Total Under Odds: -105

Injury reports

Cubs

Matt Shaw: 10 Day IL (Hand), Daniel Palencia: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Hoby Milner: 15 Day IL (Appendicitis), Gavin Hollowell: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Phil Maton: 15 Day IL (Knee), Riley Martin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Porter Hodge: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Justin Steele: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Shelby Miller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Hunter Harvey: 60 Day IL (Tricep), Cade Horton: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Christopher Austin: 60 Day IL (Knee), Ben Brown: 60 Day IL (Neck), Dansby Swanson: day-to-day (Side)

White Sox

Joey Bart: 10 Day IL (Hand), Kyle Teel: 10 Day IL (Ankle), Chris Murphy: 15 Day IL (Flexor), Davis Martin: 15 Day IL (Finger), Tanner Murray: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Prelander Berroa: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ky Bush: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Mike Vasil: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Jordan Leasure: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Brooks Baldwin: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Drew Thorpe: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

• Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong is slashing .276/.374/.533 this season with 28 home runs (9th in MLB), 75 RBIs (15th in MLB) and an OPS of .906 (6th in MLB). He has a 27.2% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate in 555 plate appearances, and he has scored 87 total runs. Crow-Armstrong has recorded 30 steals on 37 attempts.
• In 557 plate appearances, Alex Bregman has hit 16 long balls, tallied 61 RBIs and scored 69 runs. He is batting .251/.343/.402 and has posted a 15.8% strikeout rate and an 11.1% walk rate.
• Chicago’s Miguel Vargas is slashing .239/.344/.491 this season with 28 home runs (9th in MLB), 72 RBIs and an OPS of .835. He has a 17.8% strikeout rate and a 12.8% walk rate in 533 plate appearances, and he has scored 83 total runs. Vargas has recorded 12 steals on 14 attempts.
• In 497 plate appearances, Chase Meidroth has slashed .278/.354/.416 this season. He has hit 12 long balls and driven in 49 runs with a strikeout rate of 22.3% and a walk rate of 9.9%. and has scored 71 runs.

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